Redhen railcar
Encyclopedia
A Redhen is a type of diesel railcar
, formerly used on the suburban railway system in Adelaide
, South Australia
. Redhens were the backbone of Adelaide’s metropolitan rail system
between the late 1950s and the early 1990s. They operated on all the State Transport Authority
(STA) routes, including several lines which are now closed to local trains (for example Bridgewater
, Port Dock
, Hendon and Wingfield
).
The first Redhens were introduced by the South Australian Railways
(SAR) in October 1955 to replace ageing suburban steam trains
in Adelaide. Construction of Redhen vehicles continued until 1971, when the latest examples were built to supersede 1920s-era diesel railcars known as Barwell Bulls.
TransAdelaide
withdrew the last Redhens from regular service in October 1996, following delivery of a new fleet of 3000-class diesel-electric railcars. A number of Redhens have been preserved and are now operated by heritage and tourist railways in Australia.
In addition, there were a number of unpowered trailer cars, designated 820-class or 860-class. These had been modified from steam-era suburban carriages and were used with the Redhens between 1955 and 1987.
The exterior of the units was always painted red, with variations in the colour of roofs and bogies over the years. The interior design and layout remained largely unchanged throughout their life. Some 300-class units were modified to provide guard’s accommodation or space for bikes when the 860-class trailers had been withdrawn in 1987. This slightly reduced the seating capacity
of these modified cars.
or Rolls Royce
as follows
When first introduced, all the 300-class Redhens were made up into 3-car consists, comprising an 820 or 860-class trailer sandwiched between two powered 300-class railcars. In peak hours, two sets were coupled together to make 6-car trains. On rare occasions, at times of heavy traffic demand, trains of Redhens could be up to 9 cars long.
Instead of building trailer cars to work with the 300-class cars, SAR chose to convert existing rolling stock instead. Initially, the five 800-class trailers and nine 850-class trailers were converted, becoming the 860-class trailers. Ironically, these cars were built in the mid 1940's as part of a plan to electrify Adelaide's suburban railways. After the 800/850-class trailers were converted, thirteen end loading suburban baggage cars were converted, becoming the 820-class trailers.
In the early 1970s SAR set aside funds to build eight 300-class cars and four trailer cars to work with them. The trailer cars would have been the 120-class. The cars were never built and the money set aside for their construction was ultimately used on the construction of the 2000/2100-class railcars
.
400-class were used as single cars on the main lines during the evenings and at most other times on lightly patronized services such as the Grange
, Tonsley
and Northfield
lines. They were also used in multiple with other 300 or 400-class units to increase the length of trains when necessary.
new 2000-class railcars in 1980, two 300-class Redhens and a 860-class trailer were chosen for an experimental rebuild at the Regency Park workshops. Nos. 300, 337 and trailer 862 were modified in 1983 with new interiors, elevated cabs (similar to the 2000-class) and an exterior appearance like a hybrid between a traditional Redhen and a 2000-class Jumbo.
The rebuilt cars were re-numbered 2301, 2302 and 2501 and nicknamed Super Chooks (a chook is a chicken in Australian vernacular). The exercise was not successful and no more Redhens were modified. The Super Chooks saw only limited passenger service and often 2301-2302 was sandwiched in between 2 400 class redhen railcars before they were withdrawn in 1992. Following the collapse of the Lions Club of Yorke Peninsula Rail Inc, they are for sale.
All thirteen of the 820-class trailers were retired by December 1976 (these were wooden-bodied coaches and most had originally been built between 1912 and 1918). The corresponding 300-class Redhens were then coupled to a 400-class railcar to form 2-car trains (designated 300/400-class).
In 1987, the steel-bodied 860-class trailers were withdrawn and all the 300-class Redhens were reconfigured as 2-car trains, usually consecutively numbered pairs.
By the mid-1980s the Redhens ranged from 15 to 30 years in age. Whilst they had been faster and more comfortable than the steam trains they replaced in the 1950s, the design of the Redhens compared unfavourably with contemporary standards of passenger rolling stock. For example, they have neither heating nor air conditioning, which made them unpopular with commuters in mid-summer and mid-winter. They also have manually operated sliding doors, which were perceived as a safety hazard (particularly since de facto air conditioning was achieved during hot summer weather by passengers leaving the Redhens’ sliding doors wide open between stations).
In 1987 and 1988 the State Transport Authority
(STA) introduced the first of its new fleet of diesel electric 3000 class railcar
s, which were intended to replace the Redhens. As more 3000 and 3100-class railcars were delivered through the early 1990s, the Redhens began to be withdrawn and were gradually restricted to operating only during weekday peak hours. This was especially the case when the STA moved towards driver-only-operation (DOO) of the rail system in the early 1990s. The manual sliding doors made Redhens unsuitable for DOO and guards had to be retained to supervise passenger boarding and alighting.
Following the final delivery of 3100-class railcars, TransAdelaide operated their last Redhens in public service in October 1996 which were railcars 428 and 436.
lines in south-eastern Australia. Many have been broken up, but the first and last units and a few others still exist.
The National Railway Museum’s 3-car Redhen set was a centrepiece of the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Port Adelaide railway. On Sunday 23 April 2006, the Redhens worked a number of special trains between Adelaide
, Woodville
and the Port Dock station museum
. The South Gippsland Tourist Railway purchased Red Hens 311, 402 and 416 in 1993.
Operators
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...
, formerly used on the suburban railway system in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. Redhens were the backbone of Adelaide’s metropolitan rail system
Railways in Adelaide
The rail network in Adelaide, South Australia, consists of five lines and 81 stations, totalling 125.9 km. It is operated by Adelaide Metro, and is part of the city-wide Adelaide Metro]public transport system. Apart from the Glenelg Tram, Adelaide's railway system is serviced entirely by...
between the late 1950s and the early 1990s. They operated on all the State Transport Authority
State Transport Authority (South Australia)
The State Transport Authority was the government agency which controlled public transport within the State of South Australia between 1974 and 1994....
(STA) routes, including several lines which are now closed to local trains (for example Bridgewater
Bridgewater railway line, Adelaide
The Bridgewater line is a former passenger railway service in the Adelaide Hills. It was a single broad gauge track extension of the twin broad gauge Belair line, the service being withdrawn in 1987.It ran through the suburbs of...
, Port Dock
Port Dock railway station, Adelaide
Port Dock railway station was located in the commercial centre of Port Adelaide, South Australia at the corner of St Vincent Street and Lipson Street...
, Hendon and Wingfield
Dry Creek to Port Adelaide railway
The Dry Creek to Port Adelaide railway is an east – west line running through Adelaide’s north-western suburbs. The line is controlled by ARTC and is an important link between Port Adelaide, Pelican Point and the main interstate rail routes which link Adelaide with Melbourne, Perth, Darwin and...
).
The first Redhens were introduced by the South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways built and operated railways in South Australia from 1854 to the incorporation of its non-urban railways into the Australian National Railways Commission in 1975, together with the former Commonwealth Railways and the former Tasmanian Government Railways...
(SAR) in October 1955 to replace ageing suburban steam trains
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
in Adelaide. Construction of Redhen vehicles continued until 1971, when the latest examples were built to supersede 1920s-era diesel railcars known as Barwell Bulls.
TransAdelaide
TransAdelaide
TransAdelaide was a publicly owned corporation which provided suburban train and tram services in Adelaide, South Australia, under contract to the Government of South Australia....
withdrew the last Redhens from regular service in October 1996, following delivery of a new fleet of 3000-class diesel-electric railcars. A number of Redhens have been preserved and are now operated by heritage and tourist railways in Australia.
Fleet details
The Redhens comprised two designs:-- 300-class had a driving cab at one end of each railcar. These needed to run as a minimum of 2-car trains.
- 400-class had driving cabs at both ends, and could be used as a single car when needed, or in multipleMultiple unitThe term multiple unit or MU is used to describe a self-propelled carriages capable of coupling with other units of the same or similar type and still being controlled from one driving cab. The term is commonly used to denote passenger trainsets consisting of more than one carriage...
with other railcars to make up longer trains.
In addition, there were a number of unpowered trailer cars, designated 820-class or 860-class. These had been modified from steam-era suburban carriages and were used with the Redhens between 1955 and 1987.
Construction
The Redhens were built in three batches. The overall design of the railcars was very similar, but there were differences in detail between the batches. Several railcars in the 300 class were re-numbered later in life, taking on the numbers of written-off or modified units.The exterior of the units was always painted red, with variations in the colour of roofs and bogies over the years. The interior design and layout remained largely unchanged throughout their life. Some 300-class units were modified to provide guard’s accommodation or space for bikes when the 860-class trailers had been withdrawn in 1987. This slightly reduced the seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of these modified cars.
| 300-class | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit numbers | Dates introduced | Weight (tonnes) | Passenger seating capacity |
| 300–341 | 1955–1958 | 40.7 | 91 |
| 342–361 | 1959–1961 | 42.7 | 91 |
| 362–373 | 1968–1970 | 41.9 | 84 |
| 400-class | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit numbers | Dates introduced |
Weight (tonnes) !! Passenger seating capacity |
|
| 400–419 | 1959–1961 | 42.5 | 80 |
| 420–436 | 1968–1971 | 42.5 | 78 |
Mechanicals
Each Redhen had two under-floor diesel engines and hydraulic transmission. Engines were sourced from either General MotorsGeneral Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
or Rolls Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
as follows
| Redhen power plant | |
|---|---|
| Unit numbers | Engine Details |
| 300–341 400–419 |
2 x GM model 6/71–6086 Detroit Diesel Series 71 The Detroit Diesel Series 71 is a two-stroke cycle diesel engine series, available in both inline and V configurations, with the inline models including one, two, three, four and six cylinders, and the V-types including six, eight, 12, 16 and 24 cylinders... inclined 2-stroke diesels 6.97 litre displacement. 163 kW at 2100 rpm. |
| 342–361 | 2 x Rolls Royce model C6SFLH horizontal 4-stroke diesels with supercharger 12.17 litre displacement. 170 kW at 1850 rpm. |
| 362–373 420–436 |
2 x GM model 6/71–6086 Detroit Diesel Series 71 The Detroit Diesel Series 71 is a two-stroke cycle diesel engine series, available in both inline and V configurations, with the inline models including one, two, three, four and six cylinders, and the V-types including six, eight, 12, 16 and 24 cylinders... inclined 2-stroke diesels 6.97 litre displacement. 157 kW at 2100 rpm. |
- GM and Rolls Royce engines were subsequently exchanged between cars in the interests of standardisation.
- All Redhens were equipped with twin disc hydraulic torque converters with reversing gearbox.
- Braking was by Westinghouse SEM electro-pneumatic air brakes.
Deployment
Instead of building trailer cars to work with the 300-class cars, SAR chose to convert existing rolling stock instead. Initially, the five 800-class trailers and nine 850-class trailers were converted, becoming the 860-class trailers. Ironically, these cars were built in the mid 1940's as part of a plan to electrify Adelaide's suburban railways. After the 800/850-class trailers were converted, thirteen end loading suburban baggage cars were converted, becoming the 820-class trailers.
In the early 1970s SAR set aside funds to build eight 300-class cars and four trailer cars to work with them. The trailer cars would have been the 120-class. The cars were never built and the money set aside for their construction was ultimately used on the construction of the 2000/2100-class railcars
2000 class railcar
The "2000" class railcars are self-propelled diesel railcars which are used by TransAdelaide on the Adelaide metropolitan rail network. The body shell design was based on the Budd SPV2000, Metroliner and Amfleet cars but the 2000 class railcars have a slightly different curve to the Amfleet. They...
.
400-class were used as single cars on the main lines during the evenings and at most other times on lightly patronized services such as the Grange
Grange railway line, Adelaide
The Grange railway line is a suburban branch line in the city of Adelaide, South Australia.-History:The railway line between Woodville and Grange opened in September 1882. This was a private railway, constructed by the Grange Railway and Investment Company...
, Tonsley
Tonsley railway line, Adelaide
Tonsley Railway Line is a rail route in Adelaide, South Australia, that stems off the Noarlunga Centre railway line to end in Mitchell Park opposite Science Park and close to the Flinders University and the Flinders Medical Centre. There have been many proposals to extend the line so that it ends...
and Northfield
Northfield railway line, Adelaide
The Northfield railway line is a defunct railway in northern Adelaide which was used mainly for industrial purposes and cattle trains. The line branched off the Gawler line just north of Dry Creek station...
lines. They were also used in multiple with other 300 or 400-class units to increase the length of trains when necessary.
Super Chooks
Following the introduction of the STA’sState Transport Authority (South Australia)
The State Transport Authority was the government agency which controlled public transport within the State of South Australia between 1974 and 1994....
new 2000-class railcars in 1980, two 300-class Redhens and a 860-class trailer were chosen for an experimental rebuild at the Regency Park workshops. Nos. 300, 337 and trailer 862 were modified in 1983 with new interiors, elevated cabs (similar to the 2000-class) and an exterior appearance like a hybrid between a traditional Redhen and a 2000-class Jumbo.
The rebuilt cars were re-numbered 2301, 2302 and 2501 and nicknamed Super Chooks (a chook is a chicken in Australian vernacular). The exercise was not successful and no more Redhens were modified. The Super Chooks saw only limited passenger service and often 2301-2302 was sandwiched in between 2 400 class redhen railcars before they were withdrawn in 1992. Following the collapse of the Lions Club of Yorke Peninsula Rail Inc, they are for sale.
Withdrawal
| Preserved Redhens (June 2006) | |
|---|---|
| Unit Numbers | Location |
| 321 400 875 |
National Railway Museum National Railway Museum (Port Adelaide) thumb|Conference dinner being held in the rollingstock pavilionThe National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide, South Australia, is the current site of the Port Dock Station Railway Museum's vast Australian Railway Collection.- History :... Port Adelaide, SA |
| 364 412 428 824 |
SteamRanger SteamRanger SteamRanger is an historic train society in South Australia running trains on the Victor Harbor railway line. They are the only group regularly running broad gauge steam locomotives in South Australia... Mount Barker, SA |
| 334 405 424 874 |
Mount Gambier, SA |
| 2301 2302 2501 406 416 432 435 |
Wallaroo, SA currently for sale |
| 311 402 |
South Gippsland Railway South Gippsland Railway The South Gippsland Railway is a tourist railway located in south Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. It controls a section of the former South Gippsland line between Nyora and Leongatha, operating services from Leongatha to Nyora via Korumburra taking around 65 minutes, trains operate on sundays,... Korumburra, VIC |
| 409 436 339 368 372 373 |
Stored in various locations in SA, VIC and NSW, No 368 is an information car, No 436 had its interior burnt out |
All thirteen of the 820-class trailers were retired by December 1976 (these were wooden-bodied coaches and most had originally been built between 1912 and 1918). The corresponding 300-class Redhens were then coupled to a 400-class railcar to form 2-car trains (designated 300/400-class).
In 1987, the steel-bodied 860-class trailers were withdrawn and all the 300-class Redhens were reconfigured as 2-car trains, usually consecutively numbered pairs.
By the mid-1980s the Redhens ranged from 15 to 30 years in age. Whilst they had been faster and more comfortable than the steam trains they replaced in the 1950s, the design of the Redhens compared unfavourably with contemporary standards of passenger rolling stock. For example, they have neither heating nor air conditioning, which made them unpopular with commuters in mid-summer and mid-winter. They also have manually operated sliding doors, which were perceived as a safety hazard (particularly since de facto air conditioning was achieved during hot summer weather by passengers leaving the Redhens’ sliding doors wide open between stations).
In 1987 and 1988 the State Transport Authority
State Transport Authority (South Australia)
The State Transport Authority was the government agency which controlled public transport within the State of South Australia between 1974 and 1994....
(STA) introduced the first of its new fleet of diesel electric 3000 class railcar
3000 class railcar
The "3000" class railcar is the main workhorse of TransAdelaide's suburban passenger operations in Adelaide, South Australia. There are two variants: 3000 series, featuring a cab at each end, and 3100 series with one cab....
s, which were intended to replace the Redhens. As more 3000 and 3100-class railcars were delivered through the early 1990s, the Redhens began to be withdrawn and were gradually restricted to operating only during weekday peak hours. This was especially the case when the STA moved towards driver-only-operation (DOO) of the rail system in the early 1990s. The manual sliding doors made Redhens unsuitable for DOO and guards had to be retained to supervise passenger boarding and alighting.
Following the final delivery of 3100-class railcars, TransAdelaide operated their last Redhens in public service in October 1996 which were railcars 428 and 436.
Preservation
Whilst in service the Redhens were mechanically robust and reasonably reliable; they were attractive options for use on heritage and tourist railways after retirement. However, their age, and the increasing service time since overhaul, has affected their reliability in preservation. Some continue to operate on broad gaugeBroad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
lines in south-eastern Australia. Many have been broken up, but the first and last units and a few others still exist.
The National Railway Museum’s 3-car Redhen set was a centrepiece of the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Port Adelaide railway. On Sunday 23 April 2006, the Redhens worked a number of special trains between Adelaide
Adelaide Railway Station
Adelaide Railway Station is the central terminus of the Adelaide Metro railway system. It is at on the north side of North Terrace, west of Parliament House. The Adelaide Casino is in part of the building that is no longer required for the station....
, Woodville
Woodville railway station, Adelaide
Woodville station is on the suburban rail routes from Adelaide to Grange and Outer Harbor, 7.5 km from Adelaide. It is the junction station for the Grange branch and is one of the busiest stations on the Outer Harbour and Grange Lines. It has auto pedestrian gates and lights, the only location...
and the Port Dock station museum
Port Dock railway station, Adelaide
Port Dock railway station was located in the commercial centre of Port Adelaide, South Australia at the corner of St Vincent Street and Lipson Street...
. The South Gippsland Tourist Railway purchased Red Hens 311, 402 and 416 in 1993.
See also
- State Transport AuthorityState Transport Authority (South Australia)The State Transport Authority was the government agency which controlled public transport within the State of South Australia between 1974 and 1994....
- TransAdelaideTransAdelaideTransAdelaide was a publicly owned corporation which provided suburban train and tram services in Adelaide, South Australia, under contract to the Government of South Australia....
- Railways in AdelaideRailways in AdelaideThe rail network in Adelaide, South Australia, consists of five lines and 81 stations, totalling 125.9 km. It is operated by Adelaide Metro, and is part of the city-wide Adelaide Metro]public transport system. Apart from the Glenelg Tram, Adelaide's railway system is serviced entirely by...
External links
Operators