The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 13, Issue 12 (March 1, 1939.)
New “Golden Arrow.”
New “Golden Arrow.”
Most famous of all Southern passenger trains is the “Golden Arrow” Continental Express, running from London to Dover, in connection with the Southern Railway Steamship Service to France, and the forward “Golden Arrow” service of the Northern Railway of France between Calais and the French capital. A complete new “Golden Arrow” train has recently been put into service by the Waterloo authorities. It consists of eight Southern carriages and four Pullman cars of the latest design. The Southern carriages are of standard pattern, but they are
painted outside in a pleasing new shade of light green, the intention being that this attractive colour shall, eventually, become the standardised decoration for all the company's passenger stock. Inside the new “Golden Arrow” vehicles, lighter decorations and fabrics have been introduced with distinct advantage. Particularly interesting is the fact that, in the first-class compartments, a suggestion thoughtfully advanced by Her Majesty Queen Mary has been followed, and the upholstery is in old gold quilted tapestry, with an artistic panel of flowers in the centre of each chair back. The second-class saloons have woodwork of polished walnut, and the design of the tapestry utilised for the chairs has been taken from a piece of late 17th Century Stuart “Tree” design embroidery, from the original in the Victoria and Albert Museum. The “Golden Arrow,” providing the shortest and speediest service between the English and French capitals, is steam-operated, the train being hauled between London and Dover by four-cylinder, six-coupled steam locomotives of the
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famous “Lord Nelson” class, repainted in the new green shade. These engines, incidentally, were built in the railway shops at Eastleigh, and are fitted with enlarged chimneys and multiple-jet blast-pipe tops.