STEAM TRAIN DINNER
2019 price per person*
Excludes transfers
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THIS ACTIVITY
Fulfil your romantic fantasy, escape on a late afternoon train journey for sundowners while viewing the Vicoria Falls from the luxury of the Royal Livingstone Express observation car on the to the Victoria Falls bridge.
The Royal Livingstone Express is a unique dining experience combining the luxury of Sun International's Royal Livingstone hotel with the charm of rail travel. The train is an all inclusive luxury rail experience rooted in the nostalgia of a bygone era. Passengers travel leisurely as the sun sets.
This is a journey into a timeless world of grace, elegance and romance, where the natural splendour will stir your imagination and the luxurious comfort soothes your soul. This unique luxury rail restoration is an extension of the five-star Royal Livingstone Hotel. The train provides fine wining and dining as you travel through the picturesque Zambezi Valley in Pullman style coaches which have been lovingly restored to their former glory.“Build the bridge across the Zambezi where the trains, as they pass, will catch the spray of the falls”
Cecil John Rhodes. DCL. 1853-1902.The Royal Livingstone Express consists of 5 air-conditioned carriages, 2 dining cars, a club/kitchen car, lounge car, and an observation car and is pulled by either a 10th class No. 156 or a 12th class No. 204 locomotive. One of the dining cars, The Wembley, was built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company, and went on display in London at the British Empire Exhibition in 1924. It was shipped to the Union of South Africa and entered service on 19th May 1926 and hence acquired the name - The Wembley.
The ambiance of the dining carriage offers more than warm elegance. The sash windows allow for panoramic views of the passing parade, while the incandescent lighting adds intimate warmth from individual lamps on each table gently illuminating the beautifully detailed wooden interiors. The silver cutlery, crystal glassware and damask linen provide the ideal backdrop to the exquisite cuisine created by the Royal Livingstone Hotel chefs.
The journey begins when you're collected from the Royal Livingstone Hotel at 17h00 and transferred to the Bushtracks Private Station, where guests board the immaculate vintage first class Lounge carriage.
There are two dining cars with a seating capacity for 92 passengers and a fully equipped kitchen car to produce a 6-course gourmet dining experience.SCHEDULED DEPARTURE TIME
Summer Season 1st November to 31st March
4:30pm Pick up from the hotels/lodges.
5:00pm Train departs Bushtracks station, returning to the station at 8:30pm
Winter Season 1st April to 31st October
4:00pm Pick up from the hotels/lodges.
4:30pm Train departs Bushtracks station, returning to the station at 8:00pmTHE TRAIN
The Train The Royal Livingstone Express consists of five carriages restored by Rohan Vos of Rovos Rail and pulled by either Locomotive 156 or Locomotive 204, both of which have been fully restored by Bushtracks Africa.
The train is fully air-conditioned and configured from the front as follows:
- Locomotive 156 or 204
- Carriage No.6049 Club Car / Kitchen Car
- Carriage 4821 Chesterfield Dining Car
- Carriage 211 Wembley Dining Car
- Carriage 4101 Lounge Car
- Carriage 4933 Observation Car
Loco 156
Loco 156 is a 10th class built in 1922-1924 belonging to the largest private railway network in the world, Zambezi Sawmills Limited. It was used on the Mulobezi Line to pull logging carriages from the forests in Mulobezi to the railhead in Livingstone. David Shepherd, the renowned wildlife artist, rescued the locomotive and completely restored it to its former glory. He then donated it to National Heritage. Bushtracks has subsequently renovated the locomotive to full working order.
Loco204
Loco 204 is a 12th class locomotive built in 1928 and owned by Zambia Railways Ltd. It is presently undergoing renovation by Bushtrack