sentences:  The 1949-1956 South Island Limited really was a 'limited' with only five intermediate stops to Dunedin and 10 to Invercargill with stops at Ashburton, Timaru, Studholme, Oamaru, Palmerston, Dunedin, Milton, Balclutha, Clinton and Gore on the way to Invercargill.In its very early days, it was occasionally operated by AB class engines, but the more powerful J and JA locomotives quickly became the usual motive power, and they were famous for hauling long strings of the familiar red cars at higher average speeds, achieving a travel time between Christchurch and Dunedin of 7 hours and 9 minutes, and completing the entire journey to Invercargill in 11 hours 20 minutes.In the immediate post-war years and until 1956, the general aim of two daylight expresses daily in both directions on the SIMT continued with the "South Island Limited" being supplemented on the peak demand days of Mon, Wed, Fri by a second stopping express, trains 160/175, which also provided an early morning departure from Dunedin, at 8.45am in the 1935 and 1952 timetables on the Dunedin express to Christchurch and southbound following the 'Limited' out of Christchurch at midday in the 1920s and 30s and postwar at 9.00am south to arrive at Dunedin at 5.25pm, two hours later than the "South Island Limited".