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Shannon News, 20 April 1928, Page 3

An advance copy of the initial number of a series of illustrated booklets to be issued by the Railway Department, entitled "The Romance of the Rail,"has been received from the Department. This number describes, and illustrates with good half-tone and line blocks, the scenic and historic features of the country traversed on the train journey by the Main Trunk line between Auckland and Wellington. A vivid narrative of the whole Main Trunk route has been written by Mr James Cowen. The story opens at Auckland and proceeds southward, and it admirably outlines the romantic atmosphere of past days, when' New Zealand's history was in the making. It tells of legend, and war, and peacetime progress, from early Maori days right down to the present. Sixteen of the 64 pages are devoted to illustrations showing interesting structural features of the Main Trunk and a fine series of scenic pictures. Five specially prepared sectional contour maps of the route are included. Helpful information of a general nature for the benefit of visitors to the Dominion is included, and a detailed li#-t>f the tunnels and principal passed on the way is an intersmig feature of the publication. The preparation of the second number, dealing with the journ : ey from Lyttelton to Invercargill, is now in hand, and will be finalised at I an early date. The complete series is ' intended to cover the whole of the railway system of the Dominion,