New South Wales FP Paybuses

FP Paybuses
Preserved FP 8 at the Richmond Vale Railway Museum in October 2011
Type and origin Power type Diesel mechanical Builder Waddingtons Commonwealth Engineering Build date 1937-70 Total produced 14
Specifications Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge Fuel type Diesel
Career Operators Department of Railways New South Wales Number in class 14 Numbers FP1-FP13 First run 7 July 1937 Last run 4 April 1986 Preserved FP1, FP7-FP13 Disposition 8 preserved, 6 scrapped

The FP paybuses were a series of thirteen small 4 wheel railbuses built for the Department of Railways New South Wales between 1937 and 1970. The rail buses were intended for use on branch lines whose low passenger numbers did not warrant the use of a larger railmotor.

Designed by the Road Motor Vehicles section of the Department of Railways & constructed by Waddingtons. It was placed into service on 7 July 1937. It was originally powered by a Ford Mercury V8 side-valve petrol engine with a 4-speed truck-style gear box and two 30 imp gal (140 l; 36 US gal) fuel tanks. Entry was via a central door on one side only and had seating for 17 persons. The driving position was at one end only with the driver sitting on the right hand side beside the engine. The rail bus was fitted with 34 in (864 mm) diameter wheels with a 13 ft 2 in (4.01 m) long wheelbase. The body was 20 ft 0 in (6.10 m) long and 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) wide.

By 1938 it had been converted into a pay bus & was used for the transport of pays to the more remote parts of the New South Wales railway system. In 1964 it was fitted with a new Ford Thames V8 petrol engine. FP1 was withdrawn from service on 3 October 1968 and was handed over to the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum on 27 March 1969 for preservation. Between August 2008 and July 2009 FP1 was fully restored at Eveleigh Railway Workshops by RailCorp apprentices. After being displayed on the concourse at Central station it was returned to Thirlmere.

The design of these 3 cars were different to that of FP1 in that they were fitted with a wider and longer body and had driving controls at both ends. They were also fitted with inward opening swing doors on both sides of the body & could seat 18 passengers. These three rail buses were fitted with 34 in (864 mm) diameter wheels with a 13 ft 2 in (4.01 m) long wheelbase. The bodies were 22 ft 8 in (6.91 m) long and 9 ft 2 in (2.79 m) wide.

FP2 entered service at Harden on 27 September 1937. In 1942 it was transferred to the Mechanical Branch and was then used as a pay bus. FP2 was withdrawn in November 1969 and scrapped in December 1970.