#2438
NZR RM class (Red Terror)
🇳🇿 New Zealand ·built by New Zealand Railways Department· from 1934· class of 1 New Zealand railcar
what is it?
The Red Terror was a four-wheel railcar built in 1934 and used by the general manager of New Zealand Railways, Garnet Mackley, for six years for inspections of the railway system, and to demonstrate the potential for using petrol- and diesel-powered railcars in New Zealand. The railcar could carry 7 people plus the driver. It was given the classification RM 1.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 92 years ago, in 1934.
- Served for 7 years (1934–1941).
multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.
spec sheet
- built
- 1934
- in service from
- 1934
- retired
- 1941
- status
- retired
- number built
- 1
- kind
- multiple unit
- origin
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand
- builders
- New Zealand Railways Department, Hutt Workshops
- operators
- New Zealand Railways Department
- top speed
- 97 km/h
- power
- 45 kW
- gauge
- 1,067 mm Cape gauge
- wheel arrangement
- 1-A
- length
- 5.5 m
- capacity
- 7 passengers
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q30597394, Wikipedia: NZR RM class (Red Terror) (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.