DRC railcar
Encyclopedia
The DRC was a class of railmotor
operated by the Victorian Railways
on the country rail network
Victoria
, Australia
. The cars were built by Tulloch Limited
in New South Wales and featured stainless steel construction, air-conditioning, and a diesel hydraulic transmission.
in the late 1960s. The Victorian Railways decided to order two railcars of their own to replace the 280hp Walker railmotor
s then in use. The first railcar entered service in May 1971 as DRC40, followed by DRC41 on November 1971. The cars suffered numerous failures in service, and by 1974 the NSW railways decided to withdraw their fleet. The VR purchased two of the NSW cars and modified them for Victorian use: DRC42 (formerly PCH 1224) and DRC43 (formerly PCH 1227). The remaining railcars were converted(de-motored) to loco hauled carriages in 1982 & then used on Illawarra & Southern Highlands(Moss Vale & Goulburn) services. They entered VR service in August and December 1975 respectively. By 1978 the railcars still had issues with reliability, with a modification program being carried out at the Bendigo Workshops in 1983-84. Four MTH carriages were converted from Harris
suburban carriages in 1984, for use as trailers with the DRC railcars.
In 1980s the DRC railcars were the fastest train in Australia by average speed, running 107 kilometres from Ararat
to Hamilton
on Mondays and Saturdays in 72 minutes, for an average speed of 89.17 km/h. A regular usage of the railcars was the Stony Point service from 1984 when passenger services were reintroduced, but regular failures saw them replaced by locomotive hauled trains by the early 1990s. The DRCs were used on the Leongatha line for a few years when the line reopened in 1984 but were replaced by P Class locos hauled with three MTH carriages. The unreliability issues were later solved, but the fleet was withdrawn in June 1995 with the introduction of the new Sprinter
railcars.
, only designated DRC's can work together- DRC40 with DRC41, and DRC42 with DRC43.
The features of the DRC railcar.
From the No.1 End:
No.2 end:
while DRC43 is stored and deactivated at the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre
. DRC 41 and 42 are stored at Newport Workshops in Melbourne
.
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
operated by the Victorian Railways
Victorian Railways
The Victorian Railways operated railways in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companies failed or defaulted, the Victorian Railways was established to take over their operations...
on the country rail network
Rail transport in Victoria
Rail transport in Victoria, Australia, is provided by a number of railway operators who operate over the government-owned railway lines. Victorian lines use broad gauge, with the exception of a number of standard gauge freight and interstate lines, a few experimental narrow gauge lines, and...
Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The cars were built by Tulloch Limited
Tulloch Limited
Tulloch Limited was a major Australian engineering and railway rolling stock manufacturer, located at Rhodes, New South Wales. It was founded by Robert Tulloch and began in 1913 as Tulloch's Phoenix Iron Works, which had been working at the Phoneix Iron Works, Pyrmont. During the Second World War,...
in New South Wales and featured stainless steel construction, air-conditioning, and a diesel hydraulic transmission.
History
The first railcars of this type were built for the New South Wales Government RailwaysNew South Wales Government Railways
The New South Wales Government Railways was the government department that operated the New South Wales Government's railways until the establishment of the Public Transport Commission in 1972. Although later known officially as the Department of Railways, New South Wales, it was still generally...
in the late 1960s. The Victorian Railways decided to order two railcars of their own to replace the 280hp Walker railmotor
280hp Walker railmotor
The 280hp Walker railmotor were a diesel railcar operated by the Victorian Railways in Australia.After the Second World War, the Victorian Railways undertook a major rebuilding program known as "Operation Phoenix"...
s then in use. The first railcar entered service in May 1971 as DRC40, followed by DRC41 on November 1971. The cars suffered numerous failures in service, and by 1974 the NSW railways decided to withdraw their fleet. The VR purchased two of the NSW cars and modified them for Victorian use: DRC42 (formerly PCH 1224) and DRC43 (formerly PCH 1227). The remaining railcars were converted(de-motored) to loco hauled carriages in 1982 & then used on Illawarra & Southern Highlands(Moss Vale & Goulburn) services. They entered VR service in August and December 1975 respectively. By 1978 the railcars still had issues with reliability, with a modification program being carried out at the Bendigo Workshops in 1983-84. Four MTH carriages were converted from Harris
Harris (train)
The Harris trains were the first steel-bodied Electric Multiple Unit train to operate on the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They were introduced in 1956 by the Victorian Railways, and last operated in 1988, although a number of the carriages were converted for other...
suburban carriages in 1984, for use as trailers with the DRC railcars.
In 1980s the DRC railcars were the fastest train in Australia by average speed, running 107 kilometres from Ararat
Ararat, Victoria
Ararat is a city in south-west Victoria, Australia, about west of Melbourne, on the Western Highway on the eastern slopes of the Ararat Hills and Cemetery Creek valley between Victoria's Western District and the Wimmera...
to Hamilton
Hamilton, Victoria
Hamilton is a city in western Victoria, Australia. It is located at the intersection of the Glenelg Highway and the Henty Highway...
on Mondays and Saturdays in 72 minutes, for an average speed of 89.17 km/h. A regular usage of the railcars was the Stony Point service from 1984 when passenger services were reintroduced, but regular failures saw them replaced by locomotive hauled trains by the early 1990s. The DRCs were used on the Leongatha line for a few years when the line reopened in 1984 but were replaced by P Class locos hauled with three MTH carriages. The unreliability issues were later solved, but the fleet was withdrawn in June 1995 with the introduction of the new Sprinter
Sprinter (Victorian train)
The Sprinter is a high speed diesel railcar train manufactured by Goninan for use on interurban and semi-regional rail services in Victoria, Australia...
railcars.
Technical details
Due to differences in control equipmentMultiple-unit train control
Multiple-unit train control, sometimes abbreviated to multiple-unit or MU, is a method of simultaneously controlling all the traction equipment in a train from a single location, whether it is a Multiple unit comprising a number of self-powered passenger cars or a set of locomotives.A set of...
, only designated DRC's can work together- DRC40 with DRC41, and DRC42 with DRC43.
The features of the DRC railcar.
From the No.1 End:
- Driver's cab
- Male and female toilets
- Exit doors
- Second class compartment; Features 8 fixed seats- 4 at each end, 28 rotating seats
- First class compartment; Features 20 rotating and reclining seats
No.2 end:
- Exit doors
- Luggage and guards compartment
- Driver's cab
Today
DRC40 is preserved and operational at the Daylesford Spa Country RailwayDaylesford Spa Country Railway
The Daylesford Spa Country Railway is a volunteer-operated broad gauge tourist railway located in Victoria, Australia. It operates on a section of the formerly disused and dismantled Daylesford line...
while DRC43 is stored and deactivated at the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre
Seymour Railway Heritage Centre
The Seymour Railway Heritage Centre is a railway preservation group based in Seymour, Victoria, Australia. The volunteer non-profit incorporated association was established in 1983 to restore and preserve locomotives and rolling stock as used on the railways of Victoria.The group is an accredited...
. DRC 41 and 42 are stored at Newport Workshops in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.