The Connoisseur car
Encyclopedia
The Connoisseur cars were special railway carriage
s that were used in the consist of a number of passenger train
s in New Zealand
.
single lavatory first class NZR 56-foot carriage
, utilised on the South Island Main Trunk
Main South Line
's Southerner Express passenger trains for private use as a luxury tourist alternative to the rail services then offered by InterCity Rail.
Originally, the car was named the Connoisseur's Express car, and the aim was to attract more wealthy patrons back to rail travel in the South Island
. It offered a higher level of service, including public address announcements about key iconic features of both railway and route, pre-packaged meals and refreshments brought to your seat, complimentary newspaper, and a "cabin attendant". It seated 45 passengers in a type of seat designed by staff from Christchurch's Addington Workshops
. Unfortunately, in its initial guise, the service proved unpopular; passengers complained about the carriage's condition, age, riding quality, the standard one-way fare being more expensive than the ordinary InterCity return between Christchurch and Picton and lateness of the services it was towed behind.
From Monday, January 19, 1987, the car was hauled behind the-then Picton Express
later Coastal Pacific. Later, the service was opened up to the Greymouth or West Coast Express
es on Sunday, March 1, that same year. Later, the Main South Line of the SIMT was included in the itinerary. The car continued to alternate between the Midland Line
, Main North Line, and Main South Line, but was later limited to the Picton and Greymouth runs, and finally the Greymouth return service only.
carriage, 32 1950s-built former three-position reclining first class seats were installed, albeit modified and reupholstered with material cloth as opposed to leather, and sheepskin wool seat covers added. In addition to the cabin attendant, meals, public address system and complimentary refreshments and newspapers, other features included a new type of window that would later become standard throughout the entire long distance carriage fleet, nicknamed a "panorama" or "big" window; a 4-track stereo system with headphones for listening pleasure, an improved pressure ventilation system, noise and temperature control and at-seat service. The "coupe" compartment for hostesses was retained, but rebuilt for kitchen facilities. A new livery was introduced with a pleasant grey colour and maroon bands, with the words "The Connoisseur" in a stylish font and two globes that were representations of Earth, one at either end of the fonts.
/Blue Fern
carriage, with InterCity having taken the car and its operation back from Globetrotter. This new car was totally rebuilt and fitted with a new pressure ventilation system, a storage area for both hot and cold foods and beverages, big windows and a new end observation lounge area, complete with rear-view window and associated lounge, exactly like the rear-view/servery car of the Bay Express. Like its predecessor, this car had a hostess dedicated solely to it. Unlike the first Connoisseur, this "Connoisseurs' car" bore the standard InterCity livery of dark blue with 220mm thick stripe and 100mm red band inside. Thirty nine "Addington" seats were installed and arranged in bays of four across tables, alcove-style. The seats were reupholstered, included more plush sheepskin wool coverings and were modified to increase comfort. The car was dedicated solely to the TranzAlpine and, although probably the most improved upon of all The Connoisseur services, the product in this third form was even shorter-lived.
"/coupe to facilitate the increase in seating space among other detail improvements. The same year of the introduction of the second Connoisseur car, this newer vehicle was taken north for interim use on the North Island Main Trunk Railway's "new" Overlander daylight passenger services, made up of existing Northerner
rolling stock and allow for the relocation of the Silver Fern railcars to other services. As fate would have it, the car never returned to duty as the Connoisseur car on the TranzAlpine Express. In 1993, it was refitted with 39 seats to a newer design and arranged in a forward facing format for the NIMT. And, in late 1994, the car was totally rebuilt as an air conditioned rear-view car, similar to the other two on the NIMT to truly confirm its new place in the Northerner/Overlander consists, seating 42, forward-facing, in seats of an even more recent design.
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
s that were used in the consist of a number of passenger train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Inception
In 1987, a private tourist firm, Globetrotter Tours New Zealand Ltd leased a New Zealand Railways CorporationNew Zealand Railways Corporation
KiwiRail Network, formerly ONTRACK , is the infrastructure arm of KiwiRail. The ONTRACK trading name was introduced in 2004 after the government repurchased all of New Zealand's rail infrastructure from Toll NZ. It does not operate revenue rolling stock...
single lavatory first class NZR 56-foot carriage
NZR 56-foot carriage
The NZR 56-foot carriage is a class of 17.07m-long railway passenger car formerly used on almost all long-distance rail transport in New Zealand, and still in service. Some have been preserved.-1927: Prototypes:...
, utilised on the South Island Main Trunk
South Island Main Trunk Railway
The Main North Line between Picton and Christchurch and the Main South Line between Lyttelton and Invercargill, running down the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand, are sometimes together referred to as the South Island Main Trunk Railway...
Main South Line
Main South Line
The Main South Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, is a railroad line that runs north and south from Lyttelton in New Zealand through Christchurch and along the east coast of the South Island to Invercargill via Dunedin...
's Southerner Express passenger trains for private use as a luxury tourist alternative to the rail services then offered by InterCity Rail.
Originally, the car was named the Connoisseur's Express car, and the aim was to attract more wealthy patrons back to rail travel in the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
. It offered a higher level of service, including public address announcements about key iconic features of both railway and route, pre-packaged meals and refreshments brought to your seat, complimentary newspaper, and a "cabin attendant". It seated 45 passengers in a type of seat designed by staff from Christchurch's Addington Workshops
Addington Workshops
The Addington Railway Workshops was a major railway facility established in the Christchurch suburb of Addington in May 1880 by the New Zealand Railways Department. The workshops were previously in Carlyle Street and closed in 1990.-Description:...
. Unfortunately, in its initial guise, the service proved unpopular; passengers complained about the carriage's condition, age, riding quality, the standard one-way fare being more expensive than the ordinary InterCity return between Christchurch and Picton and lateness of the services it was towed behind.
From Monday, January 19, 1987, the car was hauled behind the-then Picton Express
Picton Express
The Picton Express was a passenger express train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department between Christchurch and Picton. It ran from December 1945 until February 1956, and was thus the shortest-lived provincial express in New Zealand.- Introduction :...
later Coastal Pacific. Later, the service was opened up to the Greymouth or West Coast Express
TranzAlpine
The TranzAlpine Express is a passenger train operated by Tranz Scenic in the South Island of New Zealand. This trip is often regarded to be one of the world's great train journeys for the scenery through which it passes . The journey is one-way, taking about four and a half hours...
es on Sunday, March 1, that same year. Later, the Main South Line of the SIMT was included in the itinerary. The car continued to alternate between the Midland Line
Midland Line, New Zealand
The Midland line is a 212 km section of railway between Rolleston and Greymouth in the South Island of New Zealand. The line features five major bridges, five viaducts and 17 tunnels, the longest of which is the Otira tunnel.-Freight services:...
, Main North Line, and Main South Line, but was later limited to the Picton and Greymouth runs, and finally the Greymouth return service only.
Refurbishment
In September, 1988, New Zealand Railways' InterCity division were called upon to completely rebuild and refurbish the car. From an EndeavourEndeavour (train)
The Endeavour was a long-distance passenger train service between Wellington and Napier in the North Island of New Zealand...
carriage, 32 1950s-built former three-position reclining first class seats were installed, albeit modified and reupholstered with material cloth as opposed to leather, and sheepskin wool seat covers added. In addition to the cabin attendant, meals, public address system and complimentary refreshments and newspapers, other features included a new type of window that would later become standard throughout the entire long distance carriage fleet, nicknamed a "panorama" or "big" window; a 4-track stereo system with headphones for listening pleasure, an improved pressure ventilation system, noise and temperature control and at-seat service. The "coupe" compartment for hostesses was retained, but rebuilt for kitchen facilities. A new livery was introduced with a pleasant grey colour and maroon bands, with the words "The Connoisseur" in a stylish font and two globes that were representations of Earth, one at either end of the fonts.
Replacement
In 1991, after less than four years in service, the car was replaced by a former EndeavourEndeavour (train)
The Endeavour was a long-distance passenger train service between Wellington and Napier in the North Island of New Zealand...
/Blue Fern
Blue Fern (train)
The Blue Ferns, an unofficial name, were temporary replacement locomotive-hauled carriage trains between Wellington and Auckland on the North Island Main Trunk Railway in the North Island of New Zealand, in 1981-1984 and 1989-1990.-Twist of Fate:...
carriage, with InterCity having taken the car and its operation back from Globetrotter. This new car was totally rebuilt and fitted with a new pressure ventilation system, a storage area for both hot and cold foods and beverages, big windows and a new end observation lounge area, complete with rear-view window and associated lounge, exactly like the rear-view/servery car of the Bay Express. Like its predecessor, this car had a hostess dedicated solely to it. Unlike the first Connoisseur, this "Connoisseurs' car" bore the standard InterCity livery of dark blue with 220mm thick stripe and 100mm red band inside. Thirty nine "Addington" seats were installed and arranged in bays of four across tables, alcove-style. The seats were reupholstered, included more plush sheepskin wool coverings and were modified to increase comfort. The car was dedicated solely to the TranzAlpine and, although probably the most improved upon of all The Connoisseur services, the product in this third form was even shorter-lived.
Demise
The initial Connoisseur car was thoroughly rebuilt in a fashion similar to the regular InterCity big window cars, with a replacement of the windows either side of the coupe area as they did not conform to the standard big window measurements, 51 Addington seats arranged in bays of four, across tables, alcove-style, to replace the previous 32 seats, plus an improved Pressure Ventilation system and associated ceiling trunking, "new" bogies and removal of the "kitchenetteKitchenette
A kitchenette is a small cooking area.In motel and hotel rooms, small apartments, college dormitories, or office buildings a kitchenette usually consists of a small refrigerator, a microwave oven or hotplate, and, less frequently, a sink...
"/coupe to facilitate the increase in seating space among other detail improvements. The same year of the introduction of the second Connoisseur car, this newer vehicle was taken north for interim use on the North Island Main Trunk Railway's "new" Overlander daylight passenger services, made up of existing Northerner
Northerner (train)
The Northerner was an overnight passenger train between Wellington and Auckland in New Zealand. Originally numbered 227 southbound and 626 northbound, it replaced the unnamed and less revered ordinary express trains supplementing the luxurious Silver Star , which had replaced the Night Limited in...
rolling stock and allow for the relocation of the Silver Fern railcars to other services. As fate would have it, the car never returned to duty as the Connoisseur car on the TranzAlpine Express. In 1993, it was refitted with 39 seats to a newer design and arranged in a forward facing format for the NIMT. And, in late 1994, the car was totally rebuilt as an air conditioned rear-view car, similar to the other two on the NIMT to truly confirm its new place in the Northerner/Overlander consists, seating 42, forward-facing, in seats of an even more recent design.