All aboard!! A trip on the Royal Livingstone Express

To celebrate our birthdays, which are about a month apart, Mike and I decided to treat ourselves to a night out on the Royal Livingstone Express.

The Royal Livingstone Express consists of a 5 carriage, club/ kitchen car, a lounge car and is pulled by either a 10th class No. 156 or a 12th class No. 204 locomotive. The night we travelled on it, we got the 10th class No. 156, which was originally owned by the Zambezi Sawmills Limited and was used to pull logging carriages from the forests in Mulobezi to the railhead in Livingstone. The Locomotive was restored and carriages sought to provide the current service today.

The train travels along the old Mulobezi Line, which has also been restored and was once the largest privately owned railway network in the world and was set up by the Zambezi Sawmills in 1916. The journey is actually only a short ride, travelling into the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park where the train briefly pauses in the hope of catching glimpses of wildlife, and then crosses out of the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park over the Sinde River and stops 17 kilometres out of Livingstone for dinner.

The 10th class No. 156 Locomotive:
The ‘Runs Around’ to the back of the train

The Lounge Cart

When we arrived for our train ride Mike and I found a red carpet and were presented with what we thought was a glass of sparkling but actually turned out to be apple juice.

After that brief moment of disappointment, we were immediately impressed with how beautifully the train carriages had been restored inside. We sat down in the lounge car, with canapés next to each seat and our drink orders immediately taken (for alcoholic beverages this time).

Canapés and drinks in the Lounge Cart 

Mike enjoying a cold beer

The journey itself felt a little strange at first. Mike and I went outside to have a look around, but felt a little uncomfortable as we moved Dumbwa, a high density and relatively poor suburb of Livingstone. Both of us have done work in Dumbwa and felt strange having young children and adults waving at us. Needless to say, we went back inside and left the rest of the guests to do their “royal” waves.

The train then moved toward the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park. Inside the park the train stopped in the hope of seeing wildlife (which we did not) and to allow the guests to enjoy the sunset. While this is happening the Locomotive ‘Run Around’ occurred; basically when the locomotive detaches itself from the front of the train and ‘runs around’ to the back of the train, re-attaching itself on to the Observation Car. This was a highlight of the trip for Mike, as he was welcomed to join the driver as the “Run Around” took place, even with beer in hand!!

Mike "assisting" the drive as the Locomotive ‘Run Around’ is about to occur

View outside as we waited for dinner

Once we were all back on board we were moved to the dining carriage, elegantly fitted out with silver cutlery, crystal glassware, damask linen and more detailed wooden interior.

The Dining Cart: Elegantly fitted out with silver cutlery,
crystal glassware, damask linen and more detailed wooden interior

For dinner we were served a yummy 6-course meal and of course, plenty of wine! The highlight of the dinner was slow cooked lamb, our first lamb since leaving Australia and cooked perfectly, falling apart with only a fork. The Apple Tart dessert was a bit of a highlight as well.

The main course: "Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder on a Potato
Lyonnaise with Baby Carrots and Balsamic Jus"

Dessert: "Green Apple Tart with Granny Smith ice-cream and a
Lemon Reduction"

Unfortunately the night did come to quite an abrupt end after dessert, as the train headed back to Livingstone while tea & coffee was being served and barely finished when the trained pulled in.

The Royal Livingstone Express all lit up after our journey

Nonetheless, we had a fabulous night out and the train trip was worth all of the $150 they charge. It was a rare opportunity to experience what it might have been like to travel through Africa on a train in style 150 years ago. Exquisite!!

Mike and I after a lovely night out