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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 10, Issue 7 (October 1, 1935)

Future of the Steam Locomotive

Future of the Steam Locomotive.

Broadly speaking, railway experts in Britain are convinced of the immense utility of electrification for City and suburban movement, but for main-line haulage steam locomotives promise to hold pride of place for many years. The steam-operated main-line services of Britain are second to none in all-round reliability, speed and comfort, and during the summer season an enormous number of fast steam-drawn passenger trains are operated by the four group lines linking up every corner of the country. The summer service of the Great Western system, for example, represented a daily passenger train mileage of 123,877 miles. Summer additions included the running from July to September of new 60 m.p.h. expresses, streamlined railcars, business trains between big cities and
The Southern Railways “Golden Arrow” Express en route between London and Dover.

The Southern Railways “Golden Arrow” Express en route between London and Dover.

new cross-country services linking the industrial Midlands and North with the holiday resorts of the West and Southwest by through cars.

The most interesting Great Western innovation during the summer was the re-arrangement of the London-Cornwall services. In place of the “Cornish Riviera Express,” two trains were introduced, named respectively the “Cornish Riviera Limited” and “The Cornishman.” The “Cornish Riviera Limited” carried reserved seat passengers only. On Mondays to Fridays it ran non-stop in each direction between London (Paddington) and Truro (279 1/4 miles), while on Saturdays the train ran non-stop from London to St. Erth (299 1/2 miles). The new train “The Cornishman” catered for intermediate traffic not served by the “Limited.” It ran daily and virtually took the place of the old “Cornish Riviera Express.” Cornwall and Devon are among Britain's most beautiful counties, and holiday traffic thereto reaches, annually, tremendous proportions.