| South Australian Railways Model 55 and 75 Railcars | |
|---|---|
| In service | 1925-1971 |
| Manufacturer | J.G. Brill Company, Philadelphia, USA (chassis), South Australian Railways Islington Workshops (body) |
| Constructed | 1924, 1926-1927, 1930 |
| Entered service | 1924-25, 1927-1930 |
| Number built | 12 Model 55s plus 35 Model 75 railmotors |
| Fleet numbers | Railcar No. 4-15, 30-59, 98-106 |
| Operator | South Australian Railways |
| Line(s) served | All Adelaide metropolitan railway services plus country services |
| Specifications | |
| Engine(s) |
Model 55: Midewest 4-cylinder petrol engine, 68 hp (51 kW) (original); later refitted with Gardner 102 hp (76 kW) six-cylinder diesel engines Model 75: Winton 4-cylinder petrol engine, 186 hp (139 kW), later refitted with Gardner six-cylinder diesel engines |
| Transmission | Mechanical: 4-speed manual |
| Gauge | Narrow gauge (3 ft 6 in (1.07 m), standard gauge (5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)) |
The South Australian Railways Model 55 and 75 Brill railcars were two types of railcars that served the South Australian Railways for several decades (1925–1971). Introduced to run on country rail services, the "Barwell Bulls" serviced most of the state's railway lines until they were eventually replaced by both the Bluebird and Redhen railcars, with the last units withdrawn from SAR service in 1971.
Contents |
In 1924, the South Australian Railways (SAR) decided to order a group of railcars in order to continue services at country stations that didn't have enough passenger numbers to make those services financially viable. J.G. Brill were contracted to supply twelve railcar chassis, which would be mated to bodies constructed by the SAR's own Islington Workshops. Eventually these railcars entered service during 1924 and 1925 as the Model 55 railcar class, and overnight these trains were a success.
Two years later the Brill company supplied the SAR with an improved version of the railcar, known as the Model 75 within the SAR and soon after 24 Model 75s and 25 trailers were under construction at Islington Workshops, and during 1927 these entered service. Like the 55s before it these were intended for country services, but the main difference was the engine choice (the 75s had 186 hp Winton Model 110 six-cylinder engines versus the 68 hp Midewest fours found on the 55s).
When first built the 55s and 75s worked on country lines around South Australia up until their withdrawal from service and featured a brown livery. To celebrate the 80th anniversary of the SAR in 1936, all Model 55s and 75s still in service were given a repaint into a green and cream livery-which they wore until retirement. Later on yellow stripes were added to the front to increase visibility.
Another change was the engine choices. From delivery all 55s carried Midewest four-cylinder engines, while the 75s used more powerful Winton Model 110 six-cylinder engines. From 1934 SAR begun re-fitting the railcars with Gardner six-cylinder diesel engines on the 55s and Cummins diesels on the 75s, but thanks to the events that occurred between 1939 and 1945 some railcars didn't get their conversions until after the end of World War II. At the same time multiple-unit controls were fitted to the Brill railcars.
However, the Brills were facing replacement during the 1950s. In 1955 the SAR introduced its Bluebird and Redhen railcars, and therefore the "Barwell Bulls"-nicknamed after the then Premier of South Australia and the sound that the air horn emitted-were eventually moved to suburban services in Adelaide and its surrounding suburbs. More Redhens eventually came to replace them on the metropolitan lines and as a result the last Brill railcars were withdrawn in October 1971s-not long after the last Redhens entered service.
Only three Brills have survived their replacement wrath. Railcars 8 (55) and 41 (75) is at Port Dock Station Railway Museum, while 106 (75) is at the Pichi Richi Railway. The remainder have been scrapped or converted to PWS sleeping cars...
[1] National Railway Museum website [1] [2]
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