102hp Walker railmotor
Encyclopedia
The 102hp Walker railmotor was a type of diesel
railcar
operated by the Victorian Railways
in Australia
.
After the Second World War, the Victorian Railways
undertook a major rebuilding program known as "Operation Phoenix
". One of the first tasks was the upgrading of passenger services on country branch lines, through the replacement of 23 wooden bodied railmotors built in the 1920s, and the withdrawal of steam locomotive hauled mixed train
s. An initial order of six 153hp railcars, twelve 102hp railcars and twelve 280hp railcars from Walker Brothers in Wigan, England
was placed, this was extended to include a further 102hp railmotor, being the delivered into revenue service on Wednesday, 26 January 1955.
Thirteen 102hp units were built in total.
The power units and controls were shipped out from England and the car bodies built locally by Martin & King
in Malvern
, with the finished units assembled at Newport Workshops.
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
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...
operated by the Victorian Railways
Victorian Railways
The Victorian Railways operated railways in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companies failed or defaulted, the Victorian Railways was established to take over their operations...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
After the Second World War, the Victorian Railways
Victorian Railways
The Victorian Railways operated railways in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companies failed or defaulted, the Victorian Railways was established to take over their operations...
undertook a major rebuilding program known as "Operation Phoenix
Operation Phoenix (railway)
Operation Phoenix was a post World War II rehabilitation program carried out by the Victorian Railways in Australia. The program commenced in 1950 and was originally planned to take 10 years and cost £80 million pounds...
". One of the first tasks was the upgrading of passenger services on country branch lines, through the replacement of 23 wooden bodied railmotors built in the 1920s, and the withdrawal of steam locomotive hauled mixed train
Mixed 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. An initial order of six 153hp railcars, twelve 102hp railcars and twelve 280hp railcars from Walker Brothers in Wigan, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
was placed, this was extended to include a further 102hp railmotor, being the delivered into revenue service on Wednesday, 26 January 1955.
Thirteen 102hp units were built in total.
The power units and controls were shipped out from England and the car bodies built locally by Martin & King
Martin & King
Martin & King was a manufacturing company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The company specialised in car and railway coachwork.-History:...
in Malvern
Malvern, Victoria
Malvern is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Malvern had a population of 9,422.-History:...
, with the finished units assembled at Newport Workshops.
Status
| Railmotor | Entered service | Withdrawn | Scrapped | Current Status |
| 1RM | Thursday, 4 March 1948 | Sunday, 19 November 1972 | Scrapped, Body at Emberton Emberton Emberton is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Milton Keynes, ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire in England. The village is near the border with Northamptonshire, just to the south of Olney and four miles north of Newport Pagnell.... on the former Redesdale line. |
|
| 2RM | Sunday, 14 March 1948 | |||
| 3RM | Friday, 6 August 1948 | |||
| 4RM | Tuesday, 15 February 1949 | |||
| 5RM | Wednesday, 1 June 1949 | Sunday, 24 February 1974 | Scrapped | |
| 6RM | Thursday, 23 June 1949 | |||
| 7RM | Friday, 22 July 1949 | Monday, 3 April 1978 | N/A | Stored at Daylesford Spa Country Railway Daylesford Spa Country Railway The Daylesford Spa Country Railway is a volunteer-operated broad gauge tourist railway located in Victoria, Australia. It operates on a section of the formerly disused and dismantled Daylesford line... |
| 8RM | Monday, 26 September 1949 | |||
| 9RM | Monday, 10 October 1949 | Tuesday, 1 June 1976 | Scrapped | |
| 10RM | Friday, 4 November 1949 | |||
| 11RM | Tuesday, 20 December 1949 | |||
| 12RM | Friday, 10 February 1950 | 1980 | Scrapped | |
| 13RM | Wednesday, 26 January 1955 |