“La Liliputienne” Locomotive Detail

The rail adventure in Portugal started with this miniature. This model locomotive operated on real steam, being built in 1846 by mechanical engineer Eugène Philippe as a replica of a locomotive belonging to Louis Philippe, King of France between 1830 and 1848. It was offered by the monarch to the Portuguese Royal Family’s young princes. It ran on a network of rails at Palácio das Necessidades in Lisbon. For both King Pedro V and his brother, D. Luís, who succeeded him on the throne, this would be their first contact with this new means of transport. Both were pioneers in the introduction of the train in Portugal. Around 1880, the circuit was installed at the Passeio Público in Lisboa, where this toy delighted the Lisbon bourgeoisie, until closure prior to the construction of Avenida da Liberdade. (Piece kindly donated by the Lisbon City Museum)