#2676
NZR RM class (Vulcan)
🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by Vulcan Foundry· from 1940· class of 10 New Zealand diesel railcars
1 photo from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Branch vulcan w: Michael Tolich· CC BY 3.0
what is it?
The NZR RM class Vulcan railcars were operated by the New Zealand Government Railways (NZR) in the South Island of New Zealand. All New Zealand railcars are classified as RM (Rail Motor), and this class derived their nomenclature from the name of the manufacturer, the Vulcan Foundry of Britain.
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 86 years ago, in 1940.
- Weighs about as much as 6 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 20.1 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
- Served for 38 years (1940–1978).
multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.
spec sheet
- built
- 1940
- in service from
- 1940
- retired
- 1978
- status
- retired
- number built
- 10
- kind
- multiple unit
- traction
- diesel
- origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- builders
- Vulcan Foundry
- operators
- New Zealand Railways Department
- top speed
- 121 km/h
- power
- 186 kW
- gauge
- 1,067 mm Cape gauge
- wheel arrangement
- A1A-2
- length
- 20.1 m
- weight
- 36.6 t
- capacity
- 50 passengers
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q16927131, Wikipedia: NZR RM class (Vulcan) (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.