Aboard the "Wild Cat."

Horowhenua Chronicle, 18 March 1910, Page 4

Aboard the "Wild Cat."

THK JOYS OF A GOODS TRAIN. A XKRYK-RACKING TRIP. Amonn; the varied tonus of excitement, iileasuriible and otherwise, associated with travelling on the .NW Zealand railways, there is .surely nothing to surpass the thrilling sensation of a trip on the night "wild cat" train between Paeroa, Tc Arolia and Frankton, says the N'cw Zealand Herald. This is the firm conviction of those venturesome but misguided individuals who entrust their lives jind limbs—to say nothing of nerves—-to the tender mercies of this fearfully and wonderfully arranged curiosity of our railway system. The particular "wild cat" in (|iiestion — there are others—has a far from enviable reputation t.hrougout the Thames Valley and AVaiknto districts. It is a goods train, consisting mainly of an imposing array of "returned empties." It not infrequently extends into a quarter of n mile in length, and on one occasion lately tt comprised upwards of a hundred trucks. Small account is taken of passenger traffic-in fact, passengers are apparently regarded as intruders, who must be discouraged rather- than encouraged. The travelling public, in the absence_ol any regular passenger night train, often find it necessary to avail themselves of the "wild cat" for getting from Thames, Paoroa and Te Ar'oha to the Waikato and also for connecting at Frankton with the Alain Trunk expresses. The Department in order to meet the wishes of such People, goes so lar as to attach one of the older_ types of second-class carriages which is not a matter for great- wonder—but on other occasions there .are a number, and amongst all who have taken passage by it the discomforts of the "wild cat" have become quite a byeword. "The "wild cat" figures on the list of advertised trains, but it has a supreme and lofty contempt for such trifles as time-tables, and with it punctuality is by no means the soul of business. An hour or two is a mere fraction of time, so far as it is concerned, and on last Saturday night the train was two hours late in reaching Frankton, the journey from Te Arolia occupvin~ two hours and a- half. The comfort of passengers who have the temerity to trespass on to this train is, as may be imagined, too small a detail to be taken into consideration. The unconscionable period during which the train tarries at the station for shunting purposes is a great tax on patience, but the severe jerks that passengers .are subjected to whenever the train halts, or makes_ a fresh start, is adding insult to injury. Those jerks are at times sufficient to throw unwary people off their feet, whilst for women oi weak nerves the experience is one that is even more dreaded; As passengers are required to pay their fares, they not unnaturally wish to know why some better provision is not made for their comfort. ff there is not sufficient traffic for an extra passenger train an effort might at least be made to minimise the discomforts of the nightlv " wild cat."