http://humans.org.nz/2008/07/31/in-praise-of-rail/ A website to advocate, provide a voice, stimulate policy debate and provide essential information to people on the autistic spectrum and their friends and families. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:11:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 http://humans.org.nz/2008/07/31/in-praise-of-rail/#comment-384 bob Sat, 03 Jan 2009 08:32:06 +0000 http://humans.org.nz/2008/07/31/in-praise-of-rail/#comment-384 vvBuM8 hi nice site thx http://peace.com vvBuM8 hi nice site thx http://peace.com

]]> http://humans.org.nz/2008/07/31/in-praise-of-rail/#comment-306 Hilary Stace Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:32:44 +0000 http://humans.org.nz/2008/07/31/in-praise-of-rail/#comment-306 One last post in my secret railway fan blog. The very impressive steam train has just left from Wellington Railway Station on its way to Auckland to commemorate the first trip 100 years ago of the Main Trunk line. Crowds watched from the platforms and the overbridges, and instead of flags held up cellphone cameras. Men in suits greeted each other ' I didn't know you were a trainspotter!'. A young reporter assured an opposition MP that she wouldn't be too hard on him (what does that mean?). The company that builds viaducts was promoting the 2008 version of 'progress' that railways represented 100 years ago, by giving away copies of its annual report. But it was another sunny winter morning, there was a mood of good humour, generosity, and being at a significant NZ event. Or they just loved trains. And then that familiar sounding but rare whistle blew and the huge shiny black loco with its load of shiny black NZ coal started to move in clouds of white steam and black smoke (OK it perhaps isn't the greenest techonology). It gathered speed, the lucky passengers waved, and eventually the last of the 10 or so carriages moved out of sight - the one with the red velvet seats and the VIPs. But there is something encompassing and almost overpowering of all the senses with a steam train; the sight, the sound, the power that shakes the ground beneath you. Makes everyone smile. One last post in my secret railway fan blog. The very impressive steam train has just left from Wellington Railway Station on its way to Auckland to commemorate the first trip 100 years ago of the Main Trunk line. Crowds watched from the platforms and the overbridges, and instead of flags held up cellphone cameras. Men in suits greeted each other ‘ I didn’t know you were a trainspotter!’. A young reporter assured an opposition MP that she wouldn’t be too hard on him (what does that mean?). The company that builds viaducts was promoting the 2008 version of ‘progress’ that railways represented 100 years ago, by giving away copies of its annual report.
But it was another sunny winter morning, there was a mood of good humour, generosity, and being at a significant NZ event. Or they just loved trains. And then that familiar sounding but rare whistle blew and the huge shiny black loco with its load of shiny black NZ coal started to move in clouds of white steam and black smoke (OK it perhaps isn’t the greenest techonology). It gathered speed, the lucky passengers waved, and eventually the last of the 10 or so carriages moved out of sight - the one with the red velvet seats and the VIPs.
But there is something encompassing and almost overpowering of all the senses with a steam train; the sight, the sound, the power that shakes the ground beneath you. Makes everyone smile.

]]> http://humans.org.nz/2008/07/31/in-praise-of-rail/#comment-305 Hilary Stace Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:46:06 +0000 http://humans.org.nz/2008/07/31/in-praise-of-rail/#comment-305 The Parliamentary Special leaves Wellington Railway Station at 8.35 am on Wed 6 August and will take 3 days to reach Auckland - so look out for it on the way. The Parliamentary Special leaves Wellington Railway Station at 8.35 am on Wed 6 August and will take 3 days to reach Auckland - so look out for it on the way.

]]> http://humans.org.nz/2008/07/31/in-praise-of-rail/#comment-304 Hilary Stace Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:13:35 +0000 http://humans.org.nz/2008/07/31/in-praise-of-rail/#comment-304 There is a celebration on Tuesday 5 August to mark 100 years of the Main Trunk line and a re-enactment of the 1908 parliamentary special, at Platform 9, Wellington Railway Station, 7.30 am to 3.30 pm. There is a celebration on Tuesday 5 August to mark 100 years of the Main Trunk line and a re-enactment of the 1908 parliamentary special, at Platform 9, Wellington Railway Station, 7.30 am to 3.30 pm.

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