Specifications
| Type: | Diesel-Mechanical Railcar |
| Seating: | 36 / 52 |
| Introduced: | 1955 |
| Number in Class: | 35 |
| Manufacturer: | Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Co |
| Gauge: | 3′ 6″ |
| Axles: | B0- 2 – B0 |
| Length: | 107′-6″ over buffers |
| Width: | 8′-10″ over body |
| Weight: | 57.15 tons |
| Engine: | (2) 6 cyl. Fiat (OE) |
| Transmission: | Diesel mechanical through 5 speed gearbox (OE) |
| Power: | 2 x 138 kW / 187 hp (OE) |
| Max Speed: | 65 mph |
The 35 Drewry Car Company designed twinset railcars were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company (BCRW) in the early – mid 1950s along with many NZR shunt locomotives. The BRCW closed in the 1960s and passed into history however the name and records were never lost and held with one of the company’s former employees. Within the last couple of years, a new initiative to recreate the BRCW emerged taking over ownership of the name and setting up shop as a new company with the aim to preserve and recreate long lost BRCW locomotives and other associated projects.
The RM 133 Railcar Trust Board was set up in 2000 to specifically save and restore the remains of ex NZR Drewry Twinset Articulated Railcar RM 133, the last known substantial survivor of a class of 35 Railcars to serve on most provincial and mainline routes throughout New Zealand between 1955 and 1978 and well remembered for replacing steam hauled expresses in the earlier period.
RM 133 was shipped from Britain on 29 July 1956 and entered service on 26 November that year. It was based in Auckland for most of its life and occasionally ran in service coupled to RM 121. It was the last Drewry Railcar to run regularly scheduled services to Rotorua, New Plymouth and Taumarunui. RM 133 was withdrawn from service in May 1978 and in December that year was converted to an Ac Set (locomotive hauled carriage set) more commonly known as “Grass Grubs” due to their distinct green colour. Once converted, RM 133 was renumber Ac 13 (later Ac 8140).
After Ac 13 was withdrawn from service, it was sold to Auckland International Airport where it was used for staff evacuation training simulating an aircraft. In 2000 it was offered for preservation and was thought to be the only surviving example of a Drewry Twinset.
After suffering unfortunate fire damage to its No 2 end, the remains were removed in February 2002 from Auckland Airport and transported to the location of the Pahiatua Railcar Society in Pahiatua. The Lotteries Grants Board generously assisted the trust with a substantial grant to make this happen.
Over the course of time the trust became aware of the substantial amount of Drewry Twinset Railcar components that included cab control equipment, light fittings, seats and under floor equipment that were removed from other members of the class that were being scrapped and thankfully saved by other preservation organisations and individuals. These have now been kindly donated and to date have been restored to a mainline serviceable condition and await fitting.
The biggest news for the trust was the knowledge that the two body halves of Drewry Twinset Railcar, RM 121, had also survived. One half was discovered in Waitomo and the whereabouts of other half was unknown, although rumours were circulating about a North Auckland location. Some meticulous detective work was carried out by one of the trusts’ members and eventually it was located sitting in a quarry near Kerikeri and once inspected, was found to be in considerably better condition than RM 133.
RM 121 is the only other surviving ex-New Zealand Railways Drewry Twinset railcars. Entering service between 1955 and 1958, RM 121 operated throughout New Zealand and was eventually written-off in September 1978 and subsequently sold in to private ownership. In 1989 the cars were separated and on sold.
In 2003 the No.2 car was acquired by the RM 133 Trust Board and was delivered to Pahiatua. Some 8 years later, in 2011, the No.1 car was acquired and delivered to Pahiatua, the first time in 22 years the two halves had been together in one place.
RM 133 is now in dry storage at the Pahiatua Railcar Society, with many of its components used for the restoration of RM 121.
The RM133 Trust, having served its purpose, has now been absorbed by the Society providing a secure future for the project.
The restoration process is on going with a small dedicated team of volunteers working to bring RM 121 back to operational condition and to enable the worlds only Drewry Twinset to operate on New Zealand rails once again.
Sponsors supporting the restoration of RM121
