The Royal Saloon F.36
This saloon is made up of two separate first and third class vestibules and was favoured by the railway directors to carry out inspections of the line, notably during snow clearance and to host visiting dignitaries; it was supplied at the same time as “Cardinal’s” saloon F.35 in 1905 from the Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Co., of Saltley Works in Birmingham, these two saloons were composite, being half first and half third class vehicles. Accordingly, they are slightly longer than the first batch F.29-F.32 which arrived earlier in that same year.
It was not until 1963 that it gained its title, when it was used to carry the H.M. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother between Douglas Station and Braddan Station to attend an open air church service. Seeing use again on 2nd August 1972 when a larger group of the Royal Family travelled in between Castletown Station and Douglas Station, for which is was completely repainted. In addition to H.M. Queen Elizabeth and the Duke Of Edinburgh, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew while Prince Edward stayed on board the Royal Yacht Britannia with chicken pox and missed the journey. Lord Mountbatten was also present but did not travel on the train.
Again in use for royalty in the millennium year 1979. King Olaf V of Norway boarded a special train at Port St. Mary Station bound for Douglas Station during a Tynwald Day visit. The last use by royalty of this carriage was in September 1993 when it was removed from the museum especially and used to transport H.M. Duchess Of Kent the entire length of the line during a visit in September. It then spent some time out of the museum as part of the Year Of Railways celebrations. Returning to the museum at the close of the 1993 season, it remained until this exhibition hall was refurbished in 1998-1999.
The saloon was again removed and stored at Douglas Station, returning the next year and remained on exhibition until the summer of 2022 when trackwork was re-laid in the hall. After a spell stored in the carriage shed at Port Erin Station it was returned to the main exhibition hall of the railway museum in early 2023 but later replaced and stored in the carriage shed, returning to the workshops in October 2023 when work commenced on remedial panelling replacement before full repaint retaining its current livery, colour-matched to appear exactly the same as its previous appearance.
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Repainted prior to the Royal Train outside the carriage shed in July 1973, this scheme was carried until 2023.
The south line platform at Douglas Station in June 1969 in the post-war red and cream colour scheme it retained for many years.
Showing the roof torpedo vent and wiring fr the lighting in detail while displayed in the railway museum in April of 2021.
The first class interior whilst on display in the railway museum in October 2021; the seating was recovered for the 1972 Royal Train.
Panel lettering decals as applied for the Royal Train in 1972, the last example of Railway Company lettering; October 2022
Showing the roof torpedo vent and wiring for the lighting in detail while displayed in the railway museum in April of 2021.
Road One at Douglas Station in September 1963 shortly after it was used to transport the Queen Mother, gaining its royal title.