NZR RM class (88 seater)
| NZR RM class (Articulated 88-seater) | |
| Power type | Diesel-electric railcar |
|---|---|
| Builder | Drewry Car Co of England |
| Build date | 1954 - 1955 |
| UIC classification | Bo-2-Bo |
| Gauge | 3' 6", 1067mm |
| Length | 105 ft |
| Width | 8 ft 10" |
| Total weight | 63.1 tons |
| Prime mover | Fiat 700.040 6 cyl |
| Top speed | 65 mph |
| Power output | 420 hp |
| Career | New Zealand Railways |
| Number in class | 35 |
| Number | 100 - 134 |
| First run | 1978 |
| Disposition | Withdrawn, scrapped. 1 preserved |
The NZR RM class 88-seaters were a class of railcar used in New Zealand, also known unofficially as 'articulateds', 'twinsets', 'Drewrys' and 'Fiats'. They were purchased to replace steam-hauled provincial passenger trains and mixed trains. New Zealand Railways classed the railcars RM, the notation used for all railcars.
History
In the early 1950s, New Zealand Railways were in the process of replacing steam traction with diesel and modernising the railways to cope with vastly increased traffic, the after-effects of wartime stringency, and increasing competition from motor vehicles and aeroplanes. As part of this modernisation process, it was decided to upgrade provincial passenger services, which were provided by a combination of steam-hauled passenger trains that operated several times a week, and "mixed" trains that carried both freight and passengers. An order was placed with the Drewry Car Company in the United Kingdom, which had supplied some smaller diesel shunters previously. They presented a design for an articulated railcar with seating for 88 passengers. The use of horizontally-opposed diesel engines allowed increased passenger capacity and a large parcels/baggage compartment. There were few horizontally-opposed engines available at the time, and in the end Fiat 210 hp units were selected. The 88-seaters were constructed by the Birmingham Railway, Carriage and Wagon Company Ltd under contract to Drewry.
After initial trials around Wellington, the 88-seaters were deployed on a wide variety of provincial services. In the North Island they ran between Auckland - Okaihau, Auckland - Te Puke, Auckland - Rotorua, Auckland - New Plymouth, Wellington - Palmerston North via Masterton, and Wellington - Gisborne. In the South Island they ran from Christchurch - Picton, Christchurch - Invercargill, and in conjunction with the Vulcan class, Christchurch to Greymouth and Ross.
Operation
From almost the beginning the 88-seaters faced mechanical problems, with cooling being the primary issue. The engines had been designed for Italian naval boats and were unsuitable for the conditions. Although modifications were made they continued to have a reputation for unreliability throughout their career, frequently having to run with one motor isolated.
Unfortunately for NZR, the 1950s was a period of increased prosperity and saw massive increases in the numbers of private motorcars, along with improvements to roading such as tarsealing the main highways, and construction of the Auckland Harbour Bridge. These meant dramatic falls in passenger numbers, and in 1967-68 all railcar services from Auckland were cut except for the service to New Plymouth. This was cut back to operate between New Plymouth and Taumarunui in the early 1970s, with passengers making connections to North Island Main Trunk passenger services. All services that were cancelled were replaced by buses operated by New Zealand Railways Road Services.
Although the remaining services were to areas not well served by road, the mechanical condition of the 88-seaters meant that by the mid 1970s replacement was becoming urgent. It was decided to refurbish 14 of them, remove their engines and drivers' cabs, and convert them to what was known as AC class unpowered carriages. These were painted green and came to be known as 'grassgrubs'. They were brought into service on the New Plymouth to Taumarunui, Wellington to Palmerston North (via Wairarapa), Picton to Christchurch, and Christchurch to Greymouth services. The final run of the 88-seater railcars in their original form was in 1978 from Greymouth to Christchurch. The last trip came to an ignominious end when an engine failure meant passengers had to be taken onwards from Otira by bus.
The 'grassgrubs' were ill-fated. Their drawgear and bodies were not designed to be locomotive-hauled and they quickly wore out. By 1985 they had been withdrawn from service due to metal fatigue. Most of the passenger runs were continued after their demise, but the New Plymouth-Taumarunui service ended in 1983, and by the late 1980s the Wellington-Wairarapa service was abbreviated to terminate in Masterton as patronage on the section between Masterton and Palmerston North was often less than 20 passengers per trip.
Blue Streaks
In 1968, at the suggestion of the Hamilton City Council, an 88-seater was refurbished for a new fast service between Hamilton and Auckland aimed at the businessman, and it debuted on Monday, 8 April 1968. It was fitted with carpet and reupholstered fabric covered seats, and was painted in a new two-tone colour scheme that prompted the nickname 'Blue Streak'. The seating was reduced to 84 to accommodate a servery area from which light meals and assorted alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks could be purchased. This initial service was unsuccessful, so it was decided to introduce the railcar to a daytime service between Auckland and Wellington in conjunction with the presently existing Scenic Daylight carriage train. This service, which debuted on Monday 23 September 1968, was highly successful and prompted the conversion of two further cars with 82 seats each to accommodate larger servery areas and, later, the purchase of the dedicated Silver Fern railcars for this service.
Initially, the Blue Streak railcar ran from Wellington to Auckland on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Auckland to Wellington until a second railcar was similarly refurbished for the Christmas 1968-New Year 1969 period and a third for the 1969 Easter holidays. The service proved so popular that it was not uncommon to see two Blue Streaks running in multiple in one direction, with the third paired up with an unrefurbished red Drewry-built 88-seater in the other, and the Scenic Daylight carriage train ceased operating.
On Thursday, 18 December 1972, the Blue Streaks were replaced by the new Silver Fern railcars and transferred to the Wellington to New Plymouth service, replacing Standard railcars. They continued on this service until Friday, 30 July 1977. By that time they were no longer serviceable, patronage had continued to decline and the service was replaced with buses.
| Long Distance Passenger Trains of New Zealand |
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Currently operational: North Island
Currently operational: South Island
Historic: North Island
Historic: South Island
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Preservation
By the early 1990s it appeared that an 88-seater would not be preserved. The only one believed still to be in existence was a 'grassgrub', former RM 133, used for fire training at Auckland International Airport, and also the cab and baggage compartment from RM 119. Fortunately in 2001 the Pahiatua Railcar Society was able to obtain this car, with one end fire damaged, and parts from RM 119. In addition one end of RM 121 (luckily the same end as the one damaged on RM 133) was located at Waitomo, being used as a motel unit. Both cars were transported to the society's headquarters and preservation is currently in progress with the objective of returning a full railcar to operational condition.
External links
References
- Heath, Eric, and Stott, Bob; Classic Railcars, Electric and Diesel Locomotives Of New Zealand, Grantham House, 1993
- Churchman, Geoffrey; The Golden Era of Fiat Railcars in New Zealand, IPL Publishing, 1989
