August 3, 2008 About The Royal Scotsman

The train is run by the Orient Express group, the same folks who do the actual Orient Express, as well as other luxury trains. It holds 36 passengers and about 15 crew. There are 5 state cars (sleepers), with 4 single cabins and 16 twin cabins. The single rooms are about 6’ by 6’, and that includes the closet! The twin rooms are maybe 6’ by 10’, including the closet. Both types have tiny bathrooms with a wee shower stall. The heater is along the floor under the bed. There is no A/C, since you rarely need it with the cool weather, but there is a ceiling fan in each cabin. The windows do open a bit, and there’s good cross-ventilation if you open the window and the door, and the hall window is open too. The beds are narrow but comfortable, and there is a small desk in the room as well.

There are 2 dining cars. The larger one, Raven, seats 20 at 3 tables of 6, 8 and 6. The smaller one, Liberty, seats 16 at 3 tables of 4 and 2 tables of 2. One dining car also holds the tiny kitchen, and the other has the “dish room” for washing up. Meals are VERY fancy, with full formal service I loved the interesting ways they folded the napkins. I don’t know how they cook such fancy food for 50 people in the tiny kitchen, but they do it.

The passageways are extremely narrow. I’d have had a heck of a time getting through if I hadn’t lost the 70+ pounds I did! As it is, when the train moves, you kind of bang up against the sides of the passageways. 2 people can squeeze past with difficulty. Usually, if you’re in the passage, and another person comes in, they will back up and let you continue through, and then go through after you.

The Observation Car is full of chairs and sofas, enough for all 36 passengers. It’s all windows, and the views are breathtaking. It’s a very cozy and friendly place. There is a small platform on the back, and when the engine was pulling us, you could stand out there and watch where we’d been. A lot of the time the engine was pushing us, so we had a blocked views. The bar is at the opposite end of the car from the platform.

The entire train is richly paneled in wood, and the furnishings are old fashioned, maybe Victorian? Very plush and comfortable throughout! But the best thing about the train is the people! The staff goes out of their way to make the passengers comfortable. We rarely had to ask for anything, as someone was always there to offer a drink, a snack, or whatever we might need. Getting to know the other passengers was great fun, as there were people there from all over the world—the UK, Australia, Switzerland, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Holland, and the US.