Salon Rijtuig 8&9

In the early 1950s, two steel coaches were refurbished to create a Royal train for the then-Queen of the Netherlands, Juliana. Saloon coach 8 (Sc 8), intended for her husband Prince Bernhard and the four princesses, was completed first. While the coach may appear rather spartan, it has everything one needs: a lounge, an office, sleeping cars, bathrooms and quarters for the staff. There is even a radio connection to communicate with the outside world. Two years later, the Sc 9 for Queen Juliana was delivered as well. This coach even includes a small kitchenette for making tea and coffee, as well as a refrigerator. It was not possible to cook food in the coach. Instead, ready-to-eat meals were stowed in the hayboxes for the journey. These Royal coaches were mainly used for state visits and winter sports holidays in Austria. On the latter trips, the princesses’ coach was often filled with the sleeping bags of friends the girls were allowed to bring along. The two coaches were in service until 1993, when they were replaced by the Sr 10.