This article is about the New Zealand railcar service and the railcars themselves. For other uses, see Silver Fern (disambiguation).
The NZR RM class Clayton steam railcar was a unique railcar that operated on New Zealand's national rail network, one of only a few steam railcars to operate in New Zealand. Built in 1926 by Clayton Carriage and Wagon of Lincoln, England and assembled at the New Zealand Railways' (NZR) workshops in Petone, the railcar could seat up to 52 people and its steam engine could generate a boiler pressure of 275 pounds-force per square inch. It could be driven from either end and was capable of hauling a wagon or two of freight, and its airy, open design proved popular with passengers.
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. The railcar had a wheel arrangement of Bo-Bo under the UIC classification system, weighed 32 tonnes, had driving controls at each end, and with an engine output of 90 kW (120 hp), it travelled comfortably at 60 km/h.
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 railbuses of 1936.
The NZR RM class Leyland diesel railbus was the first diesel-powered vehicle to enter revenue service on New Zealand's national rail network. Two railbuses were built, RM 20 and RM 21, and they commenced service in August 1936 as temporary short-use vehicles that would operate until better, larger rolling stock became available. Although sometimes considered to be railcars, their small size means that they more closely suit the definition of a railbus.
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 (NZR) was seeking alternative methods of providing rural passenger transportation. "Mixed" trains that carried both passengers and freight were typical on country branch lines as there was not sufficient traffic to justify a separate passenger train, but the schedule delays caused by loading and unloading freight during the journey made the mixed trains undesirable.
The NZR RM class Model T Ford railcar was a type of railcar that operated on New Zealand's national rail network. Only two were built, classified as RM 4 and RM 5, and they were experimental railcars designed in an attempt to offer improved passenger services on quiet country branch lines that served regions with small populations.
The NZR RM class 88-seaters were a class of railcar used in New Zealand, also known unofficially as 'articulateds', 'twinsets', 'Drewrys' and 'Fiats'. They were purchased to replace steam-hauled provincial passenger trains and mixed trains. New Zealand Railways classed the railcars RM, the notation used for all railcars.
The NZR RM class Wairarapa railcar (or Rimutaka railcar) was the first truly successful class of railcars to operate on New Zealand's national rail network. They entered service in 1936 and were classified RM like all other classes of railcars in New Zealand; they came to be known as the 'Wairarapa' class (and sometimes as the 'Rimutaka' class) as they were designed to operate over the famous Rimutaka Incline to the Wairarapa region. They also acquired the nickname of "tin hares" in New Zealand railfan jargon.
The NZR RM class Vulcan railcars were a class of railcar that were operated by the New Zealand Railways Department in the South Island of New Zealand. Like all classes of railcar in New Zealand, they were classified as RM and were known as 'Vulcan' railcars to distinguish them from other classes. This name came from the manufacturer of the class, Vulcan Foundry.
The NZR RM class Standard railcars were a class of railcar operated by the New Zealand Railways Department 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 others. They were introduced in 1938.
The RM class is the classification used by the New Zealand Railways Department (NZR) and its successors given to all railcars and railbuses that have operated on New Zealand's national rail network. As NZR has operated many diverse types of railcars, alternate names have been given to individual railcar classes. 'RM' stands for Rail Motor.
The NZR RM class Sentinel-Cammell steam railcar was a steam-powered railcar operated by the New Zealand Railways Department (NZR). It was the only one of its type to operate in New Zealand, and one of only a few steam railcars trialled in the country.