The record-union., 1893-03-01
HOW A QUEEN TRAVELS.
Queen Victoria is Very Well Cared
For.
Her Railroad Journeys Cost Her About
nary Fuss Attendant on Them
Makes Even That Figure a Poor
Return.

Winter is again on US, and brings to a
close her majesty's most pleasant resi-
dence at her retreat among the northern
mountains of Scotland, says London Tit
Bits. 1t may therefore be of interest to
have glance at her travelling arrange
ments. She must always have the best of
| everything, and her travelling is no ex-
| ception to the rule. Any one with money
| to throw away can command a special
train, but the Queen eclipses even that
luxury. Her majesty has the full run of
the line when she takes train, and no
matter what Inconvenience may ensue,
she is ever welcomed by the railway au-
| thorities.
1t is curious to look back and read of
one line after another being opened for
| traffic, and the Queen moving about the
country, but never countenancing the
train. This, however, was the case, and
the railway infant was fast getting out of
Its teens before she crossed its threshold.
That Was in 1913, and from then the
Queen had much the same comfort and
facilities in her railway travelling as ordi-
nary folk till 1850, when specially de-
signed railway carriage was placed at her
disposal. The saloon, it may be men,
toned, Is now a little out of date for her,
and though superseded by a new one
containing every available comfort that
can be introduced into a palace on wheels,
| 1t still does duty i'll occasionally taking
the heir apparent out for an airing along
the iron highway. The date OF her pro-
posed journey is settled a considerable
time in advance, but owing to her dislike
for the excitement consequent on a public
display the real time is seldom diVulged
to the world at large.
THE ENGINEER Is IN LUCK.
On the railway companies receiving the
royal intlmation generally given about
weeks notice, and conveyed by private
missive), the stereotyped though intricate
preparations commence. Special coal and
oil are ordered, and the most experienced
and reliable enginemen are selected for
the royal train, as the valuable craft is
named. 1t is pretty sure sign that an
engineer is on the right road to promotion
of substantial nature when he is in
trusted more than once with the onerous
duty of hauling the Queen. But besides
the prospective view of advancement he
gets complimentary douceur in hard
cash, both he and the stoker, the first pay
day after the journey.
The road is thoroughly overhauled and
every rail, chair and key is put in the best
of order. After a few days anxious prep
al oIlOhS CfC1 tAInS ID Ill d SIdlG OF pre-
paredness for the suspicious Journey, and
in duel course thei timeBarrives for the
starting, not of the royal train but of the
pilot. The Queens pilot is what is known
as an empty engine-one with no train at
tached and having only the engineer,
stoker and a couple of inspectors on
board, which leaves about half an hour
ahead of her majesty, and keeps certain
distance in advance throughout the whole
journey. This is to make doubly sure
that the way is perfectly clear.
At last the train starts, smoothly and
majestically, the carriages being previ-
ously subjected to quick fifty miles
run to insure efficiency of the working
parts. The speed her majesty likes is a
very little over forty miles an hour,
which is uniformly maintained through
out the whole journey by the aid of a
special time table setting forth the times
of arrival at and departure from all halt
ing places and the exact minute of pass
ing all the other stations on the route. A
great feature of the royal progress is the
entire absence of hustle and noise along
the line. No freight trains are allowed to
be in motion on the opposite line when
her majesty passes. There is no whist
ling, blowing off of steam nor shunting
to be heard or seen, for the instruction
circular strictly prohibits it.
EXTRAORDINARY PRECAUTIONS TAKEN
People travelling in daylight with the
Queen for the first time would be in
clined to think that they were witnessing
review of all the railway servants of the
country, so large does the army of those
temporarily set apart for the Queens use
appear. Plate-layers have each an al
lotted span of road to keep in order
which they must constantly patrol until
all is over. Brakemen of trans brought
to stand on adjoining lines carefully ex-
anime them and see that. nothing is pro-
| jecting. Every crossing is guarded bv
someone and inspectors protect all occu-
| pied sidings. Signalmen, who, by the
by, must only use their telegraph instru-
ments for messages connected with the
royal train, keep on the qui vive and sta
ton agents appear on every platform.
In bringing the train to stand for the
Queen to alight for refreshments the same
| order and precision are observed that
characterize all the arrangements. A
strip of carpet is laid on the platform,
right along to the door of the refreshment
| saloon. The engineer has now an oppor-
tunity of exhibiting his driving as fine
art. With his hand on the brake handle,
he brings his speed down from forty-fi We
to five miles an hour, but so gently as al
most to defy detection in the motion. On
he comes till he sees chalk mark on the
platform, and as he toes the line" with
| his engine the door of her majesty's saloon
| draws up right opposite the carpet path
way. Before starting again the guards, OF
whom there are two on the train, are all
eyes and ears. The one in the front van
must receive verbal information from
the chief railway superintendent that the
train is ready to go on, and then he has to
exchange signals with the conductor in
| the rear and be assured by the station
agent that all is right. After making sure
that the members of the royal suite are all
seated he waves his green flag or lamp,
as the case may be, and the journey is re-
/ sumed.
The Queen is a very good Judge Of
| human nature, as is seen from the fact
| that, although a squad of artisans and
telegraph operators to cope with emer-
gencies is always numbered among heI
travelling retinue, she likes as many as
possible of the higher railway officials tc
accompany her.
She is thus evidently of one mind with
a famous cartoon, insinuating that nc
trains would be safe without railway
director sitting on the buffer of every
engine.
STOPPED BY A SWARM OF BEES.
1t is an old and trite saying that acct
dents will happen in the best regulated
| families but it would be almost limos.
| sible for the royal train to meet with a
mishap. A railway official mentioned the
other day that for the long period OF
| twenty-one years he travelled with it,
there never was single accident, and
only once was there a slight hitch in the
train coming to an unauthorized stop
through the engine running short OF
steam in climbing very steep incline.
This remark, of course, only applies to
one particular railway system. A strange
incident, however, happened on one Of
her majesty's journeys from Ballater tC
| Windsor only few years ago. In the
vicinity of kendall signal lamp that the
engineer looked to for guidance was in
darkness, and so he brought his precious
| 10 ruo m q stand and on rnaLyip1 on Nv