Diesel Electric railmotor (VR) explained

Diesel Electric Rail Motor (DERM)
Powertype:Diesel engine, Originally Petrol
Builder:Newport Workshops
Designer:Electro-Motive Corporation
Builddate:1928–1931
Totalproduction:10
Length:58feet
Locoweight:43.07LT
Fueltype:Originally Petrol, converted to Diesel fuel
Fuelcap:750L
Enginetype:220 hp Winton six-cylinder petrol engine (Petrol)
2 x Series 71 twin six-cylinder diesel engines (Diesel)
Generator:General Electric DT 501E2
Tractionmotors:2 x General Electric GE 273A
Maxspeed:100km/h
Poweroutput:220 hp (Petrol), 255 bhp (Diesel)
Operator:Victorian Railways, V/Line
Numinclass:10
Fleetnumbers:55RM - 64RM
Firstrundate:1928

The Diesel Electric Rail Motor (DERM) was a type of railmotor operated by the Victorian Railways in Australia.

History

Originally built as a petrol electric rail motor (PERM), they were the longest-lived rail motor on the Victorian Railways, with the first entering service in 1928 and the last being withdrawn in 1991.[1]

The rail motor, also known as the railcar, was a standard product of the US Electro-Motive Corporation (a predecessor of Electro-Motive Diesel) and built between 1924 and 1932,[2] [3] albeit to a smaller loading gauge and wider track gauge. The first was imported in 1927, assembled at Newport Workshops, and placed in service in 1928.[4] The bodies of the remaining nine were constructed at Newport Workshops using imported equipment and electrical components, and placed in service between 1930 and 1931.

The rail motors were initially powered by a 220hp Winton Motor Carriage Company petrol engine. When those wore out in the early 1950s, they were replaced with twin GM Detroit Diesel Series 71 engines, with a power output of 275bhp, de-rated to match the original 220hp generator.

A DERM, with a DERM Trailer car attached, ran a regular passenger service on the South Gippsland line in the 1960s and 1970s. By the 1970s, the longest scheduled journey run by a DERM was the Bendigo to Robinvale run, last operated on 3 June 1978.[5]

In 1976, RM 56 was fitted with a new seating arrangement, including rotating seats, using components from the Z carriage fleet. Capacity was reduced to 34 passengers, because the new seating arrangement was two either side of the central aisle rather than the previous two and three. The first-class end of the vehicle was moved towards the centre, closer to the engine, but providing a smoother ride by averaging the suspension of both bogies rather than just one.[6] The trial arrangement was used on the Yarrawonga line, but patronage did not increase sufficiently to justify the retention of that service.[7]

Following the changes to 56RM, 55RM and 61RM were extensively modified in the late 1970s, with the engines relocated, the body extended, and a new seating arrangement provided.[8] [9] The most obvious external difference was the fitting of aluminium-framed windows on the driver's cabin, and porthole windows for the engine room.[10] [11] Those "Super DERMs" were a familiar sight on the adjoining Mornington and Stony Point lines prior to the early 1980s.

Details of vehicles

Motor units

Railmotor[12] Entered serviceUpgraded to DERMWithdrawnCurrent ownerCurrent allocationCurrent statusNotes
55RM "Super DERM"1928-03-071952-10-271993VicTrack HeritageAllocated to Yarra Valley Railway[13] Under Restoration"Super DERM"; formerly at South Gippsland Railway
56RM1930-03-291952-08-29VicTrack HeritageSteamrail Victoria, BallaratPending restorationUpgraded interior pre Super DERM program
57RM1930-04-161952-12-301982Scrapped
58RM1930-05-031952-05-10VicTrack HeritageAllocated to Diesel Electric Rail Motor Preservation Association of VictoriaPreserved; operational
59RM1930-05-141953-05-23Diesel Electric Rail Motor Preservation Association of VictoriaDiesel Electric Rail Motor Preservation Association of VictoriaSupply of spare partsFormerly with Mornington Railway, transferred September 2015
60RM1930-06-181951-10-29Diesel Electric Rail Motor Preservation Association of VictoriaDiesel Electric Rail Motor Preservation Association of VictoriaPending restorationStored at Newport Workshops
61RM "Super DERM"1930-06-211953-10-291978Victorian Goldfields RailwayVictorian Goldfields RailwayPreserved; operational"Super DERM"
62RM1930-07-211952-01-26Daylesford Spa Country RailwayDaylesford Spa Country RailwayStored; Pending restoration
63RM1930-08-071952-12-06Daylesford Spa Country RailwayDaylesford Spa Country RailwayPreserved; operational
64RM1931-04-271952-07-26Diesel Electric Rail Motor Preservation Association of VictoriaDiesel Electric Rail Motor Preservation Association of VictoriaUnder restoration

Trailers

RailmotorEntered serviceWithdrawnScrappedCurrent statusNotes
26MT1930-04-291982-11-16Preserved - Stored?Daylesford Spa Country Railway
27MT1930-04-291982-11-19
28MT1930-10-041981-06-091981-08-17
29MT1930-09-261982-11-19
30MT1930-09-261982-11-19

Preservation

All but one of the DERMs have survived into preservation, with 57RM being the only DERM to have been scrapped. Four are operational, with the remaining five in various conditions, generally as a source of spare parts with long-term restoration in mind.

Of the regular DERMs, 58RM, operated by the Diesel Electric Rail Motor Preservation Association of Victoria, regularly runs tours on the Melbourne and Victorian broad gauge system,[14] and 63RM runs trips on the Daylesford line with trailer 26MT when appropriate.[15]

55RM is allocated to the Newport Railway Museum but was sub-allocated to the South Gippsland Railway. When the latter closed in 2016, it moved to the Yarra Valley Tourist Railway.[13] 61RM operates on the Victorian Goldfields Railway between Maldon and Castlemaine.[16]

See also

Notes and References

  1. General News - Calendar . Newsrail . May 2011 . 133 . Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division).
  2. Book: White, John . The American Railroad Passenger Car . The Johns Hopkins University Press . 1978 . 0-8018-1965-2 . Baltimore . 606–7.
  3. Venn. Michael. The doodlebugs that endured. Trains. April 1978. 45.
  4. Book: Victorian Railways Rolling Stock, 1926-1961 . Victorian Model Railway Society . 1986 . 0-9596202-2-2 . 150.
  5. Passenger Service Withdrawals Since 1960 . Newsrail . Chris . Banger . March 1997 . 25 . 3 . 77–82 . Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division) . 0310-7477 . 19676396.
  6. Web site: DERM - Diesel Electric Type . Victorian Railways . Net . 23 July 2023.
  7. Web site: Railpage . Possible candidates for reopened country services in Vic? . 23 July 2023.
  8. Bray, Vincent & Gregory, Preserved Rolling Stock of Victoria, 2013,, p.62
  9. Web site: Surviving E.M.C. Railcars located around the world in order of build date . DERMPAV . 2023-07-23.
  10. Web site: 55RM . DERMPAV . 2017-06-28.
  11. Web site: 61RM . DERMPAV . 2017-06-28.
  12. Web site: Surviving E.M.C. Railcars - DERMPAV. DERMPAV.net.au. 1 November 2016.
  13. Web site: RM55 has a new home at the YVR! . Yarra Valley Railway . 2023-07-23.
  14. Web site: Home . dermpav.net.au.
  15. Web site: Home . dscr.com.au.
  16. Web site: Victorian Goldfields Railway.