Nine veteran locomotive drivers who served on the royal trains of the London and North-Western Railway (LNWR) were honored in a special event at London’s Euston station on October 8. The gathering marked a rare occasion where King George V, accompanied by Queen Mary, met in person with the men who had, at different times, been responsible for the safety of the monarchs including Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, and themselves.
The event took place immediately following the royal couple’s arrival from the North, with the nine experienced engineers lined up alongside the platform at eight o’clock sharp, exemplifying their lifelong commitment to punctuality. They were met by King George V, who greeted each man individually, shaking hands and engaging in conversation about their years of service. The King expressed his gratitude for their dedication, a sentiment echoed by Sir W. Guy Grant, chairman of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), as well as other senior railway officials present.
The nine drivers collectively represented an extraordinary record within the British railway industry. Over their combined 487½ years of service, they drove royal trains a total of more than 20 million miles without a single accident. Their ages ranged from 59 to 77, and each had served at least 50 years with the same company. Among them were Alfred Eachus, William Jefferies, William Hughes, Samuel Galley, J. Tansley Hollins, and John Ford, each with extensive individual mileage logged on royal duty.
The veterans took pride in the reliability and safety of their work, noting that the absence of dramatic incidents was itself a measure of excellence. Alfred Eachus recalled one notable episode from about two decades ago when a steam heater exploded aboard the royal train without causing injuries, an incident carefully managed so as not to disrupt the royal journey. Other drivers recalled that, in contrast to modern high-speed trains, the royal trains traditionally maintained moderate speeds — generally around 45 to 60 miles per hour—reflecting the preferences of earlier monarchs. Queen Victoria, for example, favored speeds limited to about 45 miles per hour, while King Edward VII’s journeys were occasionally faster.
The drivers also reflected on their experiences with the evolution of locomotives, having operated virtually every major passenger engine type adopted by the LNWR in the last five decades. Among those engines was the Claughton 4-6-0, regarded as a modern marvel of its time. The veterans expressed equal respect for all engines they drove, acknowledging the craftsmanship and reliability of each. John Ford remembered starting his career on the “Jumbo,” a distinct six-wheel coupled engine capable of reaching 60 mph, highlighting the progress in railway technology over the years.
As the royal couple departed from Euston, they were warmly applauded by onlookers, who repeated their cheers outside Buckingham Palace. The meeting was not only a celebration of the drivers’ remarkable careers but also a public acknowledgment of their vital role in the smooth operation and safety of royal travel.