Royal Train Maria Pia Saloon

The Portuguese Royal Train was acquired by Companhia de Caminhos de Ferro do Sul for travel by the royal family between Barreiro and Vila Viçosa. It was in service since the reign of D. Luís I, between 1861 and 1889. It consists of the steam locomotive D. Luiz, Salão Maria Pia and Salão do Príncipe. The oldest of these vehicles, the Maria Pia saloon, was ordered from the Belgian factory Compagnie Générale des Materiéls de Chemins de Fer and was completed in 1858. Four years later, in 1862, Locomotive D. Luiz was ordered from the English builder Beyer Peacock & Co, designed to haul the Maria Pia saloon. That same year, the D. Luiz locomotive received the gold medal at the Great London Exposition, where it was exhibited.
The Salão do Príncipe was ordered in 1877 from the English Ibbotson Brother Co. Limited. It was a gift from Queen D. Maria Pia to her eldest son, Prince D. Carlos, on his 14th birthday. This train was often used for journeys by the royal family between Barreiro and Vila Viçosa. After establishment of the Republic in 1910, it was rescued and saved from destruction.
The D. Luiz locomotive remained in service until 1923, providing suburban services. In 1952, the Royal Train underwent a thorough restoration,  under the auspices of the centenary of the Inauguration of Portuguese Railways (1956), which allowed its use again. The last known trip was in 1966, for the inauguration of electrification between Campanhã and Ermesinde. In 2010, it was restored and was able to travel to Holland, for the European royal train exhibition at the Utrecht Railway Museum. It then returned to Entroncamento, where it can be seen today.