RAILWAYS AND WAR before 1918. SPECIAL V.I.P. TRAINS AND COACHES 1914-18

RAILWAYS AND WAR before 1918. SPECIAL V.I.P. TRAINS AND COACHES 1914-18

Most senior commanders on both sides in the European land conflict had either special trains or special coaches to act as mobile headquarters; one railway coach even played a vital part in the final surrender for it was at Marshal Foch's train headquarters at Compiegne that the Armistice was signed in November, 1918. It might be considered an unnecessary extravagance for such sets of vehicles to be made available but they did allow the commanders to move complete staffs from one end of the front to the other without the disruption of dismantling and setting up a static headquarters.

Layout of special train for C-in-C (U.K.)

To describe all such trains would be ridiculous but these plates show the detailed layout of one—the train of Sir Douglas Haig, the British Commander-in-Chief—together with views of typical vehicles. This train was requested in April, 1917, the London & North Western Railway being asked to provide, first, ten vehicles, and then a few months later an additional four. As can be seen from a glance at the diagram, the coaches had to provide both working and living accommodation; fortunately the company had available several examples of that splendid Edwardian institution the picnic salon, rendered redundant by the war. These, to a standard 42 ft by 8 ft 6-in. design, were easily adaptable, the arrangement of doors and windows being very convenient and they formed the basis of the train: only the two stores vehicles (fitted up from full brakes) and the telephone exchange were different. The detail diagrams (Plates 43/44) show the train as originally sent out; it was remarshalled at various times during its career but individual vehicles were not altered. The train comprised: 1. A complete coach for the C-in-C, comprising a bathroom, bedroom and rather spartan sitting room—though he did have the distinction of having curtains in his bedroom in addition to the normal blinds.

2. A coach for the personal aide who had a 'bathroomette', a bedroom and an office where his immediate staff worked. Oddly enough neither the C-in-C nor his aide appear to have had a lavatory, although every other living coach was so equipped!

3-7. Coaches for the senior staff offices, 3-5 each comprising either three bedrooms or two bedrooms and an office, together with baths and lavatories. No. 6 had a single bedroom and a general purpose room used as an annexe to coach 7 which was termed the officers' mess. It was in effect a dining room and serving pantry. 8. The kitchen car which also housed the lighting plant and stores. 9-10. Living coaches for the other ranks who staffed the train and acted as servants, clerks, etc. They were accommodated in two-or four-bedded rooms and had their own mess. 11-12. No. 11 was a general office with a room for the Senior N.C.O. in charge of the clerks and 12 a mobile telephone exchange linked to all major rooms in the train and capable of being linked with outside networks at short notice. The train was completed by two rather longer full-brake vehicles which were used as stores (Plate 45). One of these also contained a steam heating plant for heating the train when it was not attached to a locomotive. The whole train was linked by corridor connections and formed an efficient and comfortable headquarters for short periods; it was normally used only for such periods since G.H.Q. was permanently established at a Chateau some way behind the lines.

Special sleeper for Premier Clemenceau (France)

During the years 1917-18, two special coaches were provided for the French Prime Minister, Georges Clemenceau. Both were originally standard bogie vehicles of the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, a sleeping saloon No. 2444 and a restaurant car, No. 2426. The plan of 2444 shows how it was fitted up for Clemenceau and his immediate staff. The premier himself had a suite of three rooms, comprising bedroom, bathroom and dressing room with an office-cum-sitting room adjoining. Staff accommodation, presumably for his aide and immediate servants was more spartan.