Royal Train 1970-1985

[sandwich station]

I think the point is if you see a train of claret coaches out on the line, you are going to call it "The Royal Train" whether the Queen or just some other lowly Royal or even no one is on board.

[The Stationmaster]

3 hours ago, sandwich station said:

I think the point is if you see a train of claret coaches out on the line, you are going to call it "The Royal Train" whether the Queen or just some other lowly Royal or even no one is on board.

Most people would I think.  The reality is that some of what are known and liveried as 'Royal Train' coaches are used on other than a 'Royal Train' working but are still conveying members of the Royal Family.  There is one simple way of telling whether it is or isn't a Royal Train and that depends entirely on the formation and vehicles used.  Basically if it is a fairly short train of, say, only 4 - 6  vehicles then most likely it isn't a Royal Train; if it is much longer then it most likely is a Royal Train (unless, of course, in either case, it is an ECS ).   The load varies according to the number of people required to be onboard with more Royal household staff travelling with HM than with other members of the family and of course a few more household staff it there is more than one member of the family.

 

However if the train is conveying a foreign Head of State it is almost inevitably a relatively short journey with no overnight stop so it can be a short formation but that is still dealt with operationally as if it were a Royal Train.  

[keefer]

Must be a newer upload to their site but Eastbank MRC now have a pic of RF 325 in Royal Claret livery at Corkerhill depot in April 1977 

http://www.eastbank.org.uk/images/Coaches/UK1743.jpg

 

So that's now two pics of 325 in Royal colours!