THE DAYLIGHT EXPRESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19177, 17 November 1925, Page 11

THE DAYLIGHT EXPRESS.

SUCCESSFUL FIRST TRIP.

GREAT INTEREST DISPLAYED

MIGHTY SCENIC GRANDEUR.

COMMERCIAL PROSPECTS

[BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER. ] PALMERSTON NORTH. Monday.

Favoured by a day of radiant sunshine and clear skies the first trip of the daylight. limited express from Auckland was made under ideal weather conditions. The highest anticipations of the advantages of the new service from a scenic viewpoint were more than realised and the grandeur and beauty of the run through the heart of the North Island were demonstrated to the travelling public as they never have been before.

Save for a brief period when the tableland of the "top of the island" was reached, the sun shone brightly all day, giving the passengers the opportunity of seeing the. countryside at its best. The advantages of the new service from a commercial viewpoint naturally cannot be established immediately, but the satisfaction expressed by all classes of travellers to-day indicated that the. daylight express will gain popularity as soon as its advantages become more widely known. One business man expressed the opinion that it would open up a new era of prosperity for the entire area between Frankton and Marton, bringing to the King Country and adjacent districts the advantages of fast (daylight tTain communication enjoyed by the larger centres. Among the most appreciative passengers on the train were several mothers with young children bound for New Plymouth and other Southern centres. It was a great boon, they said, to be able to travel in comfort by daylight, instead of having to wake the little ones in the dead of night. Earlier Heralds for Country.

Another feature of the new service that is bound to win great, popularity for it in country districts south of Frankton is that they will now receive the morning paper very much earlier in the day than formerly. An interesting little scene took place to-day outside the guard's van at Ohakune, where bundles of Heralds were handed to agents for Raetihi and other outlying settlements. These will now reach their destination before six o'clock in the evening, instead of the following morning. The express, with Guard G. C. Foster in charge, received a good send-off when it steamed out of Auckland station promptly at 7.63. Among those on the platform were.Mr. F. J. Jones, chairman of the Railway Board, Mr. W. H. Hales, superintendent of railways for the North Island, and Mr. J. C. Rickerbv, district traffic manager. Mr. H. H. Sterling, a member of the Railway Board, travelled to Frankton on the express. The passenger list was light, consisting of 53 first-class and 59 second-class, a total of 112 passengers. About 20 through passengers had booked to Wellington, the remainder leaving the train at various points down the line, where others took their places. Easy Speed Maintained. A few delays inseparable from the institution of a new service were experienced in the first part of the run, but time was made up on the good stretches. An easy speed was maintained throughout thf journey, with occasional swift runs, but there were none of the thrills sometimes associated with the running of the night limited.

The rich lands of the Waikato district •were seen to full advantage as the train sped swiftly through the wide stretches of farming country. The scene was one of peaceful rural beauty with sheep and cattle browsing in rich pastures, hawthorn hedges bursting into bloom and patches of golden broom making a blaze of gold beside the creeks. The interest of the passengers in the countryside was equalled by the interest of the countryside in the train. As the more remote portions of the King Country were reached little groups were seen standing in cottage doorways and at roadside crossings waving a greeting as the train sped past. The children of one little school were .-ill assembled in the playground, and they sent up a shrill cheer to welcome the first davlight express that had passed their way. Refreshments were served at Frankton and at Te Kuiti, where several passengers left the train t-o continue the journey to New Plymouth by motor. The Taranaki Connection. The institution of the daylight express has facilitated travel between Auckland and Taranaki in a notable degree, and from opinions expressed to-day it seems likely that this connection will prove one of the strongest features of the new service. The advantages of the daylight express are fully realised by the people of Te Kuiti, and a representative of tlie local Chamber of Commerce conveyed the thanks and appreciation of the business community to the Herald through its special representative on board the train, for its efforts toward securing the establishment of the service. Another advantage claimed is that of quick connection with the Waitomo Caves by motor service from Te Kuiti, the trip being made in 40 minutes.

When the train left "Raurimu shortly after two o'clock and began its long pull up the spiral passengers gathered on the carriage platforms and pressed 1o the windows eager to get what to the majority was their first daylight glimpse of this wonderful engineering feat. The grandeur of the forest scenes lit by golden sunshine was most- impressive. a touch of rare delicate beauty being added by the trails of starry clematis, which festooned many of the trees. All eves were turned expectantly toward the mountains as the train gained the tableland of the Wairnarino Plains, but the mighty trio was not in friend!'/ mood. Ruapehu had pulled a white cloud-cap over his majestic brow, and Ngauruhoe's graceful summit was veiled in mist, while Tongariro vouchafed no more than a rrlimpse of one sulky white shoulder. But the plains stretched in rippling waves of russet and gold to the far line of the forest, and there was enough of beauty visible in the snow-clad mountains to justify 'the prediction that the scenic, grandeur of this portion of the North Island, as revealed by the daylight express, will rapid'v become famous throughout the travelling world. Stop at Wairnarino Needed. On one point-, hrwever. many passengers were agreed—thai a stop should be made at Wairnarino. which would give visitors to the National Park the advantage of reaching their destination by daylight.. As. the train rushed southward fresh beauties were revealed in mighty viaducts filing across great chasms in dashing streams, from Puapehn's snow-clad slopes, in glimpses of pioneer sett'emcnts, and in the wonderful river cliffs of the ilangaweka district. Then came the wide

pastoral lands, the cosy farms, and picturesque plantations of the Marton district, all aglow with the fire of sunset. The rugged grandeur of the primitive forest country had passed,, but the pictures of placid, prosperous country life were no less interesting, as showing the march of settlement and the winning of homes from the wild.

Night was falling as the train drew into Marton, shortly after seven o'clock, and passengers thronged the refreshment rooms for the first hot meal of the day. Lunch was served at Taumarunui, but this was only of tea and sandwich variety, and the day's travel had put a keen edge to the appetites of the travellers.

A comparison of passenger totals at various stages of the journey showed that the bulk of travel was between Auckland and stations northward of Palmerston North. Starting with 112 passengers there were 99 aboard when the train left Frankton. The number dropped to 80 at Taumarunui and the express left Ohakune with 63. Several passengers for Wanganui and Hastings left the train at Palmerston North and only 32 completed the journey to Wellington.' Thorndon station was reached on schedule time, ten minutes past eleven. Taxis and electric cars were in waiting and within a few moments of arrival the pioneers of the daylight limited had all set out on the final stage of the day's long journey. THE TRAIN FROM WELLINGTON.

HUNDRED PASSENGERS AT END.

The Northern daylight limited arrived at Auckland last night two minutes late. Her scheduled time for arrival is 11.1, and the express was at a standstill at the platform at 11.3. For the first day's running this strict adherence to the timetable is a matter for congratulation to the officials of the Railway Department. The tram brought nearly 100 passengers to Auckland, but only a small number of these were from Wellington. There was considerable changing of passengers at intermediate stations, and a fair number joined the train at Frankton for Auckland. There were only two or three occupants of the second-class compartment of the ladies' car, while the first-class compartment was empty and in darkness. TE AWAMUTU TO ROTORUA. A SERVICE VIA ARAPUNI. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] PUTARURU. Monday. The running of the daylight limited has resulted in an experienced Putaruru motor firm extending its car services from to-day, linking up Te Awamutu, Arapuni, Putaruru and Rotorua. The distance is scheduled to be covered in approximately four hours.