Australian Railway Historical Society (ACT Division)

Rolling Stock CPH rail motors CPH rail motors began service on country New South Wales rail lines in 1923 and they lasted well into the mid-1980s, providing 60 years of service. The Society has three CPH units at Canberra Railway Museum (CPH 13, CPH 27 and CPH 37), and one other (CPH 2) on loan to another organisation. CPH 37 is the unit most commonly used by the Society, providing trips within Canberra and to Royalla on the Michelago Tourist Railway. It was the last of these 42 foot long rail motors to enter service, beginning service life on 8 July 1930. In its latter life, she was based at Wollongong / Port Kembla, providing Illawarra line services to Waterfall, Kiama and Nowra. She also operated on the steeply-graded cross-country line to Moss Vale. CPH 37 provided the last regularly-scheduled CPH service in NSW - in 1985. She transferred to the Society the following year. The no. 2 end has been rebuilt, and major restoration work was carried out between 1993 and 1997. She re-entered service on 7 December 1996. She is diesel powered with torque converter, and with a multiple unit control. Control cabling has been set up to match two restored rail motors operated by the Rail Motor Society at Paterson, NSW. This should allow for the possibility of joint operation with that Society, using a four-coupled rail motor set. The original seating for CPH 37 was for 21 first class and 17 economy passengers; currently the seating is for 40 passengers. CPH 27 was built in 1927 and in its latter life was based at The Rock and Cowra. In 1983, after the withdrawal of country branch line services, she operated on Sandown / Abbatoirs and Richmond services until the last day of regular CPH services in Sydney - 17 November 1984. The following month it was acquired by the Society. She returned to service with the Society during February 1998 but has since been withdrawn to give its Detroit diesel an overhaul. A short return to service enabled the testing of multiple unit working. Work currently in progress for CPH 27 also includes upgrading the windscreen to meet new safety requirements. CPH 13, the oldest CPH in the Society's fleet, was built in 1925. In its final years of regular service, she was based at Wollongong / Port Kembla, and provided local services on the Illawarra line until withdrawn in 1984. She arrived in Canberra that year. Until mid-2005, CPH 13 was on loan to the "Line of Lode" group in Broken Hill. This group was restoring it to service for use on a section of mine railway around "The Hill" but ceased work on this project in 2005. CPH 2 was the 18th rail motor of the CPH class to enter service, entering service in 1925 (the early prototypes had been numbered 1 and 2. As these were decommissioned during the building of the fleet, numbers 1 and 2 were re-allocated to production models). In 1983, CPH 2 finished its country branch line services out of Cowra to Blayney and Harden. By mid-1984, after a short time in service in and around Sydney, she was retired because of a faulty bogie. She was bought by the Society and delivered to Canberra in December 1984, and after work was used on local tour trains consisting of three or all four railcars. This rail motor has now been transferred to Junee, where it is being restored to working condition. Background details A total of 37 of these 42-foot rail motors were built, providing a self-propelled passenger and freight-carrying rail car for use throughout NSW. Their acceleration, speed and twin driving cabins (removing the need for turning at a terminal) meant they became effective operating units. Locally, they operated on the Cooma line for many years. 'Tin Hares' was the nick-name given to these wooden-bodied rail cars, introduced at around the same time that many greyhound tracks were converting to mechanical "hares". To the railway crews and passengers alike, these fast-running, self-propelled trains were the next fastest thing to the greyhound racing hares. The name stuck with them throughout their 60 years of railway service. There are probably now about 10 CPH units in running condition throughout NSW and the ACT. They have windows at the ends of the car that give passengers a driver's-eye view of the scenery ahead of the carriage. They also have good old-fashioned cow-catchers and roof-mounted radiators which give them a distinctive quaint appearance.

Click on picture for larger image; use your 'Back' button to return to this page    CPH 37, Canberra Museum    CPH 37, Canberra station    CPH 27 under restoration    CPH 37, Michelago line    Partly-restored CPH 13    CPH 2, awaiting restoration

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