Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express

Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express is a pop-up attraction at Gardens by the Bay West Lawn from 12 December 2020 to 13 June 2021, featuring 2 original coaches of the Orient Express and exhibits of artefacts and experiences on board the famous train. Being a train exhibition, I booked myself a ticket early to secure a slot on the first day on 12 December 2020. With safe distancing measures, entry to Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express is by booked timeslots.

Gardens by the Bay West Lawn is easily accessed from Bayfront MRT Station.

There is a direct connection from Exit B of Bayfront MRT Station to Gardens by the Bay via an underpass.

Follow the signs to Gardens by the Bay.

At the end of the underpass, there is no escalator up.

If you don’t want to walk up the flight of stairs, take the lift.

Christmas at the Gardens

Christmas at the Gardens is a cluster of events and attractions at Gardens by the Bay for the 2020 Christmas season.

Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express is located closest to Bayfront MRT Station in Gardens by the Bay.

The information box of the Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express on the Christmas at the Gardens information map.

There is a well-posted sign right outside the underpass from Bayfront MRT Station to Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express.

Peeking at the Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express event tentage.

Gare du Nord? Gare de l’Est?

The Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express event tentage looks impressive, but there was a strange feeling about this station as I took this photo.

A quick check back when I got back home shows that the tentage is using the Gare du Nord station facade, as compared to Gare de l’Est which the Orient Express uses to, well, go to the east. Argh.

The Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express event tentage in front of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel.

Since it’s not really an exact replica of Gare du Nord which the Orient Express doesn’t serve (but some coaches for Calais gets shunted there to be attached to another train without boarding or alighting), I shall call this mock-up station…

Gare dens by the Bay

Magnifique.

Heading in to Gare dens by the Bay.

The main sign for the Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express event blocks the view of the 130 Est série 8s Locomotive 130 B 348 and Tender 20 A 30 behind it.

130 Est série 8s Locomotive 130 B 348 & Tender 20 A 30, 1862, Ajecta, Longueville

On public display with no need for tickets is the preserved 130 Est série 8s Locomotive 130 B 348 and Tender 20 A 30, made in 1862. This is loaned from AJECTA, the Living Railway Museum in Longueville.

130 Est série 8s Locomotive 130 B 348 is built by Schneider (Le Creusot) and operated by Compagnie des Ardennes, with a baptismal name of “La Marche”. It was modified by the Ateliers d’Epernay around 1922 and then leased to the CFS company on the Franche Comté and Burgundy network better known as the Etoile de Gray lines.

It was struck off in 1970 and was saved from being scrapped, but its original tender was scrapped by mistake. Tender 20 A 30, originally used as a mobile drinking water reserve to supply level crossings, was then coupled to it in July 1973, and delivered to the Longueville depot on 4 September 1973.

It is not known if 130 Est série 8s Locomotive 130 B 348 actually hauled Orient Express trains during its lifetime.

130 Est série 8s Locomotive 130 B 348 & Tender 20 A 30 is displayed on very modern tracks in Singapore, which looks like it came from downstairs on the Circle Line.

The tracks are provided by GATES PCM Construction Ltd.

The Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express are located on the length of la Gare dens by the Bay.

Orient Express Road Café by Yannick Alléno

For those feeling peckish, the Orient Express Road Café by Yannick Alléno is open to the public with no tickets for the Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express event required to dine in or takeaway.

The main portion of the Orient Express Road Café is air-conditioned, with a section of al fresco dining outside, though it’s not so popular since it’s in humid Singapore and not France.

Like a regular café, there is a main counter to order and pick up your food.

The menu of the the Orient Express Road Café by Yannick Alléno. The best deal might be the S$32 Afternoon Tea Set with a sampler of (hopefully) all sandwiches and pastries on the menu. I take my words back. Click here for my Orient Express Road Café Afternoon Tea Set review.

Orient Express Restaurant by Yannick Alléno

The Orient Express Restaurant by Yannick Alléno is a reservation-only restaurant for Lunch, Brunch, High Tea, and two seatings of Dinner.

The Orient Express Restaurant looks like it’s 1-coach big but…

… it’s just a mockup.

The Voiture-Restaurant 2869 is a mockup of the real thing operating on the Pullman Orient Express (POE).

The entrance to the Orient Express Restaurant.

Despite the steep price for meals, the Orient Express Restaurant seems to be all fully booked up till March, and I didn’t manage to get a slot for any.

Queue to board Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express

I had arrived about 25 minutes early to my 2pm slot to the Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express event, but was turned away from the queue as they were “still clearing the 1pm crowd”, and was told to come back around 1.50pm.

The entrance to the Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express event on the other side of Gare dens by the Bay is unsheltered, just like railway stations in France.

The boarding queue was very long and slow moving which I couldn’t figure out why, yet.

TraceTogether Required but TraceTogether Not Accepted

Going around Singapore nowadays, TraceTogether is now a familiar name, and I was also probably one of the first to collect my TraceTogether token at a mall before collection was suspended due to overwhelming demand.

When entering Gare dens by the Bay, the security personnel mentioned that the event could not accept TraceTogether tokens as they didn’t have barcode and QR code scanners. As such, I had to check-in with the normal SafeEntry.

Not a good start to Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express with the long, hot queue and not accepting TraceTogether tokens at a free-flowing event like this.

Once inside Gare dens by the Bay after checking in with, the queue continues.

Checking-in for Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express

In the continued queue, a roving staff comes around to scan the barcodes off the SISTIC ticket.

Just like a train station, there is a help desk at the entrance of Gare dens by the Bay.

There’s also an analog clock just like in French railway stations. Unfortunately, it just enforces how long the queue is.

The queue leads through a hole in the wall to the train door, which reminded me a bit of the Royal Railway Airport Shuttle Train platform at Phnom Penh Railway Station.

The description of the Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express exhibition.

The safe management measures in place at Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express.

After 35 minutes of queuing (50 if including my initial arrival time), it’s finally time for me to reach the real entrance to the Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express exhibition.

Boarding the Orient Express

I see what’s the problem now – the queue gets channeled into the coach itself, so the speed of the queue is dependent on people exiting out of the coaches on the other side into the exhibition hall.

CIWL WP 4155, 1929, Ajecta, Longueville

The first coach on display is the CIWL WP 4155 made in 1929 by La compagnie des Entreprises industrielles charentaises (EIC).

Once the front person moves into the coach, the usher allows the next passenger to enter.

Heading into CIWL WP 4155.

It’s worth to note that Wagon Pullman (WP) coaches operated by Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (CIWL) refers to lounge cars and not sleeping cars in American terms (or on the Eastern and Oriental Express).

The first exhibit is a private compartment before the main cabin.

The private compartment seats 4 very comfortably.

Unfortunately, my camera lens isn’t wide enough to capture the entire compartment in one shot…

… but my phone can thanks to the wide-angle lens.

Heading into the main cabin under the guidance of the usher.

Most tables are laid out in a very comfortable 1+1 configuration.

Those by the doors seat staggered groups of 3…

… and 1 for the solo traveller.

And no, sitting inside the coach is not allowed.

The displays along the walking path through the coach leads through the history as the Orient Express operated.

Some old artefacts from 90 years ago.

Seat numbers are placed beside each seat. I wonder what the button below was for.

Some legendary CCTV installed on board.

More artefacts of historical travel.

Looking back down at CIWL WP 4155.

Another private compartment on the other end of the coach.

Continuing on…

Great to see technology hasn’t really evolved for emergency equipment.

And what’s a RailTravel Station train article without a visit to the on-board toilet?

I see paper towels ere provided on the Orient Express. Perfect. That’s a good train right there.

The closed toilet bowl for good reason.

A familiar sign to tell you not to use the toilet when the train is at the station. I wonder what would happen if I do use the toilet here in Gare dens by the Bay.

Continuing on to the next coach.

CIWL Fourgon 1270, 1929, Ajecta, Longueville

The second coach on display is the CIWL Fourgon 1270 made in 1929 by Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage, Wagon and Finance Company, more popularly known today as Metro-Cammell.

This Fourgon, easier known as PV in KTM terms, houses fiction artefacts on stories based off the Orient Express.

The coat of James Bond?

Displays of historical novels.

Looking up, seems like some fixtures of the Fourgon are forgone.

In the middle, there is a conductor’s compartment with a brake wheel.

The conductor’s compartment has an elevated roof for the guard to peek out forwards and reverse.

More fiction, this time with a corpse.

Heading out of CIWL Fourgon 1270 and out to the static exhibition.

The end of CIWL Fourgon 1270.

The coaches still use buffers and chain coupling.

The builder plate of Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage, Wagon and Finance Company, more popularly known today as Metro-Cammell.

Doesn’t look nice on Circle Line tracks though with the modern concrete sleepers.

The familiar yellow Vossloh Rail Fastening System seen throughout the Circle Line.

Section 1: History of the Orient Express

The next section of the history of the Orient Express is welcome with the sound of the model train running the loop.

The model Orient Express spins around the compartment displays.

A 1:50 scale model of an Orient Express sleeping compartment of around 1900 in teak. This is on loan from the SNCF Cité du Train in Mulhouse.

A 1:50 scale model of an Orient Express sleeping compartment of around 1930 in metal, and the more “popularly known” one. This is on loan from the SNCF Cité du Train in Mulhouse.

The timeline of the Orient Express.

The origin of the Orient Express from the Train Eclair de luxe.

THANK YOU CURATOR. THIS IS NOT HEAVILY EMPHASISED ENOUGH BY THE WORLD.

For the record, the Orient Express is a network of international overnight trains and not a single train. And VSOE doesn’t refer to the Orient Express in this exhibition because, well, read the name.

The Man in Seat 61 summarizes the history of the Orient Express very well here.

Hmm I would like to try out this route in modern times, wonder when I can do it.

Thanks Hitler.

Aaaaaand… the timeline got screwed at 1977 and 1982 to the Venice Simplon Orient Express and did not continue to the real Orient Express which had its final journey in 2009.

I guess this timeline is the one most people would want to hear about rather than the real Orient Express which wasn’t exactly luxurious in modern times.

Sounds like Georges Nagelmackers was the ultimate hardcore railway fan in the 1800s.

Section 2: Artefacts of the Orient Express

The Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express exhibition then transitions to displays of artefacts that were of or on board the train.

The various tableware used on the Orient Express.

A replica scale model of a single sleeping compartment. This is on loan from the SNCF Cité du Train in Mulhouse.

A mockup of a wash basin inside the Orient Express coach.

Launching the Train Eclair de luxe.

This section of the exhibition looks a bit like a station platform.

I might prefer an exhausting journey over a seamless one though.

Screens along the wall reminds me of travelling in a railway coach with the scenery passing by through windows.

The advertisement poster of the Simplon Orient Express.

The advertisement posters of the Orient Express.

The network of the Orient Express and Taurus Express. Passengers can take a ferry across the Bosporus to connect between the two trains.

This is an interactive board with buttons to light up the various key routes.

A mockup of a section of a dining car of the Orient Express.

Information on the first Orient Express journey and the first hijack of the train.

Films and books inspired by the Orient Express.

The Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits monograms of 1880 and 1931 which were on the side of the coaches.

A display of models and plans of the Orient Express.

A 1:32 scale model of a Pullman Côte d’Azur coach.

The plan of a 141 P Steam Locomotive.

A 1:43 scale model of an SNCF 231 E 13 steam locomotive which hauled the Simplon Orient Express from Calais to Paris.

The various consists of the Orient Express. Looks like the Ekspres Selatan.

A travel agency scale model of the MU sleeping coach with a cross-section of a compartment.

Looks just like regular Trenitalia sleeping coaches today.

A 1:32 scale model of a 1929 LX coach.

Section 3: Tourism with the Orient Express

The exhibition then moves on to the tourism aspect of the Orient Express featuring the destinations on offer.

Another train model makes loops around.

This section of the exhibition has the two coaches as the backdrop. More details on the two coaches later, let’s continue with the exhibition first.

On this section, I may have missed out some panels due to crowds, especially on the automobile service, so I seek your understanding. I might go back later in April when the hype dies down for another look.

Detailing the connection across the Bosporus when connecting between the Orient Express and Taurus Express.

Detailing the construction and connection of railway lines in Turkey.

The information panels are modelled after old suitcases.

The map of Constantinople and an aerial photo of Istanbul.

Describing the two stations of Istanbul in Europe and Asia.

A display of old tourist guidebooks from the 1840s.

Tourists on the Orient Express and Taurus Express use it for archaeological tourism too.

A tourist map of Syria and Lebanon.

More brochures on display on the Simplon Orient Express, Taurus Express, Egypt, and Iraq.

An exhibition section on the Taurus Express serving the Asian side of Istanbul onwards.

Various photos of CIWL trains and menus.

A poster advertising the London-Baghdad route by the Simplon Orient Express and Taurus Express.

Generic posters advertising the Simplon Orient Express and Taurus Express.

A poster advertising the Great Britain-Syria route by the Simplon Orient Express and Taurus Express.

Pictures and brochures of Cairo, Egypt.

And now to get to the exterior of the coaches. Due to the crowds, it took quite a while to snap some quick clean shots in between others’ phototaking.

CIWL Fourgon 1270, 1929, Ajecta, Longueville

The CIWL Fourgon 1270 is a baggage van which operated on various Orient Express trains.

The 1930 logo of CIWL.

The PP Bogie used on Fourgon 1270.

The Circle Line tracks along with mood lighting really doesn’t make this coach look good. (Also it’s the first time I’m seeing so many people wanting to take photos with a PV.)

The cast nameplate of Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage, Wagon and Finance Company (Metro-Cammell).

And surprise surprise, the two coaches on display aren’t even coupled together. Thankfully this won’t be departing with a missing coach any time soon.

CIWL WP 4155, 1929, Ajecta, Longueville

The CIWL WP 4155 operated on the Sud-Express from 1929 till 1931, then on the Côte d’Azur from 1931 till 1939 when World War II started. It then resumed service on the Flèche d’Or, then the Mistral from 1951 to 1952, and finally on the Sud-Express again until the end of 1971. Ajecta then purchased this coach in 1975.

If this account is accurate, then this “Orient Express” coach on display at the Orient Express exhibition had never ever served on any Orient Express trains before.

Is this a joke?

The cast nameplate of La compagnie des Entreprises industrielles charentaises (EIC) for CIWL WP 4155.

The destination sign of the Simplon Orient Express.

If only coach numbers were as easily identifiable as this in modern times.

The cast monogram of CIWL on the side of CIWL WP 4155.

CIWL WP 4155 forms a nice backdrop to this section of the exhibition, feeling like I’m in a coach shed.

Summarising the exhibition.

The hallway to the exit.

The end credits wall of the Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express exhibition.

Stuff borrowed from everywhere.

Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express Gift Shop

Displays of Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express souvenirs are in glass boxes along the exit hallway.

A selection of kids toys and knacks.

Stuff for non-kids are in the middle island shelf.

Really premium lanyards and cardholders at S$29.80 each.

A metal whistle costs S$8.60.

3 designs of postcards are available at S$1.50 each. The pop-up card costs S$14.90.

More leather products and writing materials.

A cup and saucer set goes for S$55 each.

Heading back out of Gare dens by the Bay. The ever-extending queue is not very fun especially when it’s going to rain.

Conclusion

Overall, the Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express was not what I expected, especially during the time of COVID.

The queues were long despite having a timed ticket, which was the first impression of the exhibition.

TraceTogether tokens were very surprisingly not accepted especially at the time just before the Phase 3 announcement, when the Government needed a 70% participation rate for the TraceTogether programme to work and the exhibition visit was not done in groups of 5 but each person going through the exhibition at different speeds was acceptable just like a regular exhibition before COVID – TraceTogether would have been so important.

A lot of the exhibits had no further explanation to them, just an introduction to each section. The displays inside the coaches were very nice and immaculate, but further interpretation of each table would have been ideal.

To top it all off, after researching on CIWL WP 4155, I realised that the main Pullman coach in the exhibition didn’t even serve on the Orient Express. Seems like the Fourgon was more original than the Pullman which is supposed to be the star of the show. Unbelievable. I really hope that my research was wrong – please correct me if I am as I would really love to be wrong in this case.

All in all, I didn’t exactly enjoy my first Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express visit, but I will be back again after the initial hype dies down to go through the exhibition again to see what I might have accidentally missed, like on the automobile service (which is a very classy way of saying rail replacement bus service).

If you’re planning your own Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express visit and you see tickets selling out fast, I highly recommend you to pick another day for visiting or you’ll be left baking under the sun outside Gare dens by the Bay.