NZR RM class (Westinghouse)
Encyclopedia
The NZR RM class
Westinghouse railcar was an experimental railcar
built by the New Zealand Railways Department
(NZR) in 1914. Although not the first railcar to operate in New Zealand
, it was the first to enter revenue service.
s on rural lines. It aimed to develop a light self-powered vehicle that could operate economically even with low passenger levels. The first true railcar, the MacEwan Pratt petrol railcar
of 1912, did not pass its tests and never entered revenue service. It was dismantled in May 1913; the next experiment with railcar technology did not take place until 1914, when the Westinghouse railcar was developed. It re-used the classification of RM 1 that had been given to the MacEwan-Pratt railcar.
s were provided by British Westinghouse
and were fitted to a wooden body that had been built by NZR at the Petone Workshops
. The wooden body largely resembled a railway passenger carriage, though the driving compartments fitted at each end had an appearance similar to contemporary trams
. The six-cylinder petrol engine and 67-kW generator were housed in a compartment at one end of the railcar, and the current produced was fed to two 45 kW electric traction motors, one fitted to each bogie. This allowed the 14.17 metre
long, 18 tonne
railcar to travel at speeds up to 56 km/h. In its gas-illuminated passenger compartment, it had provisions for 48 passengers.
- Johnsonville
section of what was then the North Island Main Trunk Railway and now known as the Johnsonville Branch. NZR intended that it also haul a passenger carriage, to boost its capacity further. However, on steep grades, the railcar was wholly incapable of hauling a carriage: not even small carriages such as those of the nine-metre long B class variety were within its capabilities. Even without a carriage attached, the railcar continued to face frequent breakdowns and other difficulties. In 1916 it was joined by another experimental vehicle, the Thomas Transmission railcar
, and in 1917 it was withdrawn from service. It lay derelict at the back of the Wellington car yard at the Thorndon station that preceded the present Wellington Railway Station
and was eventually destroyed.
NZR RM class
The RM class is the classification used by the New Zealand Railways Department 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...
Westinghouse railcar was an experimental railcar
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...
built by the New Zealand Railways Department
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) in 1914. Although not the first railcar to operate in 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...
, it was the first to enter revenue service.
Development
In the early 20th century, NZR sought a means of providing economic services on lines with low traffic, including some suburban routes and to provide a faster alternative to mixed trainMixed 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...
s on rural lines. It aimed to develop a light self-powered vehicle that could operate economically even with low passenger levels. The first true railcar, the MacEwan Pratt petrol railcar
NZR 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...
of 1912, did not pass its tests and never entered revenue service. It was dismantled in May 1913; the next experiment with railcar technology did not take place until 1914, when the Westinghouse railcar was developed. It re-used the classification of RM 1 that had been given to the MacEwan-Pratt railcar.
Technical specifications
RM 1 was the solitary example of its type. The traction equipment, underframe, and bogieBogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
s were provided by British Westinghouse
British Westinghouse
British Westinghouse Electrical and Manufacturing Company was a subsidiary of the American Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. British Westinghouse would become a subsidiary of Metropolitan-Vickers in 1919; and after Metropolitan Vickers merged with British Thomson-Houston in 1929, it...
and were fitted to a wooden body that had been built by NZR at the Petone Workshops
Petone Workshops
The Petone Workshops were a government-owned railways maintenance and repair facility located in Petone, in Lower Hutt in the Wellington region of New Zealand’s North Island...
. The wooden body largely resembled a railway passenger carriage, though the driving compartments fitted at each end had an appearance similar to contemporary trams
Trams in New Zealand
Trams in New Zealand were a major form of transport from the 19th century into the mid 20th century. New Zealand's first tramway was established in 1862 , followed by a steam tramway in 1871 , and the first electric tramway in 1900 . The tram systems in the main centres, and in some smaller towns,...
. The six-cylinder petrol engine and 67-kW generator were housed in a compartment at one end of the railcar, and the current produced was fed to two 45 kW electric traction motors, one fitted to each bogie. This allowed the 14.17 metre
Metre
The metre , symbol m, is the base unit of length in the International System of Units . Originally intended to be one ten-millionth of the distance from the Earth's equator to the North Pole , its definition has been periodically refined to reflect growing knowledge of metrology...
long, 18 tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
railcar to travel at speeds up to 56 km/h. In its gas-illuminated passenger compartment, it had provisions for 48 passengers.
Operation
The railcar was placed in service on the steep WellingtonWellington
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...
- Johnsonville
Johnsonville, New Zealand
Johnsonville is a large suburb in northern Wellington, New Zealand. It is seven kilometres north of the city centre, at the top of the Ngauranga Gorge, on the main route to Porirua . The population of "J'ville" was about 6,500 at the 2001 census.- Public transport :Johnsonville is a reasonably...
section of what was then the North Island Main Trunk Railway and now known as the Johnsonville Branch. NZR intended that it also haul a passenger carriage, to boost its capacity further. However, on steep grades, the railcar was wholly incapable of hauling a carriage: not even small carriages such as those of the nine-metre long B class variety were within its capabilities. Even without a carriage attached, the railcar continued to face frequent breakdowns and other difficulties. In 1916 it was joined by another experimental vehicle, the Thomas Transmission railcar
NZR RM class (Thomas Transmission)
The NZR RM class Thomas Transmission railcar was an experimental electro-mechanical railcar operated by the New Zealand Railways Department...
, and in 1917 it was withdrawn from service. It lay derelict at the back of the Wellington car yard at the Thorndon station that preceded the present Wellington Railway Station
Wellington Railway Station
Wellington Railway Station is the southern terminus of New Zealand's North Island Main Trunk railway, Wairarapa Line and Johnsonville Line. In terms of number of services and in passenger numbers, it is New Zealand's busiest railway station.-Development:...
and was eventually destroyed.