Vulacn Railcar.
RM 50 - Vulcan Foundry
During the war years, New Zealand Railways needed a cheaper mode of Transport for light passenger duties, Ten 29.5 ton railcars were ordered from the 'Vulcan' Foundry. Only 9 of the 10 ever entered service, the 10th was lost when a German Submarine attacked the transportation ship. In New Zealand Railways service this type of railcar became known by its builders name, and so the word 'Vulcan' entered the New Zealand Railways language. The Vulcan railcars are powered by a 6 cylinder Frichs diesel engine developing 250hp, and are capable of runnning in multiple.
In trials on the 25th October 1940 Vulcan Railcar 'RM' 50 set the official New Zealand Railways speed record of 78mp/h, or 125km/h. This record is still standing today, with the railways of the time focusing on a reliable service as opposed to setting sped records. Original public domain image from Flickr