In 1934, the queen of detective fiction and the representative work of the British novelist Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express, was published.
Set against the backdrop of the Orient Express, trapped by a snowstorm, and modeled on the sensational real-life case of 1932, the Lindbergh kidnapping, has been a bestseller since its release, and has been remade into a movie several times, bringing the endless imagination of countless travelers in the past century.
Today, without talking about murder, let's take a look at this case of the Orient Express with its own mysterious atmosphere.
The story begins in the distant year of 1845.
That year, a boy named Georges Nagelmackers was born.
Speaking of which, he's really a good boy, the kind with a golden spoon. Georges' father, the heir to the founder of Belgium's oldest bank, has lived comfortably for generations in the castle of Angleur.
If nothing else, the boy's future has been planned from birth: the son inherits his father's business and pursues a career in banking.
In fact, Georges did grow up in such a way that he cared about banking, politics and industry, but he also insisted on studying civil engineering to satisfy his special interest in project design.
But even the best boy will have a day when he is hurt by love.
Growing up, Georges fell in love with his cousin and even had the idea of getting married. Naturally, this idea was opposed by the whole family, but Georges just didn't listen.
In 1867, Georges's father had no choice but to spend a lot of money to buy a ticket to New York for his son, hoping that he could go to a distant place to see and change his brain.
I have to admit: this dad's idea is very avant-garde, and travel can indeed heal people's hearts. It was also in the United States that Georges discovered an opportunity to change his life.
At that time, the United States already had the famous Pullman sleeper train. This train greatly improved the travel conditions, with benches, dining cars, and was very popular.
Georges in the United States, for more than a year, was to travel by pullman sleeper train to forget the heartache...
During the train ride, Georges often hears complaints from other travelers, most commonly about privacy.
As he listened, he pondered:
Yes, the isolation between the benches on the train is just a simple curtain, and it would be much better if you could provide a closed separate cabin!
Gradually, he forgot about his charming cousin, and all that remained in his mind was the idea of modifying sleeper cars, one project after another.
Rather than going to the United States to heal his wounds, Georges is saying that he went on a study tour.
During his stay in the United States, he took many notes, drew many sketches, and did research on development finance and society, which was a solid basis for implementing what he thought was a solution.
After returning to Belgium, Georges decided to make a difference in the future of European railways:
Designed so that wealthy travelers can enjoy both the comforts of sleeper cars and the luxuries of high society.
His own sleeper train, with its own small rooms where everyone could spend the night, wanted them to be elegant, comfortable, sophisticated, with beautiful woodwork and brass decorations, covered with fur, and drinking gracefully.
But Georges knew in his heart:
Belgium is too small a country and sleeper car service is meaningless for trips that don't require more than a day! I had to expand this project internationally, connecting the capitals of several European countries while maintaining independent railway companies.
But it's one thing to know, it's another thing to want to do it.
At that time, there was no European Union, European railways were in their infancy, the railway network was set up differently in each country, and an international trip required not only cumbersome customs formalities and inspections, but sometimes also involved very difficult diplomatic negotiations...
In short, it's hard.
But don't forget, Georges has always been a good boy!
Through his father, he gained the support of King Leopold II of Belgium, who was very interested in any project that could contribute to Belgium's reputation.
With the help of the king, Georges got the right to operate a sleeper train in Vienna, one of the busiest lines in Europe!
Things went much more smoothly next.
In 1872, Georges co-founded the company with the American Alton Mann, and four years later he bought back all his shares and founded the International Sleepers Company (CIWL), marked by two lions facing each other, somewhat resembling the coat of arms of the Belgian royal family.
At that time, the company already had 53 sleeper cars, luxuriously decorated and comfortable, and intended to be connected to ordinary trains.
Unsurprisingly, sleeper carriages were an unprecedented success, and soon the railway company demanded that up to four sleeper carriages be suspended on their equipment.
Meanwhile, the diplomatic woes are receding, and Georges feels that his dream is finally shining into reality:
Designed as a true railway apartment consisting of separate cabins, dining cars, recreational cars and vans. Such a train, except for the locomotive and the coal water car, is his!
On October 4, 1883, the world's most charming train, carrying about 40 passengers, slowly drove from Paris to Constantinople of the Ottoman Empire, a journey of more than 3,000 kilometers, and the round trip would last 13 days!
This trip redefined the meaning of long-distance travel in the hearts of the world.
After that, more and more places can be reached by train, France, Bavaria, Austria, Salvia, Bulgaria, Romania... All the administrative formalities without hassle, the company is responsible for presenting documents at each border crossing point.
Although Istanbul was still far from the real East, people at that time never felt that the East was so close to them. The name Orient Express came into being.
Not content with this, Georges has also opened luxury hotels in its main stopovers to satisfy travelers seeking comfort.
A few years later, the Orient Express became the main transport axis in Europe.
After prosperity, there will be a recession.
The development of the aviation market at the end of the twentieth century forced international sleeper companies to auction off some of the carriages.
On May 20, 1977, the Orient Express drove directly from Paris to Istanbul, completing its last trip.
Thankfully, as an eternal symbol of luxury travel, the Orient Express never lost its aura.
After the initial Orient Express went out of service, U.S. shipping giant James Shewood bought two carriages and converted it into Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, which has been in operation since 1982.
Now, the new generation of Orient Express La Dolce Vita will also welcome its first passengers in 2023.
Scheduled to open next summer, it will be limited to 62 passengers and will cost an average of 2000 euros per night.
Perhaps, today, no one will put down the work in their hands and watch the train flash by enviously;
But the Orient Express has always been the king of the train.
-End-
ref:
https://www.orient-express.com/fr/un-nouvel-art-du-voyage/heritage/histoire/
https://madame.lefigaro.fr/evasion/les-premieres-images-du-train-la-dolce-vita-lorient-express-nouvelle-generation-101221-199489
https://www.histoire-des-belges.be/quelques-celebrites-belges/georges-nagelmackers
Wen | lightning