280hp Walker railmotor

280hp Walker Railmotor

Type and origin
Power type	Diesel
Designer	Walker Bros.
Builder	Walker Bros. (Power Unit), Martin & King (Body), Victorian Railways (Assemble).
Build date	1950-54
Total produced	12 + spare power unit

Specifications
Gauge	5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm)
Length	37 m (121 ft 5 in)
Loco weight	47.00t
Fuel type	Diesel
Fuel capacity	182 l
Engine type	2 x Gardner 8LW 140 hp engines

Performance figures
Maximum speed	95 km/h
Power output	280 horsepower (210 kW)

Career
Operators	Victorian Railways
Number in class	12
Numbers	RM 80 - RM 91, RM 92 (Power unit)
First run	6 June 1950

The 280 hp Walker railmotor were a diesel railcar operated by the Victorian Railways in Australia.

After the Second World War, the Victorian Railways undertook a major rebuilding program known as "Operation Phoenix". One of the first tasks was the upgrading of passenger services on country branch lines, through the replacement of 23 wooden bodied railmotors built in the 1920s, and the withdrawal of steam locomotive hauled mixed trains.

An initial order of six 153 hp (110 kW) railcars, twelve 102 hp (80 kW) railcars and twelve 280 hp (210 kW) railcars from Walker Brothers in Wigan, England was placed, with twelve complete 280 hp (210 kW) units built in total, as well as a spare motor unit.^[1] The power units and controls were shipped out from England and the car bodies built locally by Martin & King in Malvern, with the finished units assembled at Newport Workshops. Each railmotor had a total seating capacity of 94.

The first of the 280 hp (210 kW) Walkers entered service on 6 June 1950, with 80RM departing Spencer Street for Daylesford. The railcars soon saw use on the Bendigo-Deniliquin and Ararat-Portland services, and by the time the 91RM was delivered, Mansfield, Wonthaggi, Woomelang and Wangaratta were also being served by the units. The long Glenrowan - Wangaratta section often saw the railcars exceed the 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) speed limit.^[2]

In later years the railcars' already poor riding qualities had deteriorated, especially due to their light construction. By the late 1970s the Walkers had reached the end of their lives, with a number of railcars being withdrawn from service during 1978 and 1979. By 1980 only 82RM, 85RM and 91RM remained in service.^[2] The last 280 hp Walker railmotor ran on 17 September 1980, with 82RM operating the 08.00 am service from Melbourne to Woodend and return. The intended life of the Walker railmotors was only 10 years. However, most were in service for up to 30 years.

In 1981 the Central Highlands Tourist Railway (now the Daylesford Spa Country Railway) acquired 91RM, 32RM and 56MT with the transfer being carried out in March 1982. Restoration of 91RM began in January 1987, and was certified for traffic in March 1990.^[2]

Status

Railmotor	Entered service	Withdrawn	Scrapped	Current Status	Notes
80RM	Tuesday, 6 June 1950
81RM	Monday, 21 August 1950
82RM	Tuesday, 12 December 1950		N/A	Now at Daylesford Spa Country Railway	Stored pending restoration.
83RM	Friday, 2 February 1951
84RM	Wednesday, 21 March 1951
85RM	Wednesday, 23 May 1951			Mornington Railway	Stored pending restoration
86RM	Tuesday, 17 July 1951
87RM	Friday, 3 August 1951
88RM	Friday, 7 September 1951
89RM	Thursday, 25 October 1951		1980	Scrapped
90RM	Thursday, 13 December 1951
91RM	Sunday, 30 December 1951		N/A	Now at Daylesford Spa Country Railway	Operational
92RM	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Spare Power unit only

References

↑ "Railmotors: 280 hp Walker". VICSIG. www.vicsig.net. Retrieved 2008-03-24.
1 2 3 Barry Fell (July 1990). "A very brief history of the 280s". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division): 200–201.

External links

The Great Victorian Train Website Project - 280hp Walker

Locomotives and rolling stock of the Victorian Railways, predecessors and successors

Melbourne & Hobson's Bay Railway Company	Pile Driver Engine (1854) First Engine - 2-2-2WT (1854) 2-4-0WT (1854) Pier Donkey No.5 - 0-4-0WT (1857) 2-4-0WT (1858), later N Class

Geelong & Melbourne Railway Company	Ariel - 0-4-0T (1855) Titania, Oberon, Typhoon & Sirocco - 2-2-2WT (1855) Hurricane & Cyclone - 2-4-0WT (1857) Goliath, Hercules, Smason & Tubal-Cain - 0-6-0WT (1855)

Melbourne & Suburban Railway Company	Hawthorn & Richmond - 2-4-0T (1860) Kew & BN#1378 - 2-4-0WT (1861)

Melbourne Railway Company	Windsor & Prahran - 2-4-0WT (1863)

Melbourne & Essendon Railway Company	Essendon (BN#458), BN#459 & BN#488 2-4-0T (1861), later SAR E Class

Melbourne & Hobson's Bay United Railway Company	Toorak, Victoria, No.16 & No.19 - 2-4-0T (1865) 4-4-0WT (1871), later C Class Pier Donkey No.24 - 0-4-0WT (1875)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, F.C. Christy period (1858-1870)	No.1 (passenger) 2-2-2, later 2-4-0 (1857) 'Old' V class (goods) 0-6-0 (1857) P class 0-6-0 (1859) J class 2-2-2, later 2-4-0 (1859) B class 2-4-0 (1861) L class 2-4-0ST (1861) O class 0-6-0 (1861) G&MRC engines 19, 21, 34-44 evens only (1960's)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, W. Meikle period (1871-1877)	No.100 2-4-0 (1872) Q class 0-6-0 (1873) No.103, No.105 & U class 0-6-0 (1873) T class 0-6-0 (1874) F class 2-4-0 (1874), later 2-4-2T (1910) K class 2-4-0 (1874) G class 4-4-0 (1877) H class 4-4-0 (1877) No.162 & No.164 4-4-0 (1877)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, S. Mirls period (1878-1890)	M class 4-4-0T (1879), later ME class 4-4-2T (1901) 'Old' R class 0-6-0 (1879) W & S class 4-6-0 (1880) Pier locomotives 0-4-0WT (1880) 'Belgian' R class 0-6-0 (1883) Locomotives for Motor service - Rowan 0-4-0T (1883) 'Old' A class 4-4-0 (1884) X class 0-6-0 (1886) N class 2-4-0WT (1886) C Class 4-4-0WT (1886) D class 4-4-0 (1887) Y class 0-6-0 (1888) 'New' A class 4-4-0 (1889) 'New' R & R^Y class 0-6-0 (1889) E class 2-4-2T (1889)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, A.D. Smith period (1877, 1890-1893)	E^E class 0-6-2T (1893) Locomotives for Motor service - Z Class 2-4-0T & 0-6-0T (1893)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, T.H. Woodroffe period (1893-1912)	V class 2-8-0 (1899) A^A class 4-4-0 (1889) M class 4-4-0T (1879), later M^E class 4-4-2T (1901) D^D class 4-6-0 (1902), D^D_E later D⁴ class 4-6-2T (1908) A² class 4-6-0 (1907) Modified tank locomotives for Motor service - N class 2-4-0WT (1895), C Class 4-4-0WT (1904), F class 2-4-2T (1910) Modified tender locomotives for Motor service - H150 4-4-0 (1908), J4, J6 2-4-0 (1908)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, W.M. Shannon period (1912-1919)	C class 2-8-0 (1918)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, A.E. Smith period (1919-1928)	D¹ class 4-6-0 (1922) , D² class 4-6-0 (1922) K class 2-8-0 (1922) N class 2-8-2 (1925) S class 4-6-2 (1928)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, N.C. Harris period (1928-1933)	D³ class 4-6-0 (1929) X class 2-8-2 (1929)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, A.C. Ahlston period (1933-1955)	H class 4-8-4 (1941) R class 4-6-4 (1951) J class 2-8-0 (1954)

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