The CPH railmotors were introduced by the New South Wales Government Railways

New South Wales Government Railways

The New South Wales Government Railways was the government department that operated the New South Wales Government's railways until the establishment of the Public Transport Commission in 1972. Although later known officially as the Department of Railways, New South Wales, it was still generally...

 in 1923 to provide feeder service on country branch lines.

Introduction

Often referred to as "Tin Hares", having evolved at the same time as the mechanical lures used in greyhound racing

Greyhound racing

Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....

 in Australia, the first vehicle was placed in service on 17 December 1923 and based at Culcairn

Culcairn, New South Wales

Culcairn is a town in the south east Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Culcairn is located in the Greater Hume Shire Council Local government area on the Olympic Highway between Albury and Wagga Wagga...

, in southern New South Wales.

Construction

They were lightweight vehicles and considerable care was taken in the original selection of materials used in their construction. One of the most innovative features was the underframe. No bolts or rivets were used in its construction and it was fabricated entirely by welding. It is believed to be the first application of such technique on a railway vehicle in Australia.

The body was of timber construction, using mainly Queensland yellow wood, pine

Pine

Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...

s and cedars

Cedar wood

Cedar wood comes from several different trees that grow in different parts of the world, and may have different uses.* California incense-cedar, from Calocedrus decurrens, is the primary type of wood used for making pencils...

. The cars were finished externally with tongue and groove

Tongue and groove

A strong joint, the tongue and groove joint is widely used for re-entrant angles. The effect of wood shrinkage is concealed when the joint is beaded or otherwise moulded...

d timber below the window line.

Seating

As built, the normal seating capacity

Seating capacity

Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...

 was 45, 21 in 1st class and 24 in 2nd (or economy) class. A further seven could be accommodated on the flap seats provided in the guard's compartment. An additional feature of these cars were the prized seats either side of the driver (the drivers cab being centrally located in the middle of the carriage, there was one passenger seat located either side of the cab, looking directly ahead).

Motors

As built, they were fitted with petrol engines of either Leyland or Thornycroft

Thornycroft

Thornycroft was a United Kingdom-based vehicle manufacturer which built coaches, buses, and trucks from 1896 until 1977.-History:Thornycroft started out with steam vans and lorries. John Isaac Thornycroft, the naval engineer, built his first steam lorry in 1896...

 manufacture and a three-speed mechanical transmission controlled by a massive lever in the cab. Experiments were made with AEC and Winton

Winton Motor Carriage Company

The Winton Motor Carriage Company was a pioneer United States automobile manufacturer based in Cleveland, Ohio. Winton was one of the first American companies to sell a motor car.-1896:...

 motors in some vehicles. During World War 2, to conserve fuel, gas producer units were fitted to six vehicles. Five of these were damaged when fire spread to the vehicle. Beginning in 1945, a programme began to replace the petrol motors with GM

General Motors

General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...

 diesels. It was at this time that multiple unit controls were fitted.

Operation

A total of 37 vehicles were built and they operated many branch line services throughout the state, from Kyogle

Kyogle, New South Wales

Kyogle is a town in the Northern Rivers region of northern New South Wales, Australia, in Kyogle Council. At the 2006 census, Kyogle had a population of 2,731 people. It was founded in the 1830s as a lumber camp, and is located north of Sydney, north of Casino on the Summerland Way close to the...

 in the north to the Riverina in the south, as well as extensively through the central western

Central West, New South Wales

The Central West region refers to the area west of the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. It has an area of 63,262 square kilometers....

 regions, until their widespread withdrawal in 1983. Railmotors continued to be used extensively in the Wollongong

Wollongong, New South Wales

Wollongong is a seaside city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 82 kilometres south of Sydney...

 area, working north to Waterfall

Waterfall, New South Wales

Waterfall is a small suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Waterfall is located 38 kilometers south of the Sydney central business district in the Sutherland Shire....

, west to Moss Vale

Moss Vale, New South Wales

Moss Vale is a town in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, in Wingecarribee Shire. It has a population of 7,339 and is sited on the Illawarra Highway, which connects to Wollongong and the Illawarra coast via Macquarie Pass...

 and south to Port Kembla

Port Kembla, New South Wales

Port Kembla is a suburb of Wollongong 8 km south of the CBD and part of the Illawarra region of New South Wales. The suburb comprises a seaport, industrial complex , a small harbour foreshore nature reserve, and a small commercial sector. It is situated on the tip of Red Point, first sighted...

 and Kiama

Kiama, New South Wales

-Transport:The town is served by Kiama Station on the South Coast Line. It is served by road in the form of the Princes Highway and the Kiama Bypass.-Attractions:...

. In Newcastle, CPHs provided passenger services on the Belmont line. They also provided pre-electrification service on many Sydney suburban services. These include Bankstown

Bankstown, New South Wales

Bankstown is a suburb of south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bankstown is located 20 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Bankstown.-History:Prior to European...

 to Lidcombe

Lidcombe, New South Wales

Lidcombe is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales Australia. Lidcombe is located 14 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Auburn Council....

, Clyde

Clyde, New South Wales

Clyde is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Clyde is located 21 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Parramatta...

 to Carlingford

Carlingford, New South Wales

Carlingford is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Carlingford is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of the The Hills Shire, Hornsby Shire and the City of Parramatta...

, Liverpool

Liverpool, New South Wales

Liverpool is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool is located 32 km south-west of the Sydney central business district, and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Liverpool...

 to Campbelltown

Campbelltown, New South Wales

Campbelltown is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Campbelltown is located 51 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Campbelltown.- History :Campbelltown...

, Westmead

Westmead, New South Wales

Westmead is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Westmead is located 26 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Parramatta and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region....

 to Rogans Hill

Rogans Hill, New South Wales

Rogans Hills is a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Baulkham Hills Shire, and was named after John Rogan, a pioneer who had been given a grant of land in the area by Governor Macquarie in 1818. Its main attractions are Oakhill College and the Anglican Retirement Villages...

, Kingsgrove

Kingsgrove, New South Wales

Kingsgrove is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Kingsgrove is located 13 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of the City of Rockdale, the City of Hurstville and the City of Canterbury...

 to East Hills

East Hills, New South Wales

East Hills, a suburb of local government area City of Bankstown, is located 26 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and is a part of the South-western Sydney region....

, Hornsby

Hornsby, New South Wales

* Highest Maximum Temperature: 42 °C* Lowest Maximum Temperature: 4.9 °C* Warmest Month: January* Coolest Month: July* Highest Precipitation: February* Lowest Precipitation: July-Notable residents:...

 to Cowan

Cowan, New South Wales

Cowan is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cowan is located 40 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Hornsby Shire and is part of the North Shore region. Cowan shares the postcode of 2081 with Berowra...

, Blacktown

Blacktown, New South Wales

Blacktown is a suburb in the City of Blacktown, in Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Blacktown is located 34 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of City of Blacktown.Blacktown is the largest...

 to Richmond

Richmond, New South Wales

Richmond is a town in New South Wales, north-west of Sydney, in the Local Government Area of the City of Hawkesbury. It is located at a latitude of 33° 35' 54" South and a longitude of 150°45' 04" east, 19 metres above sea level on the alluvial Hawkesbury River flats, at the foot of the Blue...

 and Sutherland

Sutherland, New South Wales

Sutherland is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sutherland is located 26 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Sutherland Shire....

 to Waterfall. The Sydney area motors were all withdrawn in the mid-1980s.

Preservation

Many of these veteran rail motors are preserved and still operational.

CPH 1 (operational), CPH 3 (under restoration), CPH 7 (operational), CPH 14 and CPH 19 (stored) - Rail Motor Society, Paterson

Paterson, New South Wales

Paterson is a small township in the lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia. Located within Dungog Shire it is situated on the Paterson River. At the 2006 census, Paterson had a population of 345 people...

, NSW.

CPH 12, CPH 24 and CPH 25 - Lachlan Valley Railway, Cowra, NSW.

CPH 37 is operated by ARHS-ACT.

CPH18 is part of the NSWRTM collection.

CPH 6, CPH 8 and CPH 22 - Cooma Monaro Railway. Trailer 55 is also owned by the Society.