NZR RM class (Standard)

NZR RM class Standard
RM 31 (Tokomaru) at the Pahiatua Railcar Society
In service	1938–1972
Manufacturer	New Zealand Government Railways
Built at	Hutt Workshops
Constructed	1938
Number built	6
Number in service	None
Number preserved	4
Fleet numbers	30–35
Capacity	48–52 passengers
Operator(s)	New Zealand Government Railways
Specifications
Car length	67 ft 11 in (20.70 m)
Width	8 ft 9 in (2.67 m)
Maximum speed	62 mph (100 km/h)
Weight	30 tonnes (30 long tons; 33 short tons)
Prime mover(s)	Two Meadows 6-cylinder engines
Power output	85 kW (114 hp) (×2)
Transmission	Mechanical
UIC classification	A1-1A
Multiple working	Yes
Track gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)

The NZR RM class Standard railcars were a class of railcar operated by the New Zealand Railways Department in the North Island of New Zealand. Officially classified as RM like all other railcar classes in New Zealand, they acquired the designation of 'Standard' to differentiate them from others. They were introduced in 1938 and withdrawn in 1972.

Since the 1912 experiments with a MacEwan-Pratt petrol railcar, the New Zealand Railways Department had been seeking an effective and successful railcar design. Many routes simply did not have the demand to economically justify locomotive-hauled passenger express trains, so railcars were seen as a viable alternative. New Zealand's difficult terrain posed problems to railcar design, but in 1936, the Wairarapa railcars were introduced and proved to be a great success on the Wairarapa Line from Wellington over the Rimutaka Incline to the Wairarapa, and following from this, the Standard railcars were designed to provide regional services in on regular lines in the North Island.

Six in total were built in the NZR Hutt Workshops in 1938 and 1939, each with a semi-streamlined design featuring slanting ends. Each car had two compartments, the larger with 36 seats (second class) and the smaller with 12 seats (first class) or 16 seats (second class). The first two railcars were initially first and second class, but later became second-class only. The other railcars were always second-class in both compartments.

Driving controls were located at each end of the railcar so that they did not have to be turned at termini. Each was powered by two diesel engines, mounted on the bogies. They wore out three sets of engines; the original Leyland engines were replaced with Meadows engines.

The original silver body colour with a green stripe was inconspicuous, and was soon replaced by plain red with grey or black roofs. In 1951, the Standard railcars became red with silver (later white) stripes and a grey roof as used on other railcar types and some locomotives (and as seen in images below).