NZR RM class (Wairarapa)

NZR RM class
Wairarapa
NZR RM class; Wairarapa
In service	1936–1955
Manufacturer	New Zealand Government Railways
Built at	Hutt Workshops
Entered service	September–December 1936 (RM 4–9); March 1937 (RM 10)
Number built	7
Number in service	None
Number preserved	1
Fleet numbers	RM 4–RM 10
Capacity	RM 4–9: 49 passengers; RM 10: 20 passengers, 3 tons freight
Operator(s)	New Zealand Government Railways
Line(s) served	Rimutaka Incline; Wairarapa Line
Specifications
Car length	57 ft 11 in (17.65 m) over buffers
Maximum speed	60 mph (97 km/h)
Weight	13.56 tonnes (13.35 long tons; 14.95 short tons)
Prime mover(s)	Originally six-cylinder 10-litre Leyland petrol engine ; From 1940–41, six-cylinder 10-litre Leyland Diesel engine
Power output	130 hp (97 kW) (petrol); 119 hp (89 kW) (diesel)
Transmission	Mechanical
UIC classification	2-A
Bogies	One bogie (front, unpowered),; one single axle (rear, powered)
Multiple working	No
Track gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)

Last updated December 03, 2022

The NZR RM class Wairarapa railcar was a class of railcars on New Zealand's national rail network. They entered service in 1936 (three weeks after the Midland railcars) and were classified RM like all other classes of railcars in New Zealand; they came to be known as the "Wairarapa" class as they were designed to operate over the famous Rimutaka Incline to the Wairarapa region on the Wairarapa Line. They also acquired the nickname of "tin hares" in New Zealand railfan jargon. The first two to be introduced re-used the numbers RM 4 and RM 5 that had previously been used by the withdrawn experimental Model T Ford railcars. The class consisted of six passenger railcars and one passenger-freight railcar. It is often described incorrectly as a class of six railcars.

Background

The Rimutaka Incline over the Rimutaka Ranges posed a severe time delay to any service operating between Wellington and the Wairarapa region. At one end of the Incline, a train had to have its engine replaced by multiple members of the H class, as the H class locomotives were specially designed to work the steep and difficult Incline. Once they hauled the train the length of the Incline, they were then replaced by a single ordinary engine. The procedure to attach and remove the H class locomotives, as well as the actual trip along the Incline, was very slow.

The Wairarapa railcars were designed as an answer to this problem. They were intended to operate along the length of the Incline and take over Wairarapa passenger services from regular carriage trains. Their body was built higher than an ordinary railcar, with a raised floor, to enable them to pass over the raised Fell centre rail on the Rimutaka Incline. In design, they resembled a bus, and unlike a usual single-unit railcar that has a driving compartment at each end, the Wairarapa railcars only had one driving end, necessitating that they be turned at the terminus of their journey.

The first six of the class (RM 4 to RM 9) were designed to carry 49 passengers with their baggage. These were named after historic Maori canoes: Maahunui, Mahuhu, Mamari, Matahourua, Maatua, and Arai-te-Uru.^[2]

A seventh railcar, RM 10, named Arawa, was built as a mixed freight and passenger vehicle with seating for 20 passengers at the front, a freight compartment with a capacity of 3 tons in the centre, and a guards compartment at the rear.^[3]^[4]

Operation

Upon their introduction to revenue service on 7 September 1936,^[5] the Wairarapa railcars became the second successful class of railcars in New Zealand, following the introduction of the Midland class three weeks earlier. The Wairarapa railcars immediately slashed running times between Wellington and the Wairarapa, and would operate the full length of the Wairarapa Line from Wellington to Woodville, and then utilise the Palmerston North–Gisborne Line through the Manawatu Gorge to access Palmerston North. They proved popular with passengers, fully replacing a locomotive-hauled carriage train known as the Wairarapa Mail in 1948, though local mixed trains continued to operate.

The composite passenger-goods railcar RM 10 entered service on 1 March 1937. Although able to traverse the Rimutaka Incline like the other six Wairarapa class railcars, RM 10 worked between Cross Creek and Masterton carrying mainly school children, parcels and light freight, and cans of milk and cream.^[5] This railcar was withdrawn from service at the end of 1946 when it was found that a locomotive was having to run between Cross Creek and Masterton at the same time as the railcar, to attend to shunting duties.^[6] The resulting mixed train (goods with passenger car attached) was subsequently referred to locally as The Arawa.^[3]

Withdrawal and preservation

The replacement of the Rimutaka Incline by the Rimutaka Tunnel in November 1955 meant that the main reason for the Wairarapa railcars' operation ceased to exist. Locomotive hauled trains were now competitive in timings with the railcars, which were soon withdrawn from service. By 1956, the six remaining cars were in storage at Hutt Workshops awaiting an uncertain future. They became increasingly derelict, as they were stored outside and vandals removed small parts from the railcars.

In 1969, the Wellington Branch of the New Zealand Railway & Locomotive Society purchased the remains of RM 4, 5, 6, and 9 for preservation at their Gracefield site. To move the cars from Hutt Shops to Gracefield, the NZR&LS members physically shunted the railcars from the works to Gracefield, as the railcars' diesel engines were not at that time operable. When the group shifted to Seaview, RM 5 (by then working again) was used as an impromptu shunting engine to move the group's collection.

After arrival, it was decided to restore RM 5 Mahuhu to working order as it was felt to be in the best condition. RM 4 (which had been damaged in a level crossing collision before withdrawal), RM 6, and RM 9 Arai-te-uru were relegated to being spare parts sources.

RM 4 and RM 6 were scrapped in the 1970s after all re-usable components were stripped from their hulks, while RM 5 and RM 9 were placed into storage at the Silver Stream Railway (SSR). With no plans for the SSR to restore either, the decision was made in 1992 to lease RM 5 to the newly formed Pahiatua Railcar Society, who would then restore it to mainline operating standards. The car arrived at Pahiatua in 1992, and work began to slowly restore the car to operable condition.

As RM 5 was missing many parts, the decision was made in 2002 to acquire the remains of RM 9 for use as a spare parts source to complete the restoration of RM 5. Arriving in 2003, the incomplete frames of RM 9 became a source of spare parts that could be duplicated or restored for use on its sister car. There are no plans to restore RM 9 in its own right as a rail vehicle, and it will most likely be scrapped once it is no longer useful.

Originally, the 'Wairarapa' railcars had wooden internal framing covered with steel sheathing; however, RM 5's body had decayed so far the decision was made to replace the original wooden framing with steel. This improves the railcar's 'crashworthiness', quite apart from being less maintenance-intensive. Restoration of RM 5 was completed in 2017 after an effort spanning 26 years.^[7]

Notes

↑ McNaught, Reid (September 2011). "Wairarapa Railcar - RM 5: A vintage railcar reborn - Part 1". New Zealand Railfan. 17 (3): 50, 53.
↑ Cameron, Norman (2006). Rimutaka Railway (Second ed.). Wellington: New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society Inc. p. 85. ISBN 0-908573-82-0.
1 2 "The Railcar in Retrospect. Part 2". NZ Railways Staff Bulletin. May–June 1955.
↑ The Arawa, a rail-car of a new type, taking its trial run over the Hutt Line on Saturday. Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 39, 16 February 1937, p.9
1 2 McNaught (2011), p.52.
↑ McNaught (2011), p.53.
↑ MITCHELL, PAUL (21 September 2017). "Pahiatua Railcar Society on right track with Tararua community awards win". Manawatu Standard. Palmerston North: Fairfax New Zealand. Retrieved 26 September 2017.

Related Research Articles

The Rimutaka Incline was a 3-mile-long (4.8 km), 3 ft 6 in gauge railway line on an average grade of 1-in-15 using the Fell system between Summit and Cross Creek stations on the Wairarapa side of the original Wairarapa Line in the Wairarapa district of New Zealand. The term "Rimutaka Incline" is sometimes used incorrectly to refer to other parts or all of the closed and deviated section of the Wairarapa Line between Upper Hutt and Speedy's Crossing, near Featherston. The incline formation is now part of the Remutaka Rail Trail.

The NZR RM class 88-seaters were a class of railcar used in New Zealand. New Zealand Government Railways (NZR) classified them as RM , the notation used for all railcars, numbering the 35 sets from RM100 to RM134. They were the most numerous railcars in NZR service. Their purchase and introduction saw the demise of steam-hauled provincial passenger trains and mixed trains, and was part of a deliberate effort to modernise NZR passenger services at a time of increasing competition from private motor vehicles. Being diesel powered and lighter the railcars were less expensive to operate and able to maintain quicker timetables, although became plagued with mechanical and electrical problems, with a number of the class eventually being turned into depowered locomotive-hauled carriages and reclassified as the AC class "Grassgrubs".

The Wairarapa Line is a secondary railway line in the south-east of the North Island of New Zealand. The line runs for 172 kilometres (107 mi), connects the capital city Wellington with the Palmerston North - Gisborne Line at Woodville, via Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Masterton.

The NZR RM class Standard railcars were a class of railcar operated by the New Zealand Railways Department (NZR) in the North Island of New Zealand. Officially classified as RM like all other railcar classes in New Zealand, they acquired the designation of "Standard" to differentiate them from other railcar classes. They were introduced in 1938 and withdrawn in 1972.

The Wairarapa Connection is a New Zealand interurban commuter rail service along the Wairarapa Line between Masterton, the largest town in the Wairarapa, and Wellington. It is operated by Wellington suburban operator Transdev under contract from the Greater Wellington Regional Council. It is a diesel-hauled carriage service, introduced by the New Zealand Railways Department in 1964 after passenger demand between Masterton to Wellington exceeded the capacity of the diesel railcars then used.

The RM class was the classification used by the New Zealand Railways Department (NZR) and its successors gave to most railcars and railbuses that have operated on New Zealand's national rail network. "RM" stands for Rail Motor which was the common name at the turn of the 20th century for what became known in New Zealand as railcars. As many types of railcars are operated, class names have been given to each railcar type to differentiate them from others.

The Napier Express was a passenger express train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department initially between Napier and Palmerston North and later between Napier and Wellington. It ran from 1891 until 1954.

The Wairarapa Mail was a passenger train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department (NZR) between Wellington and Woodville, continuing on to Palmerston North as a mixed train. It ran from 1909 until 1948 and its route included the famous and arduous Rimutaka Incline.

Mangatainoka is a small settlement in the Tararua District of New Zealand's North Island. It is located on the banks of the Mangatainoka River, 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Pahiatua.

The Hutt Valley Line is the electrified train service operated by Transdev Wellington on behalf of Metlink on the section of the Wairarapa Line railway between Wellington and Upper Hutt, New Zealand.

Masterton railway station is a single-platform, urban railway station serving the town of Masterton in New Zealand's Wairarapa district. Located at the end of Perry Street, it is one of three stations in Masterton, the others being Renall Street and Solway. Masterton station is the terminus for Wairarapa Connection passenger services on Metlink's Wairarapa Line from and to Wellington. The average journey time to Wellington is one hour and forty-three minutes.

The Gracefield Branch is a 1.6 km long, 3 ft 6 in gauge industrial line from its junction with the Wairarapa Line at Woburn in the Wellington region of New Zealand's North Island to its terminus at the southern end of the Hutt Workshops yard. The line formerly included an additional kilometre of track to Gracefield Freight Terminal, where it connected to a network of industrial sidings in nearby Seaview. Currently its only function is to provide access to the Hutt Workshops.

Woodville railway station is the northern terminus of the Wairarapa Line and is located at the junction with the Palmerston North–Gisborne Line in the small Tararua town of Woodville, 27 km (17 mi) east of Palmerston North in New Zealand's North Island.

Pahiatua railway station is on the Wairarapa Line in New Zealand's North Island. It was opened in May 1897, shortly before the line was opened to Woodville in December of that year. The station is located in Mangamutu, 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi) west of Pahiatua, in contrast to the original plans for the railway line to run through the town.

Dalefield railway station was a station on the Wairarapa Line that served the small rural community of Dalefield, just south of Carterton in the Wairarapa region of New Zealand’s North Island. It survived for just over a century from when the line opened in 1880 until it was closed in 1981.

Mangamahoe railway station served the small rural community of Mangamahoe in the Wairarapa region of New Zealand’s North Island. It was located on the Wairarapa Line between the stations of Mauriceville and Eketahuna with vehicular access from Station Road. It is the northernmost station site on the Wairarapa Line within the jurisdiction of the Greater Wellington Regional Council before the line passes into territory governed by Horizons Regional Council.

Mauriceville railway station was a rural railway station that served the small village of Mauriceville in the Wairarapa region of New Zealand’s North Island. It was located on the Wairarapa Line between the stations of Kopuaranga and Mangamahoe with direct vehicular access from Opaki Kaiparoro Road.

Opaki railway station served the small rural village of Opaki, 6 km (3.7 mi) north of Masterton, in the Wairarapa region of New Zealand’s North Island. It was located on the Wairarapa Line between the stations of Masterton and Kopuaranga with vehicular access from Wingate Road.

Eketahuna railway station was a station on the Wairarapa Line, a railway line that runs through the Wairarapa region of New Zealand's North Island. Located between the stations of Mangamahoe and Newman, it served the small southern Tararua town of Eketahuna and was one of the few attended stations on the northern section of the line.

Kopuaranga railway station was a flag station that served the small rural settlement of Kōpuaranga, 12½ km north of Masterton, in the Wairarapa region of New Zealand’s North Island. It was located on the Wairarapa Line between the stations of Opaki and Mauriceville. From its opening in 1886 it handled both passenger and freight traffic for 97 years until closure in 1983.

References

Churchman, Geoffrey B; Hurst, Tony (2001) [1990, 1991]. The Railways of New Zealand: A Journey through History (Second ed.). Transpress New Zealand. ISBN 0-908876-20-3.

External links

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[McNaught-1] McNaught, Reid (September 2011). "Wairarapa Railcar - RM 5: A vintage railcar reborn - Part 1". New Zealand Railfan. 17 (3): 50, 53.

[2] Cameron, Norman (2006). Rimutaka Railway (Second ed.). Wellington: New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society Inc. p. 85. ISBN 0-908573-82-0.

[NZRSB-3] 1 2 "The Railcar in Retrospect. Part 2". NZ Railways Staff Bulletin. May–June 1955.

[4] The Arawa, a rail-car of a new type, taking its trial run over the Hutt Line on Saturday. Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 39, 16 February 1937, p.9

[McNaught_2011,_p.52-5] 1 2 McNaught (2011), p.52.

[6] McNaught (2011), p.53.

[Pahiatua_Railcar_Society_on_right_track_with_Tararua_community_awards_win-7] MITCHELL, PAUL (21 September 2017). "Pahiatua Railcar Society on right track with Tararua community awards win". Manawatu Standard. Palmerston North: Fairfax New Zealand. Retrieved 26 September 2017.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]