Redhen railcar | |
---|---|
Two 400 class Redhens working a Belair line service in 1990 | |
Interior of a Redhen railcar | |
Manufacturer | South Australian Railways |
Built at | Islington Railway Workshops |
Replaced | Brill railcars |
Entered service | 1955-1971 |
Number built | 111 |
Number preserved | 6 |
Formation | 2/3 carriages |
Fleet numbers | 300-373, 400-436 |
Capacity | 300-341: 91 362-373: 89 400-419: 80 420-436: 78 |
Operator(s) | South Australian Railways State Transport Authority TransAdelaide |
Specifications | |
Car length | 20.00 m (65 ft 7 in) |
Width | 3.05 m (10 ft 0 in) |
Height | 4.27 m (14 ft 0 in) |
Wheel diameter | 914 millimetres |
Maximum speed | 88 km/h |
Prime mover(s) | 2 x GM model 6/71: 300-341, 362-373, 400-436 2 x Rolls Royce C6SFLH: 362-371 |
Braking system(s) | Westinghouse |
Track gauge | 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) |
The Redhen Railcars were a self-propelled railcar built by the South Australian Railways’ Islington Railway Workshops between 1955 and 1971.
South Australian Railways was the statutory corporation through which the Government of South Australia built and operated railways in South Australia from 1854 until March 1978, when its non-urban railways were incorporated into Australian National, and its Adelaide urban lines were transferred to the State Transport Authority.
The Islington Railway Workshops are railway workshops in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia. They were the chief railway workshops of the South Australian Railways, and are still in operation today.
The Redhen railcars were the backbone of Adelaide’s metropolitan rail system between the late 1950s and the early 1990s. [1] [2] [3]
The rail network in Adelaide, South Australia, consists of six lines and 89 stations, totalling 125.9 km. It is operated by Adelaide Metro, and is part of the citywide Adelaide Metro public transport system.
The first Redhens were introduced by the South Australian Railways in October 1955 to replace ageing suburban steam locomotive hauled trains in Adelaide. [4] [5] Construction of Redhen vehicles continued until 1971, when the latest examples were built to supersede 1920s-era diesel railcars. [6]
Adelaide is the capital city of the state of South Australia, and the fifth-most populous city of Australia. In June 2017, greater Adelaide had an estimated resident population of 1,333,927. Adelaide is home to more than 75 percent of the South Australian population, making it the most centralised population of any state in Australia.
TransAdelaide withdrew the last Redhens from regular service in December 1996, following delivery of a new fleet of 3000 class railcars. A number of Redhens have been preserved and are now operated by heritage and tourist railways.
TransAdelaide was a publicly owned corporation established on 4 July 1994 which provided suburban train, tram and bus services in Adelaide, South Australia, under contract to the Government of South Australia. It took over these responsibilities from the State Transport Authority.
The 3000/3100 class are a class of diesel railcars operated by the State Transport Authority and its successors in Adelaide. They were built by Comeng and Clyde Engineering between 1987 and 1996.
The Redhens comprised two designs: [1] [6]
A multiple-unit train or simply multiple unit (MU) is a self-propelled train composed of one or more carriages joined together, which when coupled to another multiple unit can be controlled by a single driver, with multiple-unit train control.
In addition, there were a number of unpowered trailer cars, the 820 and 860 classes. These had been modified from steam-era suburban carriages and were used with the Redhens between 1955 and 1987. [2] [6]
The Redhens were built in three batches. The overall design of the railcars was very similar, but there were differences in detail between the batches. Several railcars in the 300 class were re-numbered later in life, taking on the numbers of written-off or modified units.
The exterior of the units was always painted red, with variations in the colour of roofs and bogies over the years. The interior design and layout remained largely unchanged throughout their life. Some 300 class units were modified to provide guard’s accommodation or space for bikes when the 860 class trailers were withdrawn in 1987. This slightly reduced the seating capacity of these modified cars.
300 class | |||
---|---|---|---|
Unit numbers | Dates introduced | Weight (tonnes) | Seating capacity |
300–341 | 1955–58 | 40.7 | 91 |
342–361 | 1959–61 | 42.7 | 91 |
362–373 | 1968–70 | 41.9 | 84 |
400 class | |||
---|---|---|---|
Unit numbers | Dates introduced | Weight (tonnes) | Seating capacity |
400–419 | 1959–61 | 42.5 | 80 |
420–436 | 1968–71 | 42.5 | 78 |
When first introduced, all the 300 class Redhens were formed as 3-car consists, comprising an 820 or 860 class trailer sandwiched between two powered 300 class railcars. In peak hours, two sets were coupled together to form 6-car trains. On rare occasions, at times of heavy traffic demand, trains of Redhens could be up to nine cars long. [1] [7]
Instead of building trailer cars to work with the 300 class cars, the South Australian Railways chose to convert existing rolling stock. To operate with 300 to 347, five 800 class and nineteen 850 class carriages were converted, becoming the 860 class. These steel cars had been built at Islington Railway Workshops between 1944 and 1946 as part of a plan to electrify Adelaide's suburban railways. [2]
For use with 348 to 373, thirteen wooden end loading suburban baggage cars were converted, becoming the 820 class trailers. These had been built between 1912 and 1924. [2]
The 400 class were used as single cars on the main lines during the evenings and at most other times on lightly patronised services such as the Grange, Tonsley and Northfield lines. They were also used in multiple with other 300 or 400 class units.
Following the introduction of the 2000 class railcars in 1980, two 300 class Redhens and an 860 class trailer were chosen for an experimental rebuild at STA's Regency Park workshops. Nos 300, 337 and 862 were modified in 1983 with new interiors, elevated cabs and stainless steel panelling similar to the 2000 class. The rebuilt cars were re-numbered 2301, 2302 and 2501 and nicknamed Super Chooks (a chook is a chicken in Australian vernacular) entering service in June 1983. [2] [8] [9] . The exercise was not successful and no more were modified. The Super Chooks saw only limited passenger service and often 2301-2302 was sandwiched in between two 400 class Redhens before they were withdrawn in 1992. [10]
Preserved Redhens (January 2018) | |
---|---|
Unit Numbers | Location |
321 400 875 | National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide 875 gifted to SteamRanger, Pending Movement |
334 364 405 412 424 428 824 | SteamRanger, Mount Barker |
2301 2302 2501 | Coolac, New South Wales |
416 435 | Wallaroo currently for sale |
432 | Hunter Valley, New South Wales |
406 | Big Orange tourist park, Berri [11] |
311 402 | Mornington Railway |
409 436 339 368 372 | Stored in various locations in South Australia Victoria & New South Wales 368 is an information car 436 had its interior burnt out |
373 | For sale at Australian Train & Railway Services [12] |
All thirteen of the 820 class trailers were retired by December 1976. The corresponding 300 class Redhens were then coupled to a 400 class railcar to form 2-car trains (designated 300/400 class). [2] In 1987, the steel-bodied 860 class trailers were withdrawn and all the 300 class Redhens were reconfigured as 2-car trains, usually consecutively numbered pairs.
In 1987/88 the State Transport Authority introduced the first of its new fleet of 3000 class railcars, which were intended to replace the Redhens. As more 3000 class were delivered through the early 1990s, the Redhens began to be withdrawn and were gradually restricted to operating only during weekday peak hours. This was especially the case when driver only operation (DOO) was introduced in the early 1990s. The manual sliding doors made Redhens unsuitable for DOO and guards had to be retained to supervise passenger boarding and alighting.
By January 1996, only 16 remained in service, confined to peak-hour Gawler, Outer Harbor and Tonsley services. [13] The last were withdrawn on 15 December 1996. [14] [15]
Whilst in service the Redhens were mechanically robust and reasonably reliable; they were attractive options for use on heritage and tourist railways after retirement. However, their age, and the increasing service time since overhaul, has affected their reliability in preservation. Some continue to operate on broad gauge lines in south-eastern Australia. Many have been broken up, but the first and last units and a few others still exist. [16] [17] [18] [19]
The National Railway Museum have 321, 400 and 875 in preservation. [20] [21]
The South Gippsland Tourist Railway (SGR) purchased Redhens 311, 402 and 416 in 1993 but after it closed in 2015 they passed to the Mornington Railway in 2016.
SAR Model Co make's a HO model kit, Both the 300 and 400 cars are produced with both unpowered and powered kit versions. The powered kits are supplied with a SPUD power units. Available kits are: 300 class 2 car kit, 400 class single car kit, 300 and 400 class box set (1 of each type) they are sold in a wooden box.
The SteamRanger Heritage Railway is a historic train society in South Australia running trains on the Victor Harbor railway line. It is the only group regularly operating broad gauge steam locomotives in South Australia. It is run by volunteers of the South Australian Division of the Australian Railway Historical Society.
The Belair railway line is a suburban rail commuter route in the city of Adelaide, South Australia, that runs from the Adelaide station to Belair in the Adelaide Hills via the Adelaide-Wolseley line.
Push–pull is a configuration for locomotive-hauled trains, allowing them to be driven from either end of the train, whether having a locomotive at each end or not.
The State Transport Authority (STA) was the government agency which controlled public transport in South Australia between 1974 and 1994.
The 620/720 class railcars were a class of Diesel Multiple Unit built by the New South Wales Government Railways and operated from 1961 until 2007.
The 2000/2100 class were a class of diesel railcars operated by the State Transport Authority and its successors in Adelaide. They were built by Comeng, Granville in 1979-1980.
The Bridgewater railway line is a former passenger railway service on the Adelaide to Wolseley line in the Adelaide Hills. It was served by TransAdelaide suburban services from Adelaide. On 26 July 1987, the service was curtailed to Belair. In 1995, the line was converted to standard gauge as part of the One Nation infrastructure program, disconnecting these stations from the broad gauge suburban railway system.
The National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide, South Australia, is Australia's largest railway museum with over 100 exhibits on display, primarily from the Commonwealth and South Australian Railways. First opening its doors in 1970, the Museum moved to its larger and current premises in 1988.
The railways of New South Wales, Australia, use a large variety of passenger and freight rolling stock.
The Kerr Stuart steam railmotor, also known as Motor Car 3, was a steam railcar operated by the Victorian Railways from 1913 to 1924.
The DRC was a class of railmotor operated by the Victorian Railways on its country rail network in Victoria, Australia. The cars were built by Tulloch Limited in New South Wales, and featured aluminium and steel construction, air-conditioning, and twin diesel engines with hydraulic transmissions.
The Bluebird railcars were a class of self-propelled diesel-hydraulic railcar built by the South Australian Railways' Islington Railway Workshops between 1954 and 1959.
The South Australian Railways Model Brill railcar were two types of railcars operated by the South Australian Railways between 1925 and 1971. Introduced to run on country rail services, the "Barwell Bulls" serviced most of the state's railway lines until they were eventually replaced by both the Bluebird and Redhen railcars, with the last units withdrawn in 1971.
The 600/700 class railcars were a class of Diesel Multiple Unit built by the New South Wales Government Railways. They were built to operate on branch lines from 1949 with low traffic volumes later being transferred to Newcastle and Wollongong to operate suburban services until withdrawn in 1994. However, one 600 class railcar was converted to solar operation for use on the Byron Bay Train service. The upgraded train entered service on 16 December 2017 and is believed to be the world's first solar-powered train.
The 400 & 500 Class rail motors are diesel trains built by New South Wales Government Railways primarily for use on regional lines throughout NSW. The trains have since been phased out following a rationalisation of country branch line rail services in November 1983. The 400 Class power cars were built in 1938 at the Eveleigh Carriage Workshops, while the 500 Class trailer cars were built by Ritchie Brothers at Auburn.
A steam railcar is a rail vehicle that does not require a locomotive as it contains its own steam engine. The first steam railcar was an experimental unit designed and built in 1847 by James Samuel and William Bridges Adams. In 1848 they made the Fairfield steam carriage that they sold to the Bristol & Exeter Railway, who used it for two years on a branch line.
The 1100 class railcar or Budd railcar are a type of diesel railcar built by Commonwealth Engineering for the New South Wales Government Railways in 1961. They primarily operated on the South Coast Daylight Express until withdrawn in 1993.