Royal launch for IEP
HM The Queen travels aboard a GWR Class 800 to mark the 175th anniversary of the first rail journey by a monarch.
HER Majesty The Queen travelled aboard a Great Western Railway Intercity Express Programme Class 800 on June 13, to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the first rail journey made by a monarch.
Travelling with husband Prince Philip, HM The Queen travelled from Slough to London Paddington aboard 800003, before then naming the IEP Queen Elizabeth II.
Back on June 13 1842, a train
Royal namings
While one driving car of 800003 carries the name Queen Elizabeth II, the other carries the name Queen Victoria.
Both are accompanied by a commemorative coin, which has been specially designed to reflect the name it represents. The reverse carries a standard Great Western Railway design.
The coin’s inspiration comes from GWR’s flagship locomotive 6000 King George V, which still carries two gold coins presented by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company at its 1927 centenary celebrations.
The coins for 800003 were designed by Paul Gentleman, who designed liveries for East Coast’s 91107 Skyfall, 91110 RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, 91111 For the Fallen and Great Western Railway’s 43027.
Each front face of the coin is unique and designed specifically to reflect the nature of the name appearing on the train. In the case of 800003, permission had to be granted to feature the Queen’s name. carrying Queen Victoria was driven by Sir Daniel Gooch and assisted by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. GWR re-created the event, for which it was joined by Gillian White and Isambard Thomas, who are direct descendants of Gooch and Brunel.
The designs are encircled by 93 dots, known as beading, with each dot representing an individual train in GWR’s new Class 800/802 fleet. One bead on every coin is raised, corresponding with the unit number. On 800003, the third bead is raised.
On June 13 2017, the IEP Class 800, built by Hitachi, was operated by GB Railfreight.
“We are delighted that The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were able to join us to mark this historic anniversary. We at GWR are extremely proud of our heritage, and this occasion marks a very special moment in the history of the Great Western Railway,” said GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood.
Network Rail’s Western Route Managing Director Mark Langman said: “It is an honour to have welcomed The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to Paddington station 175 years after the first royal arrival into the iconic London station by train.
“Today marked the culmination of years of hard work by Network Rail teams and our colleagues at GWR. It demonstrates the closer working between the rail industry partners to deliver a better railway for passengers - continuing the proud story and tradition of the Great Western Railway.”
Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling was also at Paddington. He said: “This is a truly inspirational event and a fitting tribute to the proud heritage of Brunel’s railway. This route remains one of the foundations of our rail network and as a nation we should be proud of our railways, which continue to be the bedrock of our public transport system.”
Karen Boswell OBE, Managing Director of Hitachi Rail Europe, said: “We trust that Her Majesty enjoys the space, comfort and smooth ride on our new Intercity train. From the autumn, passengers will begin to feel the benefits of this new Britishbuilt fleet as they travel around the Great Western route.”
The Queen was greeted at Slough by more than 100 schoolchildren (aged five to 11) from four local schools, who had produced drawings to mark the occasion.