THE KING’S TRAIN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19033, 10 June 1924, Page 2

THE KING’S TRAIN

“MILE A MINUTE” TRIP. PRECAUTIONS FOR SAFETY. When the King went to Lancashire to be the guest of Lord Derby at Knowslcy for this year’s Grand National at Aintreo, the royal train was pulled by a new engine painted bright red —the new colour of the London, Midland, and Scottish Railway. Leaving Euston at 1.30 p.m., the train arrived at Huyton—-196 1-8 miles away —just after 5 o’clock. The section between Bletchley and Rugby was covered at the rate of a mile a minute.

At no part of the journey were goods trains allowed to pass the Royal train, nor was shunting permitted for 10 minutes before the King’s train passed. Passenger trains, running the same direction as the King’s train, were not permitted to remain level with it longer than necessary. Men in charge of passing trains were responsible that no projecting objects were carried, and tunnels were inspected an hour before the Royal train was due were guarded at each end.

A staff of engineers in the train was able, if necessary, to get into telephonic communication wtih any station within a few seconds by connecting with the telephone wires running by the track.