The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-04-09
QUEEN WoToRlA's JOURNEY.
The Grand Style in Which Her Majesty
Makes Her Trip by Rail.


three Journeys she has made each year
for the past decade. The other two jour-
neys are TO Balmoral from Windsor
Castle and to Osborne on the adjourn
ment of the court season.
Tbs ordinary traveller would smile at
any of these journeys and would class
them as mere bagatelles, but the Queen
is not ordinary in anything, except, per-
haps, in her love for her children and
grandchildren, and in that she is just
like any other old lady. The journeys
do not bother the Queen much, but a
small army of attendants and officials
excite themselves over q paltry trip of
500 miles or so by railroad to degeree
that can scarcely be comprehended by
the American mind.
When the Queen goes a-traveling the
date of the journey is set at least one
month in advance, and then there is no
rest or peace until the trip has been safe
~ made. The officials of the railroad
over which the royal parsonage is to
fever of excitement in making the elabo-
rate arrangements.
Little or nothing is published by the
newspapers about the, journey, as 1t is
not considered wise policy to let the
Queens subjects know too much about
crank, armed with the knowledge, might
station himself at convenient point and
end evor to blow up her majesty or WRECK
t he royal train.
When the Queen journeys north to Bal
moral, about 500 miles from London, the
train runs at a uniform speed of forty
five miles an hour. If the engineer made
the pace forty seven miles or forty three
miles he would probably lose his job.
Forty five miles is the royal speed, no
faster and no slower.
There is always pilot engine, which
runs in advance of the royal train, about
fifteen minutes. Some high officials are
on the pilot to see that the tracks are
clear and In perfect condition, and that
the signals are working all right. After
the pilot has passed nothing can cross
the. tracks. The rode Is practically closed
until the royal train passes. If farmers
wish to cross the tracks they must wait
until the special officers detailed at all
the grade crossings give them permits
sion. In its passage through the kingdom
the royal train arrests all activity for the
| timeaabeing.
When the Queen starts from London
everything has been arranged. At the
Paddington station there is a suite of
waiting rooms for royalty only. or
course the Queen never has to wait for
trains like ordinary people, but never
theless she has her waiting rooms. The
apartments are magnificently furnished,
and are located in the center of the huge
buildings. There is a royal entrance to
he station, which leads directly to the
train platform, and on either side of the
passageway are the waiting rooms. The
| main waiting room is to the left of the
hall, and on one side of the doorway is q
painting of the Queen, and on the other
side painting If the Prince Consort.
This room is lighted by one window,
filed with ground glass, facing the front,
and barred on the outside with artistic
1ronwork. The upholstering of the fur
which render 1t iinperyious to dust or
London fog. The walls are paneled
with material of silken texture, sur
rounded by hand-painted floral border.
Then there is the writing table, placed
AGAINST the window, which, however,
has Dever been used by the Queen in the
memory of man. In fact the Queen rare
~ GIL VIC IOOlll, bS SIG lDFdElfDly DhS-
SEES directly to the train. But the waiting
rooms are always in readiness for her,
and are polished and furnished up week
in advance of the date Of the journey.
The cars which her majesty travels in
were made especially for her use. These
are not called cars, however, but are
spoken of as saloons. Each car is forty
feet in length, and at both ends the buff
| ers are covered with thick vulcanized
padding, to obyiate any concussion. Then
at each bottom corner there is a carved
head of lion, and the steps leading out
from the four doors fold out to twice the
breadth of an ordinary carriage foothoard
The whole saloon is supported by lamin-
ated springs uf bright polished steel,
which are sensitive to the slightest osoil-
| lation.
The Queen is greatly opposed to being
| jolted about while Tailroading, and her
attendants sac that the springs on the
car are in fine working order.
| The Queen also dislikes the noise of
railroad travel, and there is royal decree
which provides that all switching opera
tions must be suspended at least for half
an hour before the roval train is due to
pass; and all engineers on waiting trains
are required TO prevent their engines
emitting smoke, making noise by
| blowing off steam" or otherwise COM
| uniting offenses which might prove disa-
greeable to her majesty
! Each of thesrailroads used by the Queen
| has it's royal saloon or car That of the
Great Western has three main divisions
the central one being for the Queen, and
the other two for her lady and gentlemen
attendants, respectively. The Queens
apartments resemble Ga tiny drawing
| room, with numerous easy chairs and a
broad couch. These Care upholstered in
| cream colored morocco, which matches
the sides of the compartments, cushion ed
| with the same material. The doors are
made of sycamore with satin woo
mountings, and the handles, as well as
the key latches, are of carved ivory.
The border design in silk around the
| furniture consists of the rose, shamrock,
and thistle, which also figure eonspicu-
ousy on the window sashes and arm rests
which again have the crown worked in
silk upon them. In the center of the car
pet and on tie cushion are the royal coat
| of arms. The roof has border of hand
painted work. and oil is the artificial
| illumination when daylight is shut out
| by the blinds and curtains made out OF
| cream silk.
| The royal coach of the London North
Western system is much the same. The
interior il upholstered in dark blue silk
and the arrangement is much like that OF
I