Railways and Tramways of Australia

Super rail motor

 

A petrol-electric rail motor entered service in Victoria on 7 March 1928. It was the first petrol-electric rail motor to operate in Australia.

 

RM55 was ordered from the Electro-Motive Company in Cleveland, Ohio. It featured a Winton 220-horsepower (164-kW) engine. After arriving in Victoria, RM55 was assembled at Newport Workshops before commencing service. Its sister, RM61, began running in 1930. They were able to operate alone or with a trailer.

 

Weighing around 46 tons (47 tonnes), RM55 and RM61 featured riveted steel bodies. In operation they were sturdy and reliable. Rail motors were able to operate more cheaply than steam-hauled trains. They were particularly useful on lines with light traffic.

 

RM55 was converted from a petrol-electric rail motor (PERM) to a diesel-electric rail motor (DERM) in 1952, being fitted with a General Motors engine. It remained in regular service.

 

RM55 was rebuilt and lengthened in 1979. The goods area was converted into expanded passenger accommodation. First Class was abolished and fixed seats were replaced by tip over seating. A sound-resistant wall was installed between the driver and the motor to reduce noise. Aluminium-framed windows were installed. Also, the radiator was removed from the front of the vehicle. RM55 became known as a ‘Super DERM’.

 

By 1988, RM55 was the oldest item of motive power in revenue service with Victorian Railways. Recognition of its historic value was acknowledged in 1991 when it was placed on the Historic Vehicles Register. It was withdrawn in 1993, after 65 years of service.

 

RM55 has been preserved and is located at the Yarra Valley Railway, based in Healesville.

 

It is hoped that this Super DERM will once again be able to operate services.

 

Bibliography

‘Australia’s first petrol electric rail car’, The Victorian Railways Magazine, April 1928, pp 16–17.

A Blair, ‘Yarra Valley Railway Super DERM 55RM restoration’, Newsrail, vol. 48, no. 7, July 2020, p 224.

N Bray, PJ Vincent, & DM Gregory, A brief history of preserved rolling stock of Victoria, Brief History Books, Melbourne, 2013.

C Kelly, ‘She was known as no other than motor no. 55’, Australian Railway Enthusiast, vol. 26, no. 1, March 1988, pp 8–9.

P Medlin, ‘Rail motors of the Victorian Railways’, Newsrail, vol. 20, no. 5, May 1992, pp 140–5.