Queensland Railways 1800 class rail motor
| Queensland Railways 1800 class railmotor | |
|---|---|
 A new 1800 Class railmotor on the traverser at Commonwealth Engineering Granville NSW 1952. | |
| Manufacturer | Commonwealth Engineering |
| Built at | Granville |
| Constructed | 1952–1954 |
| Number built | 24 (12 railmotors and 12 trailer passenger) |
| Number in service | 2 (one railmotor, converted to a trailer passenger and one trailer passenger) |
| Number preserved | 5 (one complete railmotor, three privately owned railmotor bodies without bogies and one privately owned trailer passenger without bogies) |
| Number scrapped | 17 (7 railmotors and 10 trailer passenger) |
| Diagram | M1800 P47 Queensland Railways Mechanical Engineers Branch Ipswich Qld. drawn 26/11/1952 |
| Fleet numbers | Rail motors 1800 1803 1804 1807 1808 1811 1812 1815 1816 1819 1820 1823 Trailer passenger 1801 1802 1805 1806 1809 1810 1813 1814 1817 1818 1821 1822 |
| Capacity | 55 passengers |
| Operators | Queensland Railways |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | 14.885 mtrs (48 ft 10 1/4 inches) |
| Width | 2.83 mtrs (9 ft 3 3/8 inches) |
| Height | 3.763 mtrs (12 ft 4 1/16 inches) |
| Floor height | 1.041 mtrs (3 ft 5 inches) |
| Doors | Railmotor, 4 side doors plus 1 rear end door. Trailer passenger. 4 side doors plus 2 end doors, one at each end. |
| Wheel diameter | Front power bogie 762 mm (2 ft 6 inches). Rear bogie 838 mm (2 ft 9 inches) |
| Weight | 23.217 tonnes (22 tons 17 cwt) |
| Prime mover(s) | Single Gardner 6L3 diesel |
| Power output | 114 kW (153 hp) |
| Transmission | Hydraulic Coupling Wilson Epicyclic Type 5.8. 4 speed electro pnematic self selecting 4 speed gearbox. |
| Bogies | Front: Drewry Power Bogie. Rear: Ride Control A.3. bogie. |
| Coupling system | Double buffer and chain link. |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
The 1800 class railmotors were a class of self-propelled diesel railmotors built by Commonwealth Engineering, Granville for the Queensland Railways.
History[edit]
In 1949, the Queensland Railways placed an order for 12 aluminium two-carriage 1800 class railmotors with Commonwealth Engineering, Granville. Each set comprised a power car (RM – "Rail Motor") and trailer car (TP – "Trailer Passenger"). The railmotors seated 55 passengers and were delivered to Queensland Railways between 1952 and 1954.[1]
These trains were used on most Brisbane's suburban lines as well as country lines, especially in North Queensland. On suburban lines, they usually ran with two diesel powered railmotors at each end and one or more non powered trailer cars between the two. However, the 1800 class were not popular with passengers as they featured uncomfortable seating, poor riding qualities and inadequate ventilation for Queensland's humid subtropical climate.[2]
Preservation[edit]
Two trailer carriages, one of which is converted from a railmotor, remain in service on the Gulflander, operating between Normanton and Croydon, and one complete railmotor is preserved at the Rosewood Railway Museum.[3] Three railmotor bodies without bogies and one trailer passenger body also without bogies are privately owned.
Gallery[edit]
-
New 1800 Class Railmotor at Commonwealth Engineering Granville NSW 1952. -
Queensland Railways 1800 Class railmotor 1803 at Auchenflower Queensland 23 Aug 1976 -
1800 Class railmotor trailer cars 1809 and 1811 behind RM93 on the Gulflander
Summary[edit]
 |
| Number | In service | Withdrawn | Scrapped | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RM1800 | 23 November 1952 | 16 January 1979 | October 1985 | |
| TP1801 | 23 November 1952 | |||
| TP1802 | 23 November 1952 | |||
| RM1803 | 23 November 1952 | 15 February 1979 | Body privately owned at Wondai. | |
| RM1804 | 28 January 1953 | 23 February 1980 | Body privately owned near Dalby. | |
| TP1805 | 28 January 1953 | |||
| TP1806 | 28 January 1953 | |||
| RM1807 | 28 January 1953 | 19 July 1975 | July 1976 | |
| RM1808 | 29 March 1953 | 15 February 1969 | March 1972 | |
| TP1809 | 29 March 1953 | In use as a trailer on the Gulflander since 1980. | ||
| TP1810 | 29 March 1953 | 15 February 1969 | March 1972 | |
| RM1811 | 29 March 1953 | Used as the QR Commissioners Car in the 1980s. Demotored in 1991, reclassified TP1811 for use as a trailer on the Gulflander. | ||
| RM1812 | 26 June 1953 | 20 November 1978 | Body privately owned near Gympie. | |
| TP1813 | 26 June 1953 | Body privately owned near Ebenezer. | ||
| TP1814 | 26 June 1953 | |||
| RM1815 | 26 June 1953 | 10 October 1978 | Preserved at the Rosewood Railway Museum. | |
| RM1816 | 20 September 1953 | 15 November 1976 | October 1985 | |
| TP1817 | 20 September 1953 | |||
| TP1818 | 20 September 1953 | |||
| RM1819 | 20 September 1953 | 18 February 1979 | October 1985 | |
| RM1820 | 30 June 1954 | 14 November 1974 | June 1979 | |
| TP1821 | 30 June 1954 | |||
| TP1822 | 30 June 1954 | |||
| RM1823 | 30 June 1954 | 13 March 1972 | October 1985 |
References[edit]
- ^ Dunn, John (2006). Comeng: A History of Commonwealth Engineering Volume 1: 1921–1955. Kenthurst: Rosenberg Publishing. pp. 203–206. ISBN 1-877058-42-4.
- ^ Kerr, and Armstrong (1978). Destination Sth Brisbane: An illusrated history of the Southside railways of Brisbane. Australia: Australian Railway Hist, Soc. p. 106.
- ^ The 1800 Class "Blue Lagoons" Queendsland's Great Trains