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Passengers Inspect the New Train.

After leaving Frankton, passengers went from end to end of the train examining everything, particularly the observation car with its beautiful Oriental carpet, its exquisite oxidised silver fittings, and dainty blue silk curtains hanging on its wide, low, plate-glass windows. These latter fit into felt guides, and are balanced with a leather spring arrangement, making for easy operation and eliminating any possibility of the windows rattling against their frames. The electric lighting, ventilation, and heating arrangements, also were greatly admired. The light, softly diffused through cut-glass globes, is pleasing and restful to the eye. At the back (on the carriage wall) of each of the richly upholstered reversible armchairs is a tiny electric reading light. In addition to electric fans and ceiling ventilation, glass slides, moving easily between felt guides, are provided over the windows for ventilation purposes. The heating apparatus is perfect, and can be easily operated by passengers. A further improvement is provided in that the hand-rails on the platform of the observation car are all electro-plated. Once seated in this delightfully cosy observation car one is tempted to break out into verse, and say with the poet:

“Let time not run away,

Cut short my future if you will,
But for the present let time stand still.”

Reluctantly we leave this car and inspect the other carriages before we arrive at Rotorua. We note that the whole train is connected by concertina vestibules, both dust-proof and windproof. This innovation will be very much appreciated by the travelling public. These twin Auckland-Rotorua expresses are the only trains of the kind on the New Zealand Railways. By the passengers, one heard perhaps more praise lavished on the corridors than any other part of the train—and that is saying a great deal.