Railways Cater for Wealthy Taste

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 352, 12 May 1928, Page 11

Railways Cater for Wealthy Taste

HOTEL ON WHEELS NEW DE LUXE TRAVEL CAR Travel de luxe for wealthy tourists and holiday parties is provided by the latest acquisition to the Railway Department’s fleet of rolling stock. A luxurious car for observation and accommodation has been placed on the line in Wellington, and will be available for attachment to any train on any part of the New Zealand lines. Compared with American travel of this nature, the prices appear reasonable. The new observation car represents the greatest effort which the Railway Department in this country has made toward the comfort and convenience of passengers, and is a typical illustration of the manner in which the wealthy taste is being catered for. For those who are prepared to pay for a de luxe trip through the country, the luxurious lounges and efficient facilities of the new car furnish a travelling hotel of high standard, separated from the usual inconvenience of luggage transfer and personal transport. An attendant is always on the car, and all meals are procurable as the journey progresses, or as th© palatial carriage rests on a railway siding. Sleeping accommodation for six people is provided in three two-berth cabins. The car is the one which conveyed th© Royal visitors around the North Island early last year, and which later was engaged by Paderewski. It has been remodelled and transformed into a vehicle with the requirements necessary for a travelling hotel. Very naturally the traveller on the latest de luxe car has to pay for the privilege, but the figure compares favourably with the prices for similar journeys in the United States and in England, upon the lines of which it has been designed. First-class fares are charged for all passengers, and above that 2s 6d a mile for the use of the car. For a party of six going from Wellington to Rotorua, the trip could be accomplished for approximately £SO, allowing a night and day spent at National Park. This, reaching a little over £8 a head, is considered by the department to b© a reasonable figure for the service.