NZR RM class (Leyland petrol)
Encyclopedia
The Leyland experimental petrol railcar was a unique railcar
built and trialled in New Zealand
in 1925. It should not be confused with the two much smaller Leyland diesel railbus
es of 1936.
New Zealand's experimentation with railcar
s began in 1912 with the use of a MacEwan-Pratt petrol railcar
. The New Zealand Railways Department (NZR), which ran the national rail network
, was looking for ways to run rural passenger services with as little expense as possible, but at the same time presenting an attractive form of transport to passengers. Many rural branch lines at the time ran "mixed" trains that carried both passengers and freight and were not particularly popular due to the slow schedule that resulted from loading and unloading goods during the journey. NZR saw the use of railcars as a potential means of providing cheap and efficient rural passenger travel, and as railcar technology was not very well developed at the time, engineers experimented with new ideas and various styles.
One experimental railcar developed during the 1920s was the Leyland petrol railcar, designed in 1925 and built that year at NZR Hutt Workshops in Petone
. The railcar was essentially a regular passenger carriage with a driving cab installed at one end; a Leyland petrol engine with an output of 60-75 kW was positioned in a front housing that extended some four metres in front of the cab. The wheel arrangement
was 2-Bo, with the leading axle under the cab and the bogie
located at the rear end. sixty-two passengers could be accommodated inside the 19-m-long railcar.
After construction, the railcar was put into trials to see if it was suitable for use on regular passenger trains. It ultimately failed the trials and was never utilised on revenue service. Nonetheless, lessons were learnt and it was an important step in local railcar development, and railcar research in New Zealand continued to progress. The year after the Leyland's trials arguably the first successful railcar was built, the Edison battery-electric railcar
that ran for eight years on the Little River Branch before its destruction by fire.
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 and trialled 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...
in 1925. It should not be confused with the two much smaller Leyland diesel railbus
NZR RM class (Leyland diesel)
The NZR RM class Leyland diesel railcar or Midland railcar was the first diesel-powered vehicle to enter revenue service on New Zealand's national rail network. Two were built, RM 20 and RM 21, and they commenced service in August 1936 as temporary short-use vehicles that would operate until...
es of 1936.
New Zealand's experimentation with 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...
s began in 1912 with the use of a 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...
. The New Zealand Railways Department (NZR), which ran the national rail network
Rail transport in New Zealand
Rail transport in New Zealand consists of a network of gauge railway lines in both the North and South Islands. Rail services are focused primarily on freight, particularly bulk freight, with limited passenger services on some lines...
, was looking for ways to run rural passenger services with as little expense as possible, but at the same time presenting an attractive form of transport to passengers. Many rural branch lines at the time ran "mixed" trains that carried both passengers and freight and were not particularly popular due to the slow schedule that resulted from loading and unloading goods during the journey. NZR saw the use of railcars as a potential means of providing cheap and efficient rural passenger travel, and as railcar technology was not very well developed at the time, engineers experimented with new ideas and various styles.
One experimental railcar developed during the 1920s was the Leyland petrol railcar, designed in 1925 and built that year at NZR Hutt Workshops in Petone
Petone
Petone is a major suburb of the city of Lower Hutt in New Zealand. It is located at the southern end of the narrow triangular plain of the Hutt River, on the northern shore of Wellington Harbour...
. The railcar was essentially a regular passenger carriage with a driving cab installed at one end; a Leyland petrol engine with an output of 60-75 kW was positioned in a front housing that extended some four metres in front of the cab. The wheel arrangement
UIC classification
The UIC classification of locomotive axle arrangements describes the wheel arrangement of locomotives, multiple units and trams. It is set out in the International Union of Railways "Leaflet 650 - Standard designation of axle arrangement on locomotives and multiple-unit sets". It is used in much...
was 2-Bo, with the leading axle under the cab and the bogie
Bogie
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...
located at the rear end. sixty-two passengers could be accommodated inside the 19-m-long railcar.
After construction, the railcar was put into trials to see if it was suitable for use on regular passenger trains. It ultimately failed the trials and was never utilised on revenue service. Nonetheless, lessons were learnt and it was an important step in local railcar development, and railcar research in New Zealand continued to progress. The year after the Leyland's trials arguably the first successful railcar was built, the Edison battery-electric railcar
NZR RM class (Edison battery-electric)
The NZR RM class Edison battery-electric railcar was a popular and successful railcar that ran in Canterbury, New Zealand for eight years. The prototype was arguably the first successful railcar in New Zealand but it was not developed into a class...
that ran for eight years on the Little River Branch before its destruction by fire.