1952
One of the first duties for the Queen was on February 11, when she met a special train at King’s Cross carrying the body of her late father, King George VI, back to London from Sandringham. The nine-coach train, formed of ex-LNER teak vehicles apart from the hearse coach, ran from Wolferton to King’s Lynn behind ‘B2’ No. 61617 Ford Castle, then on to the capital via Cambridge and Hitchin behind new Standard Class 7 No. 7000 Britannia. The body of the King was taken to Westminster Hall to lie in state for three days, then on February 15 his coffin was taken to Paddington by gun carriage. From there it went by train to Windsor by ‘Castle’ No. 7013 Bristol Castle in the guise of classmate No. 4082 Windsor Castle, which had hauled the funeral train of King George V in January 1936, but was being overhauled at Swindon at this time.
On July 2, the Queen travelled from Newton Abbot to Castle Cary hauled by ‘King’ No. 6028 King George VI, then on to an overnight stay at Maiden Newton by ‘Castles’ Nos. 7014 Caerhays Castle and 7015 Carn Brea Castle. The next morning the train continued to Dorchester hauled by ‘Modified Halls’ Nos. 6977 Grundisburgh Hall and 6978 Haroldstone Hall. Later the train took the Queen back to London, being hauled as far as Yeovil by Nos. 7014 and 7015.
The Queen travelled from Balmoral to London on October 14, hauled by LMS ‘Princess Coronation’ No. 46245 City of London.
On November 21, the Queen travelled from Waterloo to Fort Brockhurst on a special train formed of five Pullman carriages hauled by No. 34011 Tavistock.
1953
As one of her many subsequent trips by rail to the Epsom Derby horserace, the Queen travelled from Victoria to Tattenham Corner on June 6, hauled by ‘Schools’ Class 4-4-0 No. 30915 Brighton.
1954
During the Queen’s visit to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in April she travelled by train hauled by diesel-electric locos on the main line and by steam locos on the branch lines.
Heading north from Euston to Balmoral on May 19, the Queen’s Royal Train was hauled by ‘8P’ No. 46247 City of Liverpool.
A train of four Pullman coaches took the Queen from Victoria to Tattenham Corner for the Derby on June 2, hauled by ‘Schools’ No. 30936 Cranleigh. The return journey was from Chessington South to Waterloo hauled by ‘West Country’ No. 34011 Tavistock.
1955
The Queen went to St Pancras on July 6, to inspect a saloon that had been built for the Duke of Cornwall and Princess Anne.
Then on July 25, the Queen travelled to Winchester on board ‘The Bournemouth Belle’ hauled by ‘Merchant Navy’ No. 35018 British India Line.
1956
On a trip to the West Country in May, the Queen travelled from Norton Fitzwarren to Barnstaple hauled by two '43XX’ Class 2-6-0s Nos. 6372 and 6385.
On July 9, the Queen arrived at Newport as part of a tour of South Wales, and later the same day boarded the train at Hirwaun for the next leg of the tour to Swansea via Neath.
1957
The Queen gave her consent for the 1.30pm Western Region express from Paddington to Penzance, and its counterpart 11am
