| New Zealand Railway class Ka 964 and an unknown road number RM (Rail Motor) at an unknown location and date, Agfa print by J. A. T. Terry, Chuck Zeiler collection. On the back of the print is written: "Ka Class 964 4-8-4 crossing an 88 seater railcar taken at ?". In researching the 88 seater, Wikipedia states that 35 sets of two-car articulated railcars were built by the Drewry Car Company in the United Kingdom in the mid-1950's but were relatively unsuccessful due to the use of Fiat 210 horsepower diesel engines mounted under the carbody, mechanically driving the wheelsets through gearboxes. The primary failing was the cooling system. The engines had been designed for Italian naval boats and were unsuitable for rail service. Although modifications were made, reliability was still an issue and the 88 seaters were withdrawn from service in the late 1970's to early 1980's. None were saved for preservation intact, but parts of several units were located around the country and may be re-assembled into an intact example. |