| 600/700 Class Railcars | |
|---|---|
 726 and 661 at Byron Bay North Beach station in April 2022 | |
| Manufacturer | New South Wales Government Railways |
| Built at | Chullora Railway Workshops |
| Constructed | 1949-1950 |
| Refurbished | 1973-1975 five two-car sets converted to 660/760s |
| Number built | 20 (10 two-car sets) |
| Number in service | 1 (Byron Bay Train) |
| Number scrapped | 7 |
| Formation | 1 powercar, 1 driving trailer |
| Fleet numbers | 601/701 - 610/710 |
| Operators |
|
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Aluminium body on steel underframe |
| Car length | 18.67 m (61 ft 3 in) |
| Width | 2,970 mm (9 ft 8+7⁄8 in) |
| Height | 3,920 mm (12 ft 10+3⁄8 in) |
| Maximum speed | 100 km/h (62 mph) |
| Traction system | Diesel-hydraulic |
| Prime mover(s) | Two GM Detroit Diesel 6/71 |
| Engine type | 6-cylinder diesels |
| Power output | 330 hp (246 kW) (165 hp or 123 kW x 2) |
| Transmission | Allison automatic lockup torque converter |
| Braking system(s) | S.E.M. electro-pneumatic straight air with emergency feature, handbrake |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The 600/700 class railcars are a class of diesel multiple unit built by the New South Wales Government Railways. They were built to operate on branch lines from 1949 with low traffic volumes later being transferred to Newcastle and Wollongong to operate suburban services until withdrawn in 1994.[1][page needed] However, one 600 class railcar was converted to solar operation for use on the Byron Bay Train service.[2] The upgraded train entered service on 16 December 2017 and is believed to be the world's first solar-powered train.[3][4]
- ^ Cooke, David (1984). Railmotors and XPTs. Australian Railway Historical Society NSW Division. ISBN 0-909650-23-3.
- ^ "Byron Bay Train » History". byronbaytrain.com.au. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ "Solar train enters service in Byron Bay – Rail Express". www.railexpress.com.au. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ "The brainchild of a NSW millionaire, is this the world's first solar train?". ABC News. 16 December 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2018.