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T o u r i s t S p e c i a l s
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Already from 1971 a round trip for Western tourists from Berlin to Russia is reported. Timetables for Soviet tourist specials were prepared even for destinations like Rome or Athens. In 1979 Alby Glatt, owner of the Nostalgie Istanbul Orient Express, arranged a "Trans-Sibirien" special with green Soviet RIC sleepers, followed in 1981 by a similar "Kaukasus-Krim-Express". He had the idea to use his own historic cars and in 1988 it became true when Fuji Television and Hitachi sponsored a sensational tour Paris - Hong Kong. The "Voiture-Restaurant presidentielle" 3354 was included, which already had served Khruzhchev during his state visit in France. Most cars of that Fuji Express were transferred to Japan, were trips on Cape gauge were undertaken. Change of bogies had been necessary at Brest, Zabaikalsk and for the transfer to Japan. Initially, the Japanese sponsors had asked James Sherwood, but his VSOE was busy on the Venice route. From 1994 the Nostalgie Istanbul Orient Express undertook trips from Moscow under the label "Russian Orient Express". In 1991 started the state-owned dark-red "Rus" with refurbished cars and in April 1992 it connected with the Chinese special Pekin Orient Express for the first time at Alashankou on the Southern route. A "Holland-Japan Rail Cruise" in 2000 used the hired Wagons-Lits "Pullman Orient Express" for Paris - Prague - Warsaw, then the regular Polones to Moscow and the Russian Orient Express to Alashankou. Abercrombie & Kent offered tours with ex-government saloons, GW Travel Limited undertook steam tours and in 2004 the refurbished light-blue "Bolshoi Transsiberian Express" by Private Train Ltd appeared, consisting of 3 - 4 "Comfort" sleeping-cars, 2 "Classic" sleepers, 2 - 3 "VIP Deluxe" sleepers with en-suite facilities, a saloon from the "Red Tsars", a shower car, a diner and a piano-bar car. Alby Glatt's "Pullman Club" offers travels by that train from Moscow to Erlian, where the passengers change to the China Orient Express of Private Train Ltd with ex-government sleepers, shower car, diner and piano-bar. In China a regular day train for tourists did run from Beijing to Badaling on the Great Wall from 1978 to 1985. In 1987 appeared the green Pekin Orient Express with government sleepers of ordinary types for round-trips. It connected with the Russian specials at Erlian and with the Rus at Alashankou. In 1986 James Sherwood had intended to start an “Orient Express in China” for tours from Hong Kong to Beijing, but it was prevented. In 2006 Alby Glatt announced to revive the nostalgia of the legendary Shanghai Express on round trips within China, using the Private Train Ltd consist. For completely new tourist specials to Lhasa, sleepers with en-suite facilities, vista, club and dining-cars were ordered in 2005 at Bombardier Sifang. In 2008 revolts started in Lhasa and Tibet was isolated for tourists. Nostalgie Istanbul Orient Express Paris Lyon - Reims - Cologne - Berlin - Moscow - Harbin - Beijing - Hong Kong, Sept. 07 - Sept. 26, 1988:
Colors: ex-CIWL cars blue, but Pullmans and Service car blue/cream, SZD and KZD cars green. Special "Trans-Siberian" Brest - Moscow - Tikhookeanskaya - Vladivostok - Tavrichanka, for GW Travel Ltd., by RZD, departure May 26, 1996 (according to F. Lodge): 1 Salon (no. 7089, sleeper, kitchen) 3 Mest 18 1 Restoran (with bar) 1 Restoran 2 Mest 18 1 Service (rebuilt, showers, laundry) 1 Mest 36 (for staff) 1 Refrigerator van 1 Mest 36 (for staff) Steam traction announced: L, LV, P36, SU, Yed, Yem. Pekin Orient Express Beijing - Datong - Xian - Shanghai - Guilin - Guangzhou, Oct. 1987 (according to H.H. Frohn):
Traction: Steam RM, diesel DF3, DF4 and other ones. 
"Transsiberian Special" Khabarovsk - Moscow by Alby Glatt, Soviet VL60-273 and RIC sleepers, Ilanskaya, Sept.19, 1979 (Karl-Heinz Walraf)
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