#2512
NZR RM class (Wairarapa)
🇳🇿 New Zealand ·built by New Zealand Railways Department· from 1936· class of 7 New Zealand railcars
1 photo from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. NZR RM class Wairarapa 01: Matthew25187 at English Wikipedia· CC BY 3.0
what is it?
The NZR RM class Wairarapa railcar was a class of railcars on New Zealand's national rail network. They entered service in 1936 (three weeks after the Midland railcars) and were classified RM like all other classes of railcars in New Zealand; they came to be known as the "Wairarapa" class as they were designed to operate over the famous Rimutaka Incline to the Wairarapa region on the Wairarapa Line. They also acquired the nickname of "tin hares" in New Zealand railfan jargon.
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 90 years ago, in 1936.
- Weighs about as much as 2 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 17.4 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
- Served for 21 years (1936–1957).
multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.
spec sheet
- built
- 1936
- in service from
- 1936
- retired
- 1957
- status
- retired
- number built
- 7
- kind
- multiple unit
- traction
- diesel
- origin
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand
- builders
- New Zealand Railways Department, Hutt Workshops
- operators
- New Zealand Railways Department
- top speed
- 97 km/h
- power
- 97 kW
- gauge
- 1,067 mm Cape gauge
- wheel arrangement
- 2-A
- length
- 17.4 m
- weight
- 13.6 t
- capacity
- 49 passengers
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q6956241, Wikipedia: NZR RM class (Wairarapa) (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.