# 100 Years Ago, in 1922, the Blue Train was introduced - A Celebration showing Models of this train



## fredlub (Feb 7, 2010)

On December 9, 1922, now 100 years ago, the Calais-Méditerranée Express ran for the first time with new blue sleeping cars. This train was soon called The Blue Train. In 1949 this also became the official name. To celebrate the centenary, I am showing images of Blue Train models, some in live steam, from my collection running in the garden.






Regards
Fred


----------



## ferroequinologist (May 8, 2016)

Thanks Fred, a short history of "Blue Train" models in all scales is good to see and I am envious of the range of offerings in "O" gauge compared to the gauge 1 models. You have inspired me to get my gauge 1 J&M "Blue Train" out for run behind my PLM Pacific today.
Russell


----------



## John 842 (Oct 1, 2015)

Hi Fred - Many thanks for posting this thread.

As I said in my recent U1 post - I'm trying to make up as authentic a 'Blue Train' as possible - but some of the information can be somewhat hard to find. 

The eight LX cars I have at the moment are all blue with grey roofs but I see from many of the images and videos out there that some of the cars were two tone cream and blue and some had white roofs. Is there any data available when these variations appeared?

I also understand that sometimes two baggage cars were incorporated in the consist - one for passenger luggage and one for kitchen supplies. Were these subject to the same variations as above? and where were they placed in the train?

As far as I can tell the following is the best arrangement I can come up with from the loco end ....


1x Baggage car
2x Sleeping cars
1x Dining car
1x Kitchen supply car (if I can find one)
1x Dining car
1x Salon car
2x Sleeping cars

I'm sorry if I have too many questions - but from all your publications on the subject this did seem to be an appropriate place to ask.


----------



## fredlub (Feb 7, 2010)

Hello John,

Some answers.
I do not know whether the U1 ever ran with the Blue Train. The real U1 had a large axle weight and was not allowed on all regions of France and spend most of its time in the North region (above Paris), while the Train Bleu went south.

I assume you want to represent a Blue Train as it ran in the fifties. Later other type of (sleeping) cars, including stainless steel type were included.
About colors: Recent nostalgic CIWL trains like the touristic VSOE Orient Express have other colors not based on history. The Blue Train cars were all blue and not cream and blue (cream and blue (and cream and brown) was used for Pullman cars in daytime trains only).
The roof color of *blue* CIWL cars is grey; on builders pictures you might see white, but not in reality. Of course the grey could be lighter or darker influenced by dirt and last paint job. Some of my cars have a white roof which I know is wrong (and I think it looks good 😉 ).

The consist of the Train Bleu is a baggage car at the front, sleeping cars (first few years S-type, but after that until the end LX-Type), one restaurant (dining) car (sometimes an extra restaurant car between Paris and Lyon) and a salon-bar car. I do not know whether the two restaurant cars were next to each other, but the salon-bar car was always next to a restaurant car since part of this car was also used as extra seating for the restaurant and this couple was in the middle of the train. I have never heard about a CIWL kitchen supply car for the Blue Train. The number of sleeping cars could be as high as 10 or 12 but I doubt that would be realistic in gauge 1.

I hope this helps a bit. More questions are of course welcome.

Regards
Fred


----------



## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

Hi there : The blue train did run on the NORD, as there were through coaches from Calais to Paris Nord thence by the petite ceinture (belt railway) to gare de Lyon to pursue south to Vintimille on the sud est or PLM and I beleive to San Remo. The short section on the nord was most often hauled by a Chapelon pacific and the consist also caried through sleepers for the Rome express (Gare de Lyon to rome) and the Simplon Orient express. Which made up a long train although the blue train section was usualy two sleepers(LX) and a diner. From Paris Lyon the blue train was hauled in electric to Lyon, then 241 P to Marseilles, and 141R to Vintimille. It often ran in sections, with a 2D2 9100 doing the honours as these were limited at 140km/hour and the wagons lits still had their original trucks limited at that speed. later the LX cars were equiped with Minden Deutz trucks or trucks like the ones on the pielpitch stainless steel sleepers. and the CC 7100 may very well have hauled the train to Marseilles as well as other more modern BoBo electrics. Do note that all of these except the latter are available in gauge one (although the CC6500 could be one of the latter) . It was often a very long train of up to 16 cars, which is why the Nord section is easier to model. I have never heard either of any supply car. Some consists (in particular when the train ran in sections) didn't even have any baggage car. In any case the practice of one baggage between the engine and the train and one at the end of the train was dropped by the time the SNCF was formed in 1937-8. No pullman or cream and blue cars ran on this train however some were part of the Nord version. (notably for some years on the golden arrow which for a time forwarded these blue train cars). The consists changed quite a bit during its life time. The salon bar car which was built from a côte d'Azur pullman (7 windows) was once an extremly fashionable place where the jet set used to meet on their way to the Riviera. Much like on the 20th century of the NYC. I beleive that there was once also a dancing car also modified from a Cote d'Azur pullman. But these were all blue. officialy the 232U1 was a heavy engine22tons per axle and was not allowed to run on other lines than the Paris Lille main and the Paris Belgium main, however it did at times run on the Calais line exceptionally.
Nice video Fred.
Cheers, Simon


----------

