NZR FM guards van
Encyclopedia
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...
originally used on freight trains but now used primarily on passenger trains, reclassified AG.
First batch, 1977
In the mid-1970s NZR had a need for new guards vans for freight trains, to replace old and increasingly decrepit vans. They were built by MitsubishiMitsubishi
The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
, and were the first all-steel vans. The body was composed of three modules that could be detached from the underframe: a central module, classed GM (guard's module), which contained the guard's office and facilities; and two outer modules, classed LM (luggage module), for freight and luggage. The idea was that should a module become damaged in service it can be removed for repairs and replaced with another, allowing the van to return to service sooner than otherwise would have been the case. It was because of these modules that the vans were given the FM classification, as opposed to the traditional F designation given to all previous NZR guards vans. The FM also pioneered the X28020 bogie, now used under New Zealand's long-distance passenger fleet. The first batch was very well received by guards. Fifty-six were built, and in 1976 an order was placed for an additional 17.
Second batch, 1981
In 1981, another batch of 50 vans were introduced, built by DaewooDaewoo
Daewoo or the Daewoo Group was a major South Korean chaebol . It was founded on 22 March 1967 as Daewoo Industrial and was dismantled by the Korean government in 1999...
in Korea. In 1984 the newly-formed New Zealand Railways Corporation
New 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...
commissioned consultants Booz Allen Hamilton
Booz Allen Hamilton
Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. , or more commonly Booz Allen, is an American public consulting firm headquartered in McLean, Fairfax County, Virginia, with 80 other offices throughout the United States. Ralph Shrader is its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. The firm was founded by Edwin Booz in...
to review operations with a view of making the Corporation's services more efficient. Among the more drastic of the recommendations was reducing locomotive crews from two to one, and the replacement of guards and vans with Train End Monitors (TEMs). This latter recommendation led to the elimination of guards vans from all freight trains by 1987, meaning the second batch of FM vans was redundant after only five years in service.
AG class vans
NZR began overhauling a small number of FM vans for use with 56ft carriagesNZR 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:...
on the 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:...
, 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...
and Overlander, Bay Express
Bay Express (train)
The Bay Express was a passenger train between Wellington and Napier in New Zealand's North Island, operating from Monday, 11 December 1989 until Sunday, 7 October 2001. It was operated by New Zealand Railways, later Tranz Scenic.- Introduction:...
and Lynx Express
LYNX Express
LYNX Express was a courier company operating principally in the United Kingdom. It was acquired in September 2005 by UPS.-History:The Company's history dates back to the nationalisation of the British Railways after World War II...
, many rebuilt with air conditioning. These vans were fitted with either a small platform-mounted generator to supply 240V power, or a larger generator in one of the LM modules to supply the 240V and also power for the air conditioning. On newer higher-powered vans one of the end platforms was given more substantial railings and gates for passenger use, and to separate the modified vans from the other FMs they were given the classification AG. Further conversions were performed with most getting the larger generator, and they soon became the new standard luggage van. There was some variation between vans, in the type, size and position of the generator.
In 1991, AG124 was modified with one of the LM modules converted to provide greater outdoor accommodation for passengers, and both ends fitted with better railings. This van was for use on the TranzAlpine
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...
, where it proved extremely popular and a few years later AG239, with a 110kVA generator for air-conditioned cars, incorporated the same feature. In 1995 AG239 had the other LM module modified to match, at the expense of any luggage carrying capacity, and a larger 175kVA generator to reflect the increased work needed for the larger consist.
In 1998, AG90, out of service since its involvement in the 25 August 1993 level crossing collision between the Southerner and a concrete mixer truck at Rolleston, was repaired and had a new 175kVA generator installed, for duty on the TranzAlpine. This van is used in the middle of the train, to separate the increasingly lengthy TranzAlpine in to two self-contained sections. In 1999, AG199 was modified in a similar manner for the TranzCoastal, with one LM and the GM hollowed out for outdoor viewing and the other LM retained solely for luggage, with no generator. In 2008, AG239 was modified to match AG90 to provide a spare viewing car. No further vans have been modified in this manner.
21st century
With the introduction of new carriages rebuilt from ex-British Rail Mark IINZR British Rail Mark 2 carriage
British Rail Mark 2 carriages used in New Zealand were imported from the United Kingdom and rebuilt/refurbished and re-gauged in New Zealand.The carriages are used on the Capital Connection , owned operated by Tranz Scenic; MAXX commuter trains in Auckland , owned by Auckland Transport and...
carriages for the Capital Connection, AG130 was modified for use with them. Some of the more notable changes were the fitting of a wheelchair hoist in one of the LM modules and the covering-in of one of the balcony ends to claim back luggage capacity lost by the fitting of the hoist. Other notable changes to FM vans were the use of some with the first SA suburban sets for Auckland, to supply power before the arrival of SD carriages fitted with a generator and a driving cab. For this use the vans were painted MAXX
Public transport in Auckland
Public transport in Auckland, the largest metropolitan area of New Zealand, consists of three modes – bus, train and ferry. Services are provided under the "MAXX" brand by private transport providers, coordinated by Auckland Transport, the council controlled organisation that replaced the Auckland...
Blue with a gold stripe. Following the arrival of the SD cars, these vans were released back in to the general pool, with two exceptions. AG222 was further overhauled and painted as a spare generator and extra luggage capacity for GWRC's Wairarapa Connection trains; AG118 moved to Dunedin along with 13 ex-Wairarapa
Wairarapa
Wairarapa is a geographical region of New Zealand. It occupies the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service towns, with Masterton being the largest...
56 ft carriages, where it has been leased to the Taieri Gorge Railway
Taieri Gorge Railway
The Taieri Gorge Railway is a railway line and tourist train operation based at Dunedin Railway Station in the South Island of New Zealand...
minus bogies. It has been fitted with X25330 bogies and is used to supply head-end power to TGR's newly acquired ex-Wairarapa cars.
Up to six FM/AG vans will be rebuilt into a new configuration for use with the new AK Class carriages under construction at Hillside Workshops. Four of these will be fitted with a 220kVA generator and a viewing deck, with an interconnecting corridor past the generator compartment. AG101 and AG61 are two of the vans that will be rebuilt into that configuration, while the two others (one of which will be AG245) will become specialist luggage-only vans. It is expected all of these vans will receive a new classification. They will also keep the X28020 bogie, and not be upgraded to the newer P13 bogie.
In preservation
A considerable number of FM vans were bought by heritage railways. At least three FMs have been returned to main-line use in largely original form, with more expected in the near future. In addition, the Gisborne City Vintage Railway has two vans substantially modified to passenger carriages for main line use. The three modules have been welded together to form a single body with passenger windows. Two similar vans were similarly converted for the Wairoa YMCA for envisaged passenger trains to their Opoutama camp. This project did not come to fruition. One of these vans has ended up with Gisborne City Vintage Railway and the other with Mainline SteamMainline Steam
Mainline Steam is a New Zealand organisation devoted to the restoration and operation of historic New Zealand Railways mainline steam locomotives. Regular day excursions and multi-day tours are operated over rail lines throughout New Zealand...
, where it has been fitted with a servery.
Mainline Steam
Mainline Steam
Mainline Steam is a New Zealand organisation devoted to the restoration and operation of historic New Zealand Railways mainline steam locomotives. Regular day excursions and multi-day tours are operated over rail lines throughout New Zealand...
also has a number of other FM vans, to be used with its carriage fleet. One of these vans, at Plimmerton
Plimmerton
The township of Plimmerton is adjacent to one of the more congenial beaches in the northwest part of the Wellington urban area of Porirua in New Zealand...
, has been modified with one of the LM modules converted to a viewing platform similar to the Tranz Scenic
Tranz Scenic
Tranz Scenic is the long-distance passenger train brand of KiwiRail, formed from the New Zealand Railways Corporation InterCity Rail services. Tranz Scenic was renamed along with the other operating divisions of Tranz Rail in 1995...
conversions. The GM module has been partitioned to accommodate a generator and a loco crew compartment, and the other LM left for luggage. Unlike the Tranz Scenic
Tranz Scenic
Tranz Scenic is the long-distance passenger train brand of KiwiRail, formed from the New Zealand Railways Corporation InterCity Rail services. Tranz Scenic was renamed along with the other operating divisions of Tranz Rail in 1995...
conversions, a corridor is provided for so that the van can be marshalled anywhere in the consist and allow passenger access through the train (an idea which has been borrowed for the new vans to go with the AK Class cars). This van is to be paired with Mainline Steam's British Rail Mark II carriage set.