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The NZR RM class Vulcan railcars were operated by the New Zealand Government Railways (NZR) in the South Island of New Zealand. All New Zealand railcars were classified as RM (Rail Motor), and this class derived their nomenclature from the name of the manufacturer, the Vulcan Foundry of Britain. == Background == On 9 May 1938, the Minister of Railways announced an order for ten railcars from the Vulcan Foundry of Britain. They were intended to provide a service on the Midland Line from Christchurch to the West Coast, replacing the Leyland diesel railcars built in 1936 for the service as a temporary measure. The Vulcan railcars had a driver's compartment at each end, so they did not need to be turned at the terminus for the return journey. They originally had 28 and 22 seats in the two passenger compartments, but the second compartment was reduced to 20 seats, with a small guard's compartment replacing two seats and reducing the number of passengers from 50 to 48. They had a low axle loading to operate on routes like the Stillwater - Westport Line with light bridges, hence the power bogie was built with three axles with an intermediate carrying axle instead of two axles as originally proposed. They were designed to operate at speeds of up to , though in service they were restricted to a maximum speed of , still fast for rural New Zealand railway lines at the time. The first Vulcan railcar arrived in New Zealand in September 1940. Three more arrived by April 1941, with all nine members in operation by the second half of 1942. Ten railcars had been built, but only nine arrived in New Zealand as the ship carrying the tenth was sunk during World War II. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「NZR RM class (Vulcan)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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