Driving Through History: The Fascinating Story of the 1923 CHP Motor Rail
Channel: The Holiday Hunter
Date: 2023-06-17

The Rail Motor Society is a distinguished heritage rail operator located in Paterson, New South Wales, Australia. Our Society provides exceptional heritage train journeys tailored to the small to medium group tour market. Our services are unparalleled, offering a unique and unforgettable experience for all who embark on our trains.

Rail Motors were initially developed in New South Wales as a cost-effective alternative to steam-powered passenger services on rural branch lines throughout the state. 

The NSW Government Railways spearheaded all early developments in this area, with later designs influenced by overseas developments. However, the majority of rail motors were built to meet local demand for economical and reliable transport.

The first experiments in rail motor development began in 1919 with a converted motor lorry, followed by a converted suburban passenger carriage in 1921. From December 1923, the first standard production vehicles were introduced, and they proved to be an immediate success, with passenger patronage growing steadily. 

In the 1930s, the rail motor fleet expanded with larger and more powerful twin-engined models. The Silver City Comet of 1937 was a groundbreaking achievement for NSW Railways, being the first lightweight air-conditioned diesel train in the southern hemisphere.

The growth of powerful lightweight diesels following World War II provided the impetus for the re-engining of older vehicles, while new construction featured diesel power from the outset. This marked a move away from traditional British motive power suppliers to American manufacturers. The 600 Class of 1949 made good use of lessons learned with aircraft construction in NSWGR workshops during the War. 

These new rolling stock items featured aluminum body construction on a steel underframe, producing a lightweight, high-performance vehicle. The value of this form of construction was demonstrated by the fact that 92 vehicles were built to this basic design from 1949 through to 1968.

The advent of air-conditioned DEB Sets in 1951 moved the rail motor away from its traditional role as the supplier of branch line services and into the main line arena.


What3words: https://w3w.co/electronics.periods.forbid
This what3words address refers to a 3 metre square location. The world has been divided into 3m squares and each square is given a unique combination of three words. Enter the 3 words into the free what3words app to find it. what3words addresses are easy to say and share, and as accurate as GPS coordinates. For more information: https://what3words.com

If you're looking for more great vacation and destination ideas, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. We would greatly appreciate it if you shared, liked, and commented on the video. Aid us in promoting Australia.

When you go on your next trip or vacation around Australia, there are so many exciting places to visit, so many exciting adventures, and so many wonderful memories.

Feel free to ask us a Question
Scott@holidayhunter.com.au 

Check out the link below for a full list of websites and social media links: 
https://linktr.ee/theholidayhunter 

We use Scott Westlake Photography. http://www.scottwestlakephotography.com