El martes 10 de diciembre de 1.929 fue una fecha muy importante para la Compagnie Intl. des Wagons Lits; ese día partió de la estación parisina Gare de Lyon, el famoso tren Côte d'Azur con destino Ventimiglia, en la frontera italiana.
Se trataba de un tren expreso diurno que recorria en "solo" 14 horas y 10 minutos la distancia entre Paris y Niza, en la Costa Azul (de ahí su nombre). De esta forma se batía el récord de velocidad en ese trayecto en 1 hora y 30 minutos sobre el tren Paris-Méditerranée Express.
Este tren estaba compuesto únicamente por los conocidos vagones salón Pullman pero de un nuevo modelo, ahora metálicos en el exterior, que mejoraban las comodidades para los pasajeros y eran una gran innovación tecnológica desde el punto de vista de su adaptación a mayores velocidades, lo que posibilitó acortar el trayecto de forma sensible.
Los vagones estaban colocados por parejas y en cada pareja había un vagón con cocina y otro sin ella. Para que los pasajeros dispusieran de mas espacio, estos nuevos vagones habían reducido el número de asientos con respecto a los modelos mas antiguos; el vagón con cocina disponía de 24 (en lugar de 28) y el vagón sin cocina 28 (en lugar de 32).
En las imágenes se puede apreciar el diseño de los vagones mencionado anteriormente.
Las butacas habían sido transformadas para facilitar así el servicio de comidas que se efectuaba en el mismo vagón, desapareciendo en la composición de este tren, el vagón restaurante. También fueron mejoradas la iluminación, ahora mas suave, y la ventilación.
El tren también disponía de un vagón para fumadores que había sido transformado en sala de estar donde los pasajeros podían acudir para escuchar discos en un electrófono que era una gran novedad en la época.
El tren también disponía de un vagón para fumadores que había sido transformado en sala de estar donde los pasajeros podían acudir para escuchar discos en un electrófono que era una gran novedad en la época.
Los vagones fueron profusamente decorados con los famosos vidrios de Lalique y con marqueterías doradas de René Prou. Se trataba, como decía una crónica de la época :
"Maderas preciosas por todas partes emitiendo reflejos dorados. Parece un pequeño palacio rodante".
Mostramos a continuación los horarios oficiales, tanto para el trayecto de ida como para el regreso. Como se puede ver en los mismos, las ciudades mas importantes comunicadas por este tren era : Paris, Dijon, Lyon, Marsella, Toulon, Cannes, Antibes, Niza, Monte Carlo y Ventimiglia.
Este famoso tren fue operado de manera conjunta en su inauguración entre dos compañías, la Compagnie Intl. des Wagons Lits y la Compagnie des chemins de fer de Paris a Lyon et à la Méditerranée, mas conocida por PLM.
Interior de un vagón Pullman en el tren Côte d'Azur con los famosos vidrios de Lalique
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On Tuesday 10 December 1.929 was a very important date for the Intl. Compagnie des Wagons Lits, that day came from the Paris Gare de Lyon station, the famous Côte d'Azur train bound Ventimiglia on the Italian border.
It was a daytime express train that ran in "only" 14 hours and 10 minutes the distance between Paris and Nice on the Cote d'Azur (hence its name). This will beat the speed record on the route in 1 hour and 30 minutes on the Paris-Méditerranée Railway Express.
This train was made known only by the Pullman lounge cars but a new model, now metal on the outside, with improved comfort for passengers and were a major technological innovation from point of view of adaptation to higher speeds, making it possible to shorten the journey otherwise sensitive.
The wagons were placed in pairs and each pair had a wagon with a kitchen and one without. For passengers more space were available, these new cars had reduced the number of seats compared to older models, the car with kitchen available 24 (instead of 28) and no kitchen wagon 28 (instead of 32 .)
In the pictures you can see the design of the cars mentioned above.
The seats had been transformed to facilitate food service that was done in the same car, disappearing into the composition of this train, the dining car. Were also improved lighting, softer now, and ventilation.
The train also had a smoking car that had been transformed into a lounge where passengers could go to listen music in a electrophone that it was a great novelty at the time.
The wagons were lavishly decorated with the famous Lalique glass and gold inlays by René Prou. It was, as I said a chronicle of the day: "precious wood everywhere emitting golden reflections. Looks like a small rolling palace".
We show below the official timetable, both for the outward journey and for the return. As you can see in them, the most important cities was communicated by train: Paris, Dijon, Lyon, Marseille, Toulon, Cannes, Antibes, Nice, Monte Carlo and Ventimiglia.
This famous train was operated jointly in the opening between two companies, the Intl. Compagnie des Wagons Lits and Compagnie des chemins de fer de Paris a Lyon et à la Méditerranée, best known for PLM.
It was a daytime express train that ran in "only" 14 hours and 10 minutes the distance between Paris and Nice on the Cote d'Azur (hence its name). This will beat the speed record on the route in 1 hour and 30 minutes on the Paris-Méditerranée Railway Express.
This train was made known only by the Pullman lounge cars but a new model, now metal on the outside, with improved comfort for passengers and were a major technological innovation from point of view of adaptation to higher speeds, making it possible to shorten the journey otherwise sensitive.
The wagons were placed in pairs and each pair had a wagon with a kitchen and one without. For passengers more space were available, these new cars had reduced the number of seats compared to older models, the car with kitchen available 24 (instead of 28) and no kitchen wagon 28 (instead of 32 .)
In the pictures you can see the design of the cars mentioned above.
The seats had been transformed to facilitate food service that was done in the same car, disappearing into the composition of this train, the dining car. Were also improved lighting, softer now, and ventilation.
The train also had a smoking car that had been transformed into a lounge where passengers could go to listen music in a electrophone that it was a great novelty at the time.
The wagons were lavishly decorated with the famous Lalique glass and gold inlays by René Prou. It was, as I said a chronicle of the day: "precious wood everywhere emitting golden reflections. Looks like a small rolling palace".
We show below the official timetable, both for the outward journey and for the return. As you can see in them, the most important cities was communicated by train: Paris, Dijon, Lyon, Marseille, Toulon, Cannes, Antibes, Nice, Monte Carlo and Ventimiglia.
This famous train was operated jointly in the opening between two companies, the Intl. Compagnie des Wagons Lits and Compagnie des chemins de fer de Paris a Lyon et à la Méditerranée, best known for PLM.
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