New South Wales 1200 class railmotors (1970)

The 1200 class railcar or Tulloch railcar were a type of diesel railcar built by Tulloch Limited for the New South Wales Government Railways between June 1970 and May 1972. They were built to operate the Riverina Express before being transferred to the South Coast Daylight Express.

History
In 1968, an order was placed with Tulloch Limited for 10 railcars for the Riverina Express with the fleet delivered between October 1970 and May 1972. While awaiting delivery of sufficient cars to operate the service, some were used on Goulburn Day Train and South Coast Daylight Express services in company with the 1100 class railcars. In addition, two vehicles were also constructed for Victorian Railways as their DRC Class.

The ten cars were built in two configurations, one with a buffet section and seating for 8 First class and 36 Second Class (numbered PCR 1201-1203) and the other seating 18 First Class, 36 Second Class and a separate luggage compartment (numbered PCH 1221-1227). The objective was to provide two four-car trains, each consisting of one PCR and three PCH along with one spare car of each type.

They entered service on the Riverina Express in May 1972. The purpose of forming the trains with individual railcars was to allow it to divide at major stations along the route where cars detached for Cowra, Tumut, Lake Cargelligo and Hillston on selected days, as well as the traditional destinations of Griffith and Albury. On the return journey, the cars amalgamated again to form a single train back to Sydney.

The 1200s soon began to suffer equipment failures, particularly with their complex electrical system, especially when amalgamating. Following one car suffering a distorted engine support frame all were withdrawn in January 1973. The damaged car became an office. One set of four was returned to operate the service three days a week with locomotive hauled and later DEB sets operating it on the other days. This remaining cars were withdrawn in October 1975 when a second DEB set was transferred.

In May 1974, two cars (PCH 1224 and PCH 1227) were sold to Victorian Railways to complement the two DRC railcars it had purchased new. In 1977 four were converted to operate an exhibition train around New South Wales for the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II. Three more were pooled with the 1100 class railcars on Illawarra line services while the car with a damaged engine frame became an office. In 1981 it was decided to convert the latter and two of the Jubilee cars into loco hauled cars, the remaining five were similarly treated in 1983. They were placed in service on the Illawarra line between Sydney and Bomaderry.

They did occasionally stray operating both the Canberra Express and Newcastle Flyer in January 1986.

Following the cessation of locomotive hauled South Coast services in January 1991, they were redeployed to operate services on the Main South line to Moss Vale and Goulburn.

In February 1993, six of the carriages were given a light refurbishment before being withdrawn in November 1993. In August 1994, six were auctioned.

History
The first railcars of this type were built in 1970 for the New South Wales Government Railways as 1200 class railcars. The Victorian Railways decided to order two railcars of the same design, to replace the 280hp Walker railmotors then in use. The first DRC entered service in May 1971, classified DRC40, followed by DRC41 on November 1971.

The NSW fleet suffered numerous failures in service, and by 1974 the NSW Public Transport Commission had decided to withdraw the cars from service. Eight of them were converted to loco-hauled carriages in 1982, and used on the South Coast Daylight Express until January 1991, and on Moss Vale and Goulburn services until November 1993.

In 1974, the Victorian Railways purchased two of the withdrawn NSW 1200-class cars and modified them for Victorian use. They entered service as DRC42 (formerly PCH 1224) and DRC43 (formerly PCH 1227) in August and December 1975 respectively. Problems with reliability had emerged by the late 1970s, and a modification program was carried out at the Bendigo Workshops in 1983 and 1984. In 1974, four Harris suburban carriages were converted to MTH carriages for use as trailers with the DRC railcars.

In the 1980s, the DRC railcars were the fastest train in Australia by average speed, running the 107 kilometres from Ararat to Hamilton on Mondays and Saturdays in 72 minutes, an average of 89 km/h. The railcars were regularly used on the Stony Point service after 1984, following the reintroduction of passenger services on that line, but by the early 1990s, regular failures saw them replaced by locomotive-hauled trains.

The DRCs were also used on the Leongatha line for a few years, after the line was reopened in 1984, but were replaced by a locomotive-hauled train towing three MTH carriages. The reliability problem was later solved, but the fleet was withdrawn in June 1995, as a result of the introduction of the Tulloch-built Sprinter railcars.

Technical details
The features of the DRC railcar. From the No.1 End:
 * Driver's cab
 * Male and female toilets
 * Exit doors
 * Second-class compartment: 28 rotating seats, 8 fixed seats - 4 at each end,
 * First-class compartment: 20 rotating and reclining seats

No.2 end:
 * Exit doors
 * Luggage and guard's compartment
 * Driver's cab

Today
DRC40 is preserved and operational at the Daylesford Spa Country Railway, and DRC43 is stored in a deactivated condition at the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre. DRC 41 and 42 are privately owned and stored at Newport Workshops.

HO Scale
In 2013, Trainbuilder released a series of DRC railmotors for $1,195 each. The group included DRC40-43 in original unpainted aluminium, DRC's 40, 41 and 42 in V/Line and DRC 43 in VicRail. At the same time, small quantities of New South Wales PCH railmotors 1221, 1224 and 1227 were released.