#3253

South Australian Railways Redhen railcar

🇦🇺 Australia ·built by South Australian Railways· from 1955· class of Australian railcar / diesel multiple unit

4 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences

1. Redhen: Ian Threlfall· CC BY-SA 3.0
2. South Australian Railways 400, 820, 300 class 'Red Hen' railcar consist (NRM 251-338-s74-17): Hugh S. Williams· CC BY 4.0
3. Redhen Railcar-South Australia-2003: John Masson· CC BY-SA 3.0
4. SteamRanger's Redhen Railcar no. 424 at Mount Barker: Islington Bricks· CC BY 4.0

what is it?

The Redhen railcars (originally, Red Hen) was the nickname given to the 300 and 400 classes of diesel-hydraulic railcars designed by the South Australian Railways and built at its Islington Railway Workshops between 1955 and 1971. The railcars, which operated in Adelaide suburban service until 1996, remain a nostalgic part of South Australian memory. Some continue to be operated by the SteamRanger Heritage Railway, the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide and other railway preservation entities.

who runs it

South Australian Railways State Transport Authority TransAdelaide

base stats

speed 88 km/htop speed
built 111made in total

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 71 years ago, in 1955.
20 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
Served for 41 years (1955–1996).

multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.

spec sheet

built: 1955
in service from: 1955
retired: 1996
status: retired
number built: 111
kind: multiple unit
traction: diesel
origin: 🇦🇺 Australia
builders: South Australian Railways
operators: South Australian Railways, State Transport Authority, TransAdelaide
top speed: 88 km/h
power: —
gauge: 1,600 mm Irish broad gauge
formation: 1/2/3 carriages
length: 20 m

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q7305895, Wikipedia: South Australian Railways Redhen railcar (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.