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7 unusual facts about South Australian Railways Bluebird railcar


South Australian Railways 620 class

The 620 class was phased out in favour of Bluebird Railcars, although a spate of railcar failures in 1954–55 saw the 620 class return to service on the Port Pirie line.

South Australian Railways Bluebird railcar

Some have been converted to crew carriages and are used on Trans-Australian Railway services.

In the late 1980s some of the 100 class trailers were used as crew carriages on Trans-Australian Railway services and for passenger accomodation on the Indian Pacific.

In March 1978 all were included in the transfer of the South Australian Railways to Australian National.

In 1998 another four Bluebirds (106, 107, 254 and 255) were sold to Bluebird Rail, refurbished and hired to V/Line for Gippsland line services to Warragul and Traralgon.

South Australian Railways Brill railcar

Introduced to run on country rail services, the "Barwell Bulls" serviced most of the state's railway lines until they were eventually replaced by both the Bluebird and Redhen railcars, with the last units withdrawn from SAR service in 1971.

In 1955 the SAR introduced its Bluebird and Redhen railcars, and therefore the "Barwell Bulls"-nicknamed after the then Premier of South Australia and the sound that the air horn emitted-were eventually moved to suburban services in Adelaide and its surrounding suburbs.



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