3021) Orient Express, France: celebrating the 140th Year Anniversary (1883-2023): La Poste, France (French Post) has issued a Block of 1 (One) stamp of 1.80 Euro showcasing the iconic Transcontinental passenger train, which inspired Agatha Christie to pen one of her popular novels: Date of Stamp issue: 02.10.2023:
Links to Posts on Agatha Christie's novels on this blog:
About the Orient-Express (1883-2023):
On 02.10.2023, La Poste, France (French Post) has issued a block of 1 (One) stamp to mark the 140th Anniversary of the inaugural journey of the Orient-Express from Paris to Constantinople.
The Anniversary Year 2023 marks the beginning of the luxury train adventure around the world, embodied by the Orient-Express.
140 years after its first journey, the first European transcontinental belongs to everyone's memories. Today, it is no longer just a train, but a real myth which is part of history and French heritage.
Founded by the Belgian engineer Georges Nagelmackers (1845-1905), from a family of industrialists and bankers from Liège, the Orient-Express is inseparable from the company that operated it - the "Newrest Wagons-Lits", formerly "Compagnie internationale des wagons-lits" (meaning "International Sleeping-Car Company") until 2009.
It is this which contributes to the widespread use of new railway equipment on the European continent. Sleeping cars are revolutionising the world of transport both in terms of speed, comfort and safety.
Of all the trains created, the Orient-Express is undoubtedly the best known, symbol of the luxury and refinement of the golden age of rail travel.
Connecting Paris to Constantinople in 81 hours, it represents a diplomatic and economic tour de force. With it, Munich, Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest, Belgrade and Sofia are directly connected to each other, and to the two prestigious terminal cities.
The train travelled the length of continental Europe, with main terminal stations in Paris in the northwest and Istanbul in the southeast, and branches extending service to Athens, Brussels, and London.
The Orient-Express then becomes one of the main axes of communication between East and West, a true link between a diversity of territories and cultures.
140 years after the maiden voyage of the Orient-Express and in the context of the return to light of night trains, its rebirth is underway to offer the ultimate experience of railway luxury, thus continuing to write a new page in its history.
Changing several routes:
The route and rolling stock of the Orient Express changed many times. Several routes in the past concurrently used the Orient Express name, or slight variations.
The two city names most prominently served and associated with the Orient Express are Paris and Istanbul, the original termini of the timetabled service.
In 1977, the Orient Express stopped serving Istanbul. Its immediate successor, a through overnight service from Paris to Bucharest, was later cut back in 1991 to Budapest, and in 2001 was again shortened to Vienna, before departing for the last time from Paris on Friday 08.06.2007.
After this, the route, still called the Orient Express, was shortened to start from Strasbourg instead, occasioned by the inauguration of the LGV Est which afforded much shorter travel times from Paris to Strasbourg.
The new curtailed service left Strasbourg at 22:20 daily, shortly after the arrival of a TGV (TGV ("Train à Grande Vitesse") or "High-speed train) from Paris, and was attached at Karlsruhe to the overnight sleeper service from Amsterdam to Vienna.
On 14.12.2009, the Orient Express ceased to operate, and the route disappeared from European railway timetables, reportedly a "victim of high-speed trains and cut-rate airlines".
Since 13.12.2021, an ÖBB Nightjet again runs three times per week on the Paris-Vienna route, although not branded as Orient Express.
The Venice-Simplon Orient Express train, a private venture by Belmond using original CIWL carriages from the 1920s and 1930s, continues to run to and from various destinations in Europe, including the original route from Paris to Istanbul.
Although the original Orient Express was simply a normal international railway service, the name became synonymous with intrigue and luxury rail travel:
Murder on the Orient Express is a work of detective fiction by English writer Agatha Christie featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.
It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 01.01.1934.
In the United States, it was published on 28.02.1934, under the title of "Murder in the Calais Coach", by Dodd, Mead and Company.
The storyline:
The elegant train of the 1930s, the Orient Express, is stopped by heavy snowfall. A murder is discovered, and Poirot's trip home to London from the Middle East is interrupted to solve the case. The opening chapters of the novel take place primarily in Istanbul. The rest of the novel takes place in Yugoslavia, with the train trapped between Vinkovci and Brod.
The US title of "Murder in the Calais Coach" was used to avoid confusion with the 1932 Graham Greene novel "Stamboul Train", which had been published in the United States as "Orient Express".
The Stamp:
The Block of a single stamp of 1.80 Euro features the "Orient Express" steaming at full speed on its journey to Constantinople across a desolate countryside.
The Eiffel Tower in Paris is seen at left, while the Hagia Sofia mosque in Constantinople is seen at right in the moonlit night.
The Block is titled - "THE ORIENT EXPRESS 2023".
Links to Posts on Agatha Christie's novels on this blog:
Links:
1) For more on the Olympics and Paralympics held in the past, including the origins and history of the Olympics and Commemorative coins issued both on London Olympics and Paralympics please read my post on the London Olympics 2012 link as follows: History of the ancient & modern Olympics and Paralympics & commemorative coins issued during the London Olympics and Paralympics
4) For Rio 2016, please click on the following link to get interesting insights into the mascots of the Rio Olympics Vinicius and Tom, the Games and the Commemorative Coins and stamps issue programme: 1)The 31st Summer Olympics "Rio 2016"2) Commemorative Stamps and booklets issued by the Department of Posts, India on 05.08.2016
5) For Ancient Olympic Games on Greek Coins of Antiquity, please click on the following link: Ancient Olympic Games on Greek Coins of Antiquity
6) For a set of Post cards titled "Olympic Events" : please click on the following link: "Olympic Events": A set of 12 Post Cards issued by the Karnataka Postal Circle, India Post on 11.07.2016
7) For a presentation set of two stamps titled "Spirit of Olympics, Athens, Atlanta" please visit the following link: Spirit of the Olympic Games, Athens-Atlanta: Celebrating the Centenary of the Modern Olympic Games
8) For a presentation set of four stamps titled "XXVIII Olympic Games" (2004 Summer Olympics Athens, Greece, please visit the following link: XVIII Summer Olympic Games, Athens Greece (2004)
9) For a presentation set of two stamps titled "XXIX Olympic Games" (2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing, China, please visit the following link: XXIX Olympic Games Beijing, China: 08.08.08- 24.08.08: A Presentation set of four stamps issued by India Post on 08.08.08
Links to other posts in Metropolis Tiffany Art Coin Series:
Links to other Coins in the Cyborg Revolution Coin Series" issued in this Series:
Links:
Most Haunted Places Coin Series:
Links to other posts on Metropolis Tiffany Art Coin Series:
The 7-Summits Silver Coin Series:
For other interesting posts on honouring the work done for the blind/visually impaired persons please visit the following links:
1) A tour of Pune's Blind School and interaction with the students - a short story
2) A two-Rupee coin issued by the Indian Mints honouring Louis Braille on the occasion of his 200th Birth Anniversary in 2009 and a brief report on the Braille system
6) Honouring Louis Braille on the Bicentenary of his birth in 2009
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