"IN NINETEEN HOURS."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 431, 13 February 1909, Page 6

"IN NINETEEN HOURS."

, DAILY EXPRESS TO AUCKLAND. f TO COMMENCE TO-MORROW. • v j: To-morrow must rank,'as ah important date in the railway g history of this country. After years: of waiting, a daily; railway .trip .is-to be inaugurated,. which will .bring tlio cities' of ..Wellington and -Auckland; within ■nineteen hours of: each other.. The .time, the journey is; to occupy—l 9 hours .13'. minutes, to be nothing out of the way when the distance is considered, and the ! fact that the journey could be accomplished by train hand steamer in anhour or,tw<rmore if circumstances were favourable. . It" is gratifying,' however, to know that with a steel connection between Wellington and Auckland great tracts-of first-class, land' will be opened, up in the heart of the North Island. ■ The tourist traffic also should bo; benefit-editor: doubtless many will come to view the beautiful. mountain scenery of : th'e .interior. 'To .ordinary travellers the "through" , the meansi of evading the <siia'trip between New. Plymouth '~and Onehunga,' a twelvo ,hours' run,, which 'has.. an, evil reputation at unsettled seasons;. It; will .• also .give. a smarter . and ■■ surer/ dispatch- of: mails :between the. two centres;, and. develop.- a Wealthy, goods'•traffic :as the new country is .opened up. .-.■• ■■.•■■, ."' .. The time-table has already been published in full. The service will be inaugurated from the Auckland end to-morrow evening at 9.15 o'clock,: and that, train is timed" to .reach .Wellington Vat'4.2s ■ p.m;. on' Monday! .•■ From ,this end. the service: will commence on Monday,;with th'e'eipress' which leaves.'the'Thorndon. station at:.1.1.45.a.m., and. arrives at Auckland'at 6.58: a.in. on the : next" day. The- stopping places are Paekakariki, Palmer•ston. North,..; Teilding, . Marton,. Taihape; •Ohaknne,-' l: Taumarunuij' Te Kuiti; , and 'FranktohV.P-'•■'.■'•;■"-'."A'.' ; -.-' •'•''■ ; :-- '■■.""■■'■.■ ■" :

Reserv|ng Seats and.Berths,

'•'The* Minister;, for; Railways 'has...-, approved ,the' following. ■condition's for r -the,reservation of seats";and sleeping berths; on the express service:—First-class passengers holding tick-' ets for not less, than'loo miles; may reserve seats in; other- than -sleeping-cars on produc'tion ■ of;, their tickets and .payment of six-. pence.'. , : ; '->-..-.■."■■•■■'•■■":,■,■■■■: ■'■■ vv \'-\'i'J: : .' '. ; , /Intermediate itatioiis:. Passengers may'- apply to the. stationmaster-.where the "journey starts,;- and. will, be .-allowed, any : vacant seat, if .available,: upon-.payment; of' sixpence, but' .guaranteed seats will not'be reserved for less ■than-100 miles'' ' ':. "••''■ ' ■ .?''': .':)}".

'..': Sleeping-berth; tickets will ; . be. issued ■ at 1 ■Auckland .or Wellington :to -. fiTst-class. passen■.ge'rs on;payment of 105... ' At j intermediate ■stations passengers must apply;to the statipnmaster and pay ,10s., and, if required, 63. for telegraphing.\: Such berths, will be.'allotted: .by.priority.ifavailablei but no guarantee.will ;bo given.: ■■/:.. ~.*■; ' .-v : : - ■'.■•' ; ■:'■ Thrpugh. passengers .will be given first consideration,- ["but .there, will 'be ;no, guarantee .to provide,berths _ for all 'applicants.,' : Where ;vacancies 'exist';-passengers, may-obtain,same from the guard. .■.Sleeping-berths are not to' ibe transferable, and holders must ridejin the which • will, whore'-. possible; ;be resorved for such passengers.-..- ~■'-,;■.'■■ .'. .The Department may!,put.-other.first-class, paesengers ;in such carriages; until _ berths are to-be when they \yiU-go.elsewhere.X On north trains'the berths [will-be' made, at Tai- , hape.','On" the: south'.trains' passengers will Wicalledi at Ohakune for breakfast. ■ :

;- ; it ! has'beon decided.th'at'luggage for cheeky ing must' be at the station 15 ;minutes. before; ; the train'.starts,'in order:.tb give the officials time' to do their-work .properly.; This regula-: tiontis :to,be rigorously enforced.,, The ordin:ary: 7.50 a..in...mail train from Thorndon will irun as ; far, as ;Marton : daily; and there '■. will be'means' of proceeding as far. as Ohakune ■the : same .day: 'Apart from the' daily through express!,' there will -be; no strictly /passenger ■serVice- between -Auckland and,- Ohakune, "but 'aTcarriajje will be I 'attached to I '.the:.goods trainVwhich will leave Ohabuie.for Aucklandeach night. ,; 7 '.'''.''..,'. ■; "....; '. . , The •Erua-Waiduru-/'.section ,of ■ the. Main' .Trunk line -is to 'be;■ handed .over. to/ : the .Railway' Department to-morrow by the Public Works Department:..- The transfer ;thp discharge of 3()0. navvies,'the last, of the 3000 employed originally on-the'section. , 1 ;;""' i Engines too : Large for Tunnels. ; : i•;«;. . • In [conversation • with' Mr, R. '"W; : 'Hblmeß,-Engine.br-iniChief-of' the 1 Public; Works Depaptinent;: at Ohakune yesterday; : a DpsiiNiON .representative' ;meTitioned rumbiirs ■that the"big 90-ton locomotiyesi'which -. we'rp; to run■ oii• one ";of the' sections, were. top. bigto "proceed. safely, through 1 : the' tunnels, 'and that either.'the tunnels'.would haverto be.increased in size or the;engines cut, down. ''■■• ■ Theengineer;.said that possibly the cab. of' .■the locomotives, would have/, to. be. .reduced, .'in./.size, but tha't' all,, and. the/ work :could' be.easily .-effected-; It-appears that, a number of'tunnels constructed south of Taihapie 'are not'/wideienbugh-to' accommodate 'these:-; monster engines' with' 6afety/ : .when,they "are-rocking , !: along; ! at; speedj ■■bnt,/-as[ th'e : engineer suggestsj the .trouble: should, goi ■over'by,.reducing; the; sizei'.of the ..cabs. The tunnels', north ?of Taihape: are. said■ to be ■quite.big enough for the'leviathans which are .morelthan, twice..a& ,: large as the' Rimutaka : :Hin:cl_imbers.. : '.,The ; :fridth;.of the;cabs-qf the ■nbw'big engines' is vampljr demonstrated .by the; fact'that-on a^ , supposed trial:'.trip the' present one located, at a small corner projection of the Ohakune 'Railway' Station.' /,,. ..'.•- .-.. ;; : ; ' •-:•'■ i ■'■.'■ :

~ ■ UripuhctuaiTrains.: . ,^; ■' : The; public .has' teen chafing much, lately at the manner in-which: the timetable has been set .at defiance through slow trains'running in'.nearly .aUparts.of this; country (writes a Dominion,, representative 'from , Ohakune) , . .Thursda'y' .'night's' express' .was,' considerably: :late, and- yesterday, .morning; ;left Ohakune 75 ,minutes,latej. through .av-mishap to; one: ■ot' the locomotives, ,had?one ;of■. its■ ■valves smashed.byja wind-blown,door in the. ■engine-house;';' Asked; ■whether : he'had any doubt about ;the> punctuality ;■ of the: mew 'daily; express service;' Mr. R.. }V. Holme's; , Engineer-ih-Chief of; the' Public Works Department, .'replied: ." None.whatever."-. '.