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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 2, Issue 8 (December 1, 1927)

Parliament's Opposition

Parliament's Opposition.

Thus it was that, when bills were introduced into Parliament for the construction of railways, they were ignominiously defeated one after another by the powerful forces arrayed against them; and a whole generation had elapsed after Trevithick had startled and entertained London by his “railway circus” before at long last the Stockton and Darlington Company succeeded in getting their bill, and the first sod of the first railway was cut.

Even then the world remained sceptical and derisive, and it was only when George Stephenson's “Locomotion” set out on its pioneer journey that its eyes were opened to the wonderful possibilities of steam traction. And no wonder for this gallant locomotive made light work of pulling a train of six loaded wagons, a passenger coach, and no fewer than twenty-one trucks packed with half-a-thousand passengers. Not only did it pull this heavy load, but it page 26 actually attained a speed of twelve miles an hour, thus doing the work of at least fifty horses.

But in spite of this convincing success it is strange to record that for sometime the line was used almost exclusively for the carriage of coal. while passengers had to be content with a solitary coach, which made a few daily journeys drawn by horses.