South Australian Railways Brill railcar

South Australian Railways Model Brill railcar
Preserved 41 at the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide, 2014
In service	1925-1971
Manufacturer	J.G. Brill Company, Philadelphia, United States (chassis), Islington Railway Workshops (body)
Constructed	1924, 1926-1927, 1930
Entered service	1924-1925, 1927-1930
Number built	12 Model 55s 39 Model 75s
Fleet numbers	4-15, 30-59, 100-106, 487
Operator(s)	South Australian Railways
Line(s) served	All Adelaide metropolitan railway services plus country services
Specifications
Prime mover(s)	Model 55: Midewest 4-cylinder petrol engine, 68 hp (51 kW) (original); later refitted with Gardner six-cylinder diesel engines Model 75: Winton 4-cylinder petrol engine, later refitted with Gardner six-cylinder diesel engines
Power output	Model 55: 68 hp (51 kW) (original), later refitted 102 hp (76 kW) Model 75: originally, 186 hp (139 kW), later refitted (?)
Transmission	Mechanical: 4-speed manual
Track gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm)

Model 55: Midewest 4-cylinder petrol engine, 68 hp (51 kW) (original); later refitted with Gardner six-cylinder diesel engines

The South Australian Railways Model Brill railcar were two types of railcars operated by the South Australian Railways between 1925 and 1971. 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state's railway lines until they were eventually replaced by both the Bluebird and Redhen railcars, with the last units withdrawn in 1971.

In 1924, the South Australian Railways (SAR) decided to order a group of railcars in order to continue services at country stations that didn't have enough passenger numbers to make those services financially viable. J.G. Brill Company were contracted to supply twelve railcar chassis, which would be mated to bodies constructed by the SAR's own Islington Railway Workshops. Numbered 4 to 15, these 12 railcars entered service during 1924 and 1925 as the Model 55 railcar class, and overnight these trains were a success.

Two years later the Brill company supplied the SAR with an enlarged version, known as the Model 75. The first was built by J.G. Brill Company with the remaining 38 by the Islington Railway Workshops, entering service in 1927. They differed from the 55s in having a Winton 4-cylinder petrol engine, at 17.8 metres were three metres longer and had a capacity of 63 versus 43. The first 30 (30-59) entered service on the broad gauge with the other eight (100-106 and 487) built for narrow gauge operation. They were married with 200 and 300 series trailer carriages. One was sold to the Victorian Railways in 1928 after only a few months service.

When first built the 55s and 75s worked on country lines around South Australia up until their withdrawal from service and featured a brown livery. To celebrate the 80th anniversary of the SAR in 1936, all Model 55s and 75s still in service were given a repaint into a green and cream livery-which they wore until retirement. Later on yellow stripes were added to the front to increase visibility. The 55s were built for operation on the broad gauge network, although two (4 and 10) did operate on the narrow gauge for a time, being renumbered 112 and 111.