Diesel Electric railmotor (VR)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

D.E.R.M. (originaly P.E.R.M.)

RM58 At Newport Workshops
Power type	Diesel engine, Originally Petrol
Designer	St Louis Car Company
Builder	St Louis Car Company (First) Victorian Railways
Build date	1928 - 1931
Total production	10
Power output	220 hp (Petrol), 255 bhp (Diesel)

The Diesel Electric Rail Motor (commonly referred to as a DERM was a railmotor operated by the Victorian Railways of Australia

Originally built as a Petrol Electric Rail Motor (PERM) They were the longest lived railmotor on the Victorian railways, with the first entering service in 1928 and the last being withdrawn in 1991. The first railmotor was built by the St Louis Car Company and shipped to Australia where the Victorian Railways built a further 9 copies of it, It was powered by a 220 hp Winton petrol engine which was used until the 1950's when they were converted to twin Diesel Electric engines giving a total of 255 bhp.^[1]

By the 1970s the longest regular scheduled journey ran by a DERM was the Bendigo to Robinvale run, withdrawn on June 3, 1978.^[2] In the late 70's RM 55 and RM 61 were extensively modified with the can bein rebuilt, the engine being relocated and the engine room rebuilt with porthole windows, and new aluminium cabin windows fitted.

[edit] References

v • d • e Melbourne and Victorian Rail Rollingstock Steam A2 Class • C Class • Dd Class • G Class • H Class • J Class • K Class • N Class • NA Class • R Class • S Class • X Class Diesel-Electric A Class • B Class • C Class • F Class • G Class • H Class • N Class • P Class • S Class • T Class • V class • X Class • XR Class • XRB Class • Y Class Diesel-Hydraulic CS class • M class • V class • W class Electric E Class • L Class Carriages E type carriages • W type carriages • H type carriages • N type carriages • S type carriages • Z type carriages • Royal Trains • Dining & Buffet cars Railmotors McKeen • Kerr Stuart • A.E.C. • Leyland • DERM • 102hp Walker • 153hp Walker • 280hp Walker • DRC railcar • Sprinter DMU • VLocity DMU Suburban electric Swing Door • Tait • Harris • Hitachi • Comeng • 4D double deck • Siemens • X'Trapolis 100 Vans Z vans • Power Vans Other Rail Tractor • Trailer Cars V/Line • Victorian Railways • Railways in Melbourne • Narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways • Regional Fast Rail project • Connex Melbourne