NZR RM class
Encyclopedia
The RM class is the classification used by the New Zealand Railways Department
(NZR) and its successors given to most railcars and railbuses
that have operated on New Zealand
's national rail network
. As NZR and its successors has operated many diverse types of railcars, alternate names have been given to individual railcar classes. 'RM' stands for Rail Motor.
(passenger carriage/s attached to freight trains) were undesirably slow. However, due to New Zealand's rugged terrain and the narrow gauge of the railway network, overseas technology could not simply be directly introduced. A number of experimental railcars and railbuses were developed.
The most successful of the experimental and early railcars was the Edison battery-electric railcar, which provided a popular twice-daily service on the Little River Branch line in Canterbury
. It may have been expanded into a full fleet of railcars had the economic difficulties of the Great Depression
not intervened, and it was destroyed by a depot fire in 1934 and not replaced.
in 1933. More classes followed over the years, primarily to operate regional services. The various classes were:
The Silver Ferns were the only railcars to survive into the privatisation era of Tranz Rail
and Toll Rail, and later re-nationalisation as KiwiRail
. They were introduced to provide a premier service on the North Island Main Trunk between Wellington
and Auckland
, and after they were replaced by the Overlander in 1991, they were redeployed to operate the Geyserland Express
, Kaimai Express
, and Waikato Connection. When those services were cancelled in 2001, the Silver Ferns were transferred to Auckland and operated suburban services for the Auckland Regional Transport Authority between Britomart
and Pukekohe station
. The Silver Ferns are now use for charter trains as they are no longer needed on Auckland suburban services.
railcar. On a trial run on 25 October 1940, the speed of 125.5km/h (78mph) was achieved on a flat stretch of the Midland Line
east of Springfield
.
In September 1938 Standard railcar
RM 30 covered the 321 km between Napier and Wellington in 4 hours and 36 minutes running time. In 1967 RM 30 took a group of railway enthusiasts from Auckland to Wellington in 9 hours and 26 minutes (running time 8 hours and 42 minutes).
The Wairarapa
railcars hold the fastest speeds for operations over the Rimutaka Incline. Passenger services were previously slow trains operated by the H class
locomotives specially built to operate on the Fell mountain railway system
employed on the Incline. The Wairarapa railcars were designed to operate unaided on the Incline, and as they were lighter and more nimble, they achieved speeds well in excess of any service operated by an H class (or any of the few other engines occasionally permitted to work on the Incline).
operates a Model T Ford replica and possesses the unrestored body of one of the original Model T railcars.
At least one member of all of the main railcar classes has been saved for preservation. For many years, it was feared that no 88 seater would be preserved, but the Pahiatua Railcar Society
has successfully recovered one and is actively seeking to return it to operational condition. The same society is in possession of the sole surviving Wairarapa railcar and is presently restoring it to operational condition. Four of the nine Vulcan railcars are preserved, one by the Plains Vintage Railway
and three by the Ferrymead Railway
. Four of the six Standard railcars are also preserved, two by the Silver Stream Railway
, one by the Pahiatua Railcar Society (presently their active railcar), and one by private interests in the Waikato
.
All three Silver Ferns are still in regular revenue service but have been leased for excursion trips by enthusiast societies and other groups.
New Zealand Railways Department
The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. The Department was created in 1880 and was reformed in 1981 into the New...
(NZR) and its successors given to most railcars and railbuses
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
that have operated on 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...
's national rail network
Rail transport in New Zealand
Rail transport in New Zealand consists of a network of gauge railway lines in both the North and South Islands. Rail services are focused primarily on freight, particularly bulk freight, with limited passenger services on some lines...
. As NZR and its successors has operated many diverse types of railcars, alternate names have been given to individual railcar classes. 'RM' stands for Rail Motor.
Experimental and early railcars
In the early 20th century, NZR began investigating railcar technology to provide profitable and efficient passenger services on regional routes and rural branch lines where carriage trains were not economic and "mixed" trainsMixed train
A mixed train is a train that hauls both passenger and freight cars or wagons. In the early days of railways they were quite common, but by the 20th century they were largely confined to branch lines with little traffic. As the trains provided passengers with very slow service, mixed trains have...
(passenger carriage/s attached to freight trains) were undesirably slow. However, due to New Zealand's rugged terrain and the narrow gauge of the railway network, overseas technology could not simply be directly introduced. A number of experimental railcars and railbuses were developed.
- 1912: RM1 MacEwan-Pratt petrol railcarNZR RM class (MacEwan-Pratt)The NZR RM class MacEwan-Pratt petrol railcar was the first railcar to run on New Zealand's national rail network, though it was never used in revenue service. It was built in 1912 at a time when the New Zealand Railways Department was seeking alternative methods of providing rural passenger...
- the first railcar to operate in New Zealand - 1914: also designated RM1 Westinghouse petrol-electric railcarNZR RM class (Westinghouse)The NZR RM class Westinghouse railcar was an experimental railcar built by the New Zealand Railways Department in 1914. Although not the first railcar to operate in New Zealand, it was the first to enter revenue service.- Development :...
- 1916: RM2 Thomas Transmission petrol-electric railcarNZR RM class (Thomas Transmission)The NZR RM class Thomas Transmission railcar was an experimental electro-mechanical railcar operated by the New Zealand Railways Department...
- 1924: A88 Buckhurst petrol carriage railcarNZR A 88 Buckhurst petrol carriageNZR A 88 was a railway passenger carriage converted into the Buckhurst petrol carriage railcar in 1924. It was the only railcar operated by NZR not designated as a member of the NZR RM class; while a railcar, it retained the designation of A 88...
(not officially a member of the RM class) - 1925: Leyland experimental petrol railcarNZR RM class (Leyland petrol)The Leyland experimental petrol railcar was a unique railcar built and trialled in New Zealand in 1925. It should not be confused with the two much smaller Leyland diesel railbuses of 1936....
- 1925: RM4 - RM5 Model T Ford railbusNZR RM class (Model T Ford)The NZR RM class Model T Ford railcar was a type of railcar that operated on New Zealand's national rail network. Only two were built, classified as RM 4 and RM 5, and they were experimental railcars designed in an attempt to offer improved passenger services on quiet country branch lines that...
- 1925: Sentinel-Cammell steam railcarNZR RM class (Sentinel-Cammell)The NZR RM class Sentinel-Cammell steam railcar was a steam-powered railcar operated by the New Zealand Railways Department . It was the only one of its type to operate in New Zealand, and one of only two steam railcars trialled in the country; the other was the Clayton steam railcar.-Overview:In...
- 1926: Clayton steam railcarNZR RM class (Clayton)The NZR RM class Clayton steam railcar was a unique railcar that operated on New Zealand's national rail network and one of only two steam railcars to operate in New Zealand - the other being 1925's RM class Sentinel-Cammell...
- 1926: Edison battery-electric railcarNZR RM class (Edison battery-electric)The NZR RM class Edison battery-electric railcar was a popular and successful railcar that ran in Canterbury, New Zealand for eight years. The prototype was arguably the first successful railcar in New Zealand but it was not developed into a class...
- 1936: RM20 - RM21 Leyland diesel railbusNZR RM class (Leyland diesel)The NZR RM class Leyland diesel railcar or Midland railcar was the first diesel-powered vehicle to enter revenue service on New Zealand's national rail network. Two were built, RM 20 and RM 21, and they commenced service in August 1936 as temporary short-use vehicles that would operate until...
The most successful of the experimental and early railcars was the Edison battery-electric railcar, which provided a popular twice-daily service on the Little River Branch line in Canterbury
Canterbury, New Zealand
The New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...
. It may have been expanded into a full fleet of railcars had the economic difficulties of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
not intervened, and it was destroyed by a depot fire in 1934 and not replaced.
Railcar classes
The first truly successful railcar class to enter service in New Zealand began operating in 1936, following the building of the Red Terror (an inspection car on a Leyland Cub chassis) for the General Manager Garnet MackleyGarnet Hercules Mackley
Garnet Hercules Mackley was a New Zealand businessman, railways manager and politician.He became general manager of New Zealand Railways in 1933. During his tenure, Mackley worked hard to improve the standard and range of services provided by the railways...
in 1933. More classes followed over the years, primarily to operate regional services. The various classes were:
- 1936: RM4 - RM10 Wairarapa railcarNZR RM class (Wairarapa)The NZR RM class Wairarapa railcar was the first truly successful class of railcars to operate on New Zealand's national rail network...
(or large railbus) - especially designed to operate over the Rimutaka Incline - 1938: RM30 - RM35 Standard railcarNZR RM class (Standard)The NZR RM class Standard railcars were a class of railcar operated by the New Zealand Railways Department in the North Island of New Zealand. Officially classified as RM like all other railcar classes in New Zealand, they acquired the designation of 'Standard' to differentiate them from others...
- North Island only - 1940: RM50 - RM59 Vulcan railcarNZR RM class (Vulcan)The NZR RM class Vulcan railcars were operated by the New Zealand Railways Department in the South Island of New Zealand. All New Zealand railcars were classified as RM, and these were known as Vulcan railcars, from the name of the manufacturer, Vulcan Foundry of Britain. - Background :On 9 May...
- South Island only - 1955: RM100 - RM134 88 seater railcarNZR RM class (88 seater)The NZR RM class 88-seaters were a class of railcar used in New Zealand, known unofficially as 'articulateds', 'twinsets', 'Drewrys' and 'Fiats'. They were purchased to replace steam-hauled provincial passenger trains and mixed trains...
- also known as articulateds, Drewrys, Fiats, or twinsets, New Zealand's most prolific railcar class, three converted into Blue Streaks - 1972: RM1, RM2, RM3 (later redesignated RM18, RM24, RM30 after introduction of TMS) Silver Fern railcarNZR RM class (Silver Fern)This article is about the New Zealand railcar service and the railcars themselves. For other uses, see Silver Fern .The NZR RM class Silver Fern is a class of railcar in New Zealand. The three air-conditioned and sound-proofed 723-kW 96-seater diesel-electric twin-set railcars were built by...
The Silver Ferns were the only railcars to survive into the privatisation era of Tranz Rail
Tranz Rail
Tranz Rail, formally Tranz Rail Holdings Ltd , was the main rail operator in New Zealand from 1991 until it was purchased by Toll Holdings in 2003.- Formation :...
and Toll Rail, and later re-nationalisation as KiwiRail
KiwiRail
KiwiRail Holdings Limited is the rail operations subsidiary of the New Zealand Railways Corporation, which trades as KiwiRail. Headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, KiwiRail is the largest rail transport operator in New Zealand. Since July 2010 John Spencer has been the Chairman...
. They were introduced to provide a premier service on the North Island Main Trunk between Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
and Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, and after they were replaced by the Overlander in 1991, they were redeployed to operate the Geyserland Express
Geyserland Express (train)
The Geyserland Express was a long distance passenger train operated by the Tranz Scenic division of Tranz Rail between Auckland and Rotorua in New Zealand's North Island...
, Kaimai Express
Kaimai Express (train)
The Kaimai Express was a long-distance passenger train operated by the Tranz Scenic division of Tranz Rail that ran between the North Island cities of Auckland and Tauranga via Hamilton...
, and Waikato Connection. When those services were cancelled in 2001, the Silver Ferns were transferred to Auckland and operated suburban services for the Auckland Regional Transport Authority between Britomart
Britomart Transport Centre
Britomart Transport Centre is the CBD public transport hub of Auckland, New Zealand, and the northern terminus of the North Island Main Trunk line. It combines a bus interchange with a railway station in a former Edwardian post office, extended with expansive post-modernist architectural elements...
and Pukekohe station
Pukekohe Train Station
Pukekohe Railway Station is the southern terminus of the Eastern and Southern Lines of the Auckland railway network. It has an island platform between the main lines and an original wooden station building complete with signal panel....
. The Silver Ferns are now use for charter trains as they are no longer needed on Auckland suburban services.
Speed records
The fastest speed officially achieved on New Zealand's railway network was attained by a VulcanNZR RM class (Vulcan)
The NZR RM class Vulcan railcars were operated by the New Zealand Railways Department in the South Island of New Zealand. All New Zealand railcars were classified as RM, and these were known as Vulcan railcars, from the name of the manufacturer, Vulcan Foundry of Britain. - Background :On 9 May...
railcar. On a trial run on 25 October 1940, the speed of 125.5km/h (78mph) was achieved on a flat stretch of 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:...
east of Springfield
Springfield, New Zealand
Springfield is a small town in the Selwyn District of Canterbury, in the South Island, of New Zealand. In 2001 it had a population of 219. At the foot of the Southern Alps, west of Christchurch, it is the most westerly town of the central Canterbury Plains...
.
In September 1938 Standard railcar
NZR RM class (Standard)
The NZR RM class Standard railcars were a class of railcar operated by the New Zealand Railways Department in the North Island of New Zealand. Officially classified as RM like all other railcar classes in New Zealand, they acquired the designation of 'Standard' to differentiate them from others...
RM 30 covered the 321 km between Napier and Wellington in 4 hours and 36 minutes running time. In 1967 RM 30 took a group of railway enthusiasts from Auckland to Wellington in 9 hours and 26 minutes (running time 8 hours and 42 minutes).
The Wairarapa
NZR RM class (Wairarapa)
The NZR RM class Wairarapa railcar was the first truly successful class of railcars to operate on New Zealand's national rail network...
railcars hold the fastest speeds for operations over the Rimutaka Incline. Passenger services were previously slow trains operated by the H class
NZR H class
The NZR H class locomotive was a unique class of locomotive used by the New Zealand Railways Department on the famous Rimutaka Incline, the three-mile section of 1 in 15 gradient between Cross Creek and Summit, over the Rimutaka Ranges...
locomotives specially built to operate on the Fell mountain railway system
Fell mountain railway system
The Fell system uses a raised centre rail between the two running rails on steeply-graded railway lines to provide extra traction and braking, or braking alone. Trains are propelled by wheels or braked by shoes pressed horizontally onto the centre rail, as well as by means of the normal running...
employed on the Incline. The Wairarapa railcars were designed to operate unaided on the Incline, and as they were lighter and more nimble, they achieved speeds well in excess of any service operated by an H class (or any of the few other engines occasionally permitted to work on the Incline).
Preservation
None of the experimental or early railcars survived to be preserved, but the Pleasant Point Museum and RailwayPleasant Point Museum and Railway
thumb|right|Pleasant Point Museum and Railway YardThe Pleasant Point Museum and Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway located in the small country town of Pleasant Point in southern Canterbury, New Zealand, inland from Timaru. Its main terminal is located at Pleasant Point station, which was...
operates a Model T Ford replica and possesses the unrestored body of one of the original Model T railcars.
At least one member of all of the main railcar classes has been saved for preservation. For many years, it was feared that no 88 seater would be preserved, but the Pahiatua Railcar Society
Pahiatua Railcar Society
The Pahiatua Railcar Society is a society located in Pahiatua, New Zealand, dedicated to the restoration of railcars and other locomotives and rolling stock formerly operated by the New Zealand Railways Department...
has successfully recovered one and is actively seeking to return it to operational condition. The same society is in possession of the sole surviving Wairarapa railcar and is presently restoring it to operational condition. Four of the nine Vulcan railcars are preserved, one by the Plains Vintage Railway
Plains Vintage Railway
The Plains Vintage Railway is a heritage railway near Ashburton, New Zealand that operates on three kilometres of trackage that was once part of the Mount Somers Branch before it closed...
and three by the Ferrymead Railway
Ferrymead Railway
The Ferrymead Railway is a New Zealand heritage railway built upon the formation of New Zealand's first public railway, the line from Ferrymead to Christchurch, which opened in 1863. On the opening of the line to Lyttelton on 9 December 1867, the Ferrymead Railway became the Ferrymead Branch and...
. Four of the six Standard railcars are also preserved, two by the Silver Stream Railway
Silver Stream Railway
The Silver Stream Railway is a heritage railway at Silverstream in the Hutt Valley near Wellington, New Zealand. It regularly operates preserved New Zealand Railways Department locomotives along a restored section of the Hutt Valley Line before a deviation was built in 1954.- History :The...
, one by the Pahiatua Railcar Society (presently their active railcar), and one by private interests in the Waikato
Waikato
The Waikato Region is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato, Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Taupo District, and parts of Rotorua District...
.
All three Silver Ferns are still in regular revenue service but have been leased for excursion trips by enthusiast societies and other groups.
External links
- NZR Diesel and Electric Traction website
- The General Manager's Red Terror, photos and text
- Search site for railcar for photos of 1930s Railcars