NZR RM class (88 seater)



NZR RM class Articulated 88-seater
RM 133 being restored by the Pahiatua Railcar Society.
In service	1955 - 1978
Manufacturer	Drewry Car Co, England
Built at	Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Co, Smethwick, UK
Entered service	1955 - 1958
Scrapped	1978
Number built	35
Number in service	0
Number scrapped	34
Formation	No 1 end (36 passengers & luggage compartment) articulated over a Jacobs bogie with No 2 end (52 passengers)
Fleet numbers	RM 100 - RM 134
Capacity	88
Operator	New Zealand Railways
Line(s) served	various
Specifications
Car length	105 ft (32.0 m) total
Width	8 ft 10 in (2.7 m)
Maximum speed	65 mph (105 km/h)
Weight	63.1 long tons (64.1 t)
Engine	Two Fiat 700.040, six cylinder, horizontal underfloor, 1500 rpm naturally aspirated
Power output	420 hp (310 kW) total (original) 370 hp (280 kW) (derated)
Transmission	Wilson 5-speed gearbox (per engine)
Gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge

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. New Zealand Railways classed them 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 horizontal diesel engines allowed increased passenger capacity and a large parcels/baggage compartment. Fiat 210 hp units were selected. The 88-seaters were constructed by the Birmingham Railway, Carriage and Wagon Company Ltd under contract from Drewry.

After initial trials around Wellington, the 88-seaters were deployed on a wide variety of provincial services. In the North Island they ran Auckland - Okaihau, Auckland - Te Puke, Auckland - Rotorua, Auckland - New Plymouth, Wellington - Palmerston North via Masterton, and Wellington - Gisborne. In the South Island they ran Christchurch - Picton, Christchurch - Invercargill, and in conjunction with the Vulcan class, Christchurch - Greymouth and Ross.

Operation

From almost the beginning they 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 trains. All cancelled trains were were replaced by New Zealand Railways Road Services buses.

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 ran on the New Plymouth to Taumarunui, Wellington to Palmerston North via the Wairarapa, Picton to Christchurch, and Christchurch to Greymouth services. The final run of an 88-seater was in 1978 from Greymouth to Christchurch. The last trip came to an ignominious end when an engine failure meant that 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 Masterton - Palmerston North section was often fewer than 20 passengers per trip.

Blue Streaks

In 1968, at the suggestion of Hamilton City Council, an 88-seater was refurbished for a new fast service between Hamilton and Auckland aimed at the businessman, and it started 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 Scenic Daylight carriage train. This service, which started on Monday 23 September 1968, was highly successful and prompted the conversion of two further cars to 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 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 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.

Additional (and damaged) NZR RM class 88-seater modules in storage on "rotten row" at Pahiatua railway station for the Pahiatua Railcar Society.

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 Pahiatua and restoration to operational condition is currently in progress.

External links

• Pahiatua Railcar Preservation Society
• Trainweb Drewry Railcar Page

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