Crystal Palace "All Red Route"

The "All Red Route" was a special electric railway set up at Crystal Palace for the 1911 Festival of Empire [1] which celebrated the coronation of King George V. The railway followed a continuous loop (see the map below) with stations at regular intervals for marquees dedicated to various components of the British Empire such as New Zealand and India. The train ran slowly (up to six and a half kilometres per hour) so the passengers, who sat on cross-benches in a "toast rack" style body like seaside trams, could take in the scenery [2]!

Information
Number built:	18 (9 2-car sets)
Built:	1911
Builder:	Dick, Kerr & Co.
Motor:	2 Dick, Kerr interpole electric motors (450v DC third rail)
Power:	64 hp (48 kW)
Formation:	Driving Motor + Trailer

The line was to 1,067mm gauge and was very much based on tram technology by the contractors Dick, Kerr & Company. The cars used a Brill 21E truck and could carry up to thirty-five passengers.  The conductor rail and insultators were based on current London Underground practice. One of the motor cars later was used on the Dublin & Lucan Electric Railway [3].

The All Red Route

A train arrives at "Africa" station

[1] "Around the empire by electric traction", Railway Times (Oct 7, 1911) p. 343
[2] Ibid. p. 344
[3] John B Gent & John H Meredith, Croydon's Tramways (Middleton Press, 1994) Fig. 45