Black Valley Railroad art, 19th century

Not a real railroad -- instead this was a satirical warning on the dangers of strong drink, with the distillery train hauled by a 4-4-0 and its bar car pulling through the station at Drunkard's Curve, filled with paupers and derelicts. The timetable shows the gradual progression from Sippington to Rowdyville to Murder Hollow to Idiot Flats, continuing along the Lightning Express to Dead River. The road ahead is filled with serpents, ghostly skeletons, and a dark mountain illuminated by lightning.

A bit like the South Island West Coast in the gold rush years...