NZR RM class (Silver Fern).html |
| | | ca | | | de | | | en | | | es | | | fr | | | it | | | nl | | | no | | | pl | | | pt | | | ru | | | ro | | | fi | | | sv | | | tr | | | vo | | |
| |  |
This article is about the New Zealand railcar service and the railcars themselves. For other uses, see Silver Fern (disambiguation).
| NZR RM class Silver Fern |
|
 A Silver Fern near Warrington, New Zealand |
|
| In service | 1972 - present |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Kawasaki and Toshiba, trading as Nissho-Iwai Company of Japan |
| Constructed | 1972 |
| Entered service | 1972 |
| Number under construction | 3 |
| Number built | 3 |
| Number in service | 3 |
| Fleet numbers | RM 1, 2, 3 (original) RM 18, 24, 30 (TMS) |
| Capacity | 96 |
| Operator | New Zealand Railways Department (1972 - 1982) New Zealand Railways Corporation (1982 - 1991) Tranz Rail (1991 - 2002) Veolia Auckland (2002 - present) |
| Line(s) served | North Island Main Trunk East Coast Main Trunk (former) Rotorua Branch (former) |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | 47.4 metres (156 ft) total |
| Maximum speed | 120 km/h (75 mph) |
| Weight | 107 tonnes (105 LT/118 ST) |
| Engine | Caterpillar D398TA |
| Power output | 670 kW (900 hp) |
| Gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) Cape gauge |
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 Kawasaki and Toshiba, trading as Nissho Iwai Company of Japan. The New Zealand Railways classed the railcars RM, like all other railcars.
They were introduced to encourage passengers back to rail transport due to competition from air and road transport. The class was named the "Silver Ferns" (a national symbol of New Zealand) because of their exterior was made of corrugated stainless steel, like the overnight "Silver Star" carriage train, and replaced the three 82-seater Blue Streak railcars.
Contents |
History
The railcars are most famous for their service on the eponymous North Island Main Trunk daylight passenger train between Auckland and Wellington between Sunday December 14, 1972 and Sunday December 8, 1991.
In December 1991 the Silver Fern was replaced by the Overlander carriage train. The railcars were transferred to two newly introduced services: the Kaimai Express between Auckland and Tauranga and the Geyserland Express between Auckland and Rotorua. In 2000, a third service was added, the Waikato Connection between Auckland and Hamilton. All three services ceased on 7 October 2001. The railcars are owned by KiwiRail, and have been leased to Veolia Auckland since 2002 to operate Auckland - Pukekohe commuter services on behalf of the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA). That lease will expire in 2009, and there is a possibility that the lease may be extended further. They are available for charters.
Service
The Silver Fern offered airline-style service onboard. Drinks, snacks and the morning paper were supplied to passengers. From 1972 to 1988 there was a lunch stop at Taihape for services in both directions. That was replaced by airline-style meals heated on board, and Taihape railway station dining room was closed, the station later being demolished and replaced by a shelter.
Accidents
Level crossing accidents and other incidents seemed to be synonymous with these railcars and, on 18 August 1981, half of the first and second sets derailed near Waiouru. Four people were killed. The railcars were replaced by the "Blue Fern" for three years until 1984.
See also
|
||||||||||||||||||