THE MAIN TRUNK.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 326, 13 October 1908, Page 7

THE MAIN TRUNK.

NIGHT STOP PLACES FOR THE SLOWER TRAINS. THE THROUGH EXPRESS. ITS INAUGURATION: PROBABLE DELAY. Busy, preoccupied people in "Wellington cannot form an idea as to tho anxiety which prevails in mid-North Island as to tho details with regard to tho through services over tho nearly-ready Main Trunk lino. ■ All that we in the hustling centre of population caro about is the dato on which tho through services will start, and that the late Minister for Railways (now High Commissioner) states he does not know 'himself. Other leading officials can only guess, but knowing tho inward circumstances that govern tho situation, some of those guesses might bo worthy of publication. The connection between Queen Street, Auckland, and Thorndon Quay, Wellington, will in the main depend upon two services—the fast through express, and " tho two-days' mixed" (passengers and goods). The first service to be established will be the slow through train that is going to halt somewhere'in the middle of the Island for the sleeping hours, and with th& go on to its destination at one end or other of the "north countree." The principal question agitating, the up-country commercial mind is: Which will be the night stopping places? Taumarunuf and Ohakune. As there are bound to be many people travelling by this train in order to view the new country to be ploughed by, civilisation (especially in the interval that must elapso before the fast express commences run-ing),-the question of accommodation is an important one, as travellers are not going to doze the hours away in a stationary train . (not''even in a stuffy stationary sleeping car) in preference to a comfortable bed in a decently-managed hotel. ForJthis reason it is opined that'the stopping place for the (night for the northbound tTain will be Taumarunui, and for tho 'south-bound Ohakune; and the following arguments' are advanced: —(l) That at both places there is. at present >enough accommodation for ordinary needs; and (2) that. tho back of a tedious journey will be .broken on the first instead of. the last flay of the run. As to the time when this (the two days') service will commence, there is no reason to doubt Mr. Hall-Jones's belief that the inauguration will not bo long after November 1. Make Haste Stowly. Those persons who hope to be able to slide from Wellington to Auckland in nineteen hours next, month can make up their minds to be disappointed. It is argued that there is not the slightest reason why the inauguration of this, service should be rushed through after the manner of a rnore or less important Government measure in the expiring hours of a pre-election session. The public of tho Dominion have waited long and patiently for the metal line to be traced between Wellington and Auckland ; and it is contended that, assuming that the two days' service starts next month, at least two months (three would be better) should be allowed to lapse before the fast express should'-be'allowed to tear over the recently-laid metals. Some, will ask: If one 1 service can be started, why not the other ? The answer is that'lighter engines will pull the slow trains, arid, as'the'pace is slower, the wear and tear of the track will be less than would be the case if the heavy, fuller-powered engines'wore allowed to race over the track from the outstt. A new track wants a deal of careful watching while it is in the settling stage, as all railway engineers know, and it is in the first two or three months, when the "settling" would bo assisted by light traffic, that this inspection could bo madeweaknesses detected and made good, and the new track made quite safe for the heavier traffic, so severe on newly-laid metal. Arguing along the same lines, ifc is considered to be unfortunate that the Christmas holidays are bo near at hand, for they are almost sure to induce a certain pressure on the railway authorities to commence tho fast through service.