The Bluebird railcars were a class of self-propelled diesel-hydraulic railcar built by the South Australian Railways' Islington Railway Workshops between 1954 and 1959.

History

The Bluebird railcars were built to provide modern air-conditioned services on the country passenger rail system where the patronage did not warrant the use of locomotive hauled passenger trains, and to replace the ageing fleet of Brill railcars introduced in 1924.

In December 1948, tenders were called for 30 sets of engines, gearboxes, electrical assemblies and compressors. The contract for the engines was awarded to Cummins while the contract for the eight-speed gearboxes was awarded to Cotal of France. All of the engines had been received by May 1952, but problems with the gearboxes meant the first did not arrive until January 1954. Cotal subsequently ceased trading in April 1954 with only six gearboxes having been delivered, so an alternative source was found."250, 100, 280 Class Railcars of the South Australian Railways" Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 564 October 1984 pages 213-236

Twenty-one Bluebirds were manufactured by the South Australian Railways' Islington Railway Workshops. The fleet consisted of 11 second-class passenger power cars (250 class), three baggage power cars (280 class) and seven first-class passenger trailer cars (100 class). They were first introduced in October 1954; the last unit entered service on 12 November 1959."Here & There" Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin volume 209 March 1955 page 38"Trial Runs of New Diesel Railcars" Railway Gazette 9 September 1955 page 300"Australasia" Diesel Railway Traction April 1956 page 134"Famous Name Trains: Blue Birds" Network November 1964 page 3 Their excellent ride, quietness and airconditioning set a new standard in Australian railcars.

The 100 and 250 class were named after birds; the unnamed 280 class baggage cars only carried road numbers.Bluebird Railcars 280 to 282 Chris' Commonwealth Railways Pages They operated services on the broad-gauge network from Adelaide to Burra, Gladstone, Moonta, Morgan, Mount Gambier, Nuriootpa, South Australia, Port Pirie, Tailem Bend, Terowie (extended to Peterborough in 1970) and Victor Harbor."250, 100, 280 Class Railcars of the South Australian Railways" Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 565 November 1984 pages 251-260"250, 100, 280 Class Railcars of the South Australian Railways" Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 566 December 1984 pages 268-280The Bluebird Railcars of the South Australian Railways The Railways of South Australia & Victoria

Each Bluebird was powered initially by a pair of Cummins NHHS-600 engines, which were replaced between 1959 and 1965 by Cummins NHHRS engines and again by Cummins NT 855 engines between 1975 and 1977."Here & There" Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 443 September 1974 page 8 Auxiliary power was provided by a General Motors 3-71 engine, later replaced by a Deutz unit. In 1971–72, cars 101, 105, 106, 250-253 and 257-259 were fitted with buffet facilities.

In March 1978, all Bluebirds were included in the transfer of the assets of South Australian Railways to Australian National. In 1986, a new computer system required the class leaders to be renumbered as the last member of the class: hence 100 became 107, 250 became 261 and 280 became 283."Australian National Broken Hill Line Report" Railway Digest October 1986 page 314"Here & There" Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin volume 591 January 1987 page 2

By 1985, ten Bluebirds had been fitted with standard-gauge bogies for use on services to Port Pirie, Whyalla and Broken Hill."Bluebird Railcar Conversions" Catch Point issue 45 April 1985"South Australia" Railway Digest April 1985 page 119"Bluebirds to Broken Hill" Catch Point issue 58 March 1987 page 14 One was fitted with 20 poker machines, operating tours to Broken Hill from April 1988 to February 1993."Pokies on a Bluebird" Catch Point issue 69 January 1989 page 22"Catering Facilities of the Former South Australian Railways" Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin volume 708 October 1996 page 303

In 1989, shortly before all South Australian country passenger services were withdrawn, the 100 class trailers began to be used as sitting carriages on the Indian Pacific and The Overland."Bluebird Trailers for Head End Working" Catch Point issue 74 November 1989 page 24"Here & There" Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin volume 627 January 1990 page 22"Here & There" Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin volume 629 March 1990 page 73"Loco Hauled Cars" Railway Digest May 1990 page 191 Some were also converted for use as crew carriages on Trans-Australian Railway services.Bluebird Railcar Driving Trailers 100 to 107 Chris' Commonwealth Railways Pages Power car 259 was converted to locomotive-hauled car BM259 in 1990 and had its engines removed in 1991.Bluebird Railcars 250 to 260 Chris' Commonwealth Railways Pages The last were withdrawn in January 1993 and placed in store at Mile End and later Islington Railway Workshops. In May 1995, no. 257 was donated to the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide."Bluebird" Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin volume 737 March 1999 pages 85-86"Kestral returns to operation" Railway Digest May 2013 pages 52-53

In 1997, 15 of the railcars were sold to Bluebird Rail Operations, a business of C.O.C. Limited. In May 1998 Bluebird Rail Operations commenced operating the Barossa Wine Train from Adelaide to Tanunda via the Barossa Valley line with three refurbished Bluebirds (102, 251 and 252). The venture ceased in April 2003, after which the railcars were stored at the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide."The Barossa Wine Train in retrospect" Railway Digest October 2003 pages 33-35Wine train plan derailed Adelaide Advertiser 10 November 2006

In 1998, another four (106, 107, 254 and 255) were refurbished and hired to V/Line for Gippsland line services from Melbourne to Warragul and Traralgon."More Bluebirds Head East" Catch Point issue 129 January 1999 page 5"Rolling Stock Alterations" Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin March 1999 page 18"Bluebird Railcars" Railway Digest January 1999 page 35 Following mechanical failures while being trialled on the Gippsland line, the railcars were returned in June 1999."Bluebirds Return Home from Victoria" Catch Point issue 132 July 1999 page 4"The Bluebirds Have Flown from Victoria" Railway Digest July 1999 page 17 One was sold to the Northern Rivers Railroad for use on its Murwillumbah line charter train."Northern Rivers launches a Ritzy Train" Railway Digest July 1999 page 50

In 2003, four returned to Victoria for a proposed service from Melbourne to Mildura, which did not materialise."Bluebird Railcars on the Move" Catch Point issue 155 May 2003 page 12

Starting in the 2000s, a majority of the railcars were converted to crew cars at Islington Railway Workshops for private freight operators. Following the sale of the former Barossa Wine Train set to One Rail Australia in 2021 and the sale of BM259 to their successor, Aurizon in 2023, all remaining railcars except 257 are in service as crew cars.

In 2013, 257 was restored to operational condition and is now part of the National Railway Museum's operational fleet. Previously, it had a period of public running in 1998 before being sidelined by electrical problems.

Disposition

The following table shows the disposition of Bluebird railcars in 2024. To expand it, click [] in the header cell titled "Notes".

Key:In serviceWithdrawnPreservedScrapped