1937-89 "The Silver City Comet' Australia's first (Harlandic powered) airconditioned streamliner

[Mayner]

I blame Tullygrainey  BCDR D1 build for taking me down the "Harlandic" rabbit-hole to discover the Silver City Comet an air conditioned train that ran between Parkes and Broken Hill New South Wales. (920km-570 Miles).

I knew H&W supplied locos/power units to Argentina, Canada and the Sudan, but New South Wales was completely new to me.

Similar in principal to other 1930s 'streamliners the Silver City Comet consisted of a 'Power Van" hauling 2-3 light weight coaches. 

Five diesel hydraulic power vans were originally fitted with 330hp Harlandic two stroke diesel engines and Voith Sinclair transmission geared to a maximum speed of 79mph with separate generator sets to power the lighting and AC.

The remaining power vans were re-built with 250hp GM two stroke Detroit diesel engines  and Alison transmissions in 1953 apparently as a result of difficulty obtaining spare parts.

However you look at it Silver City Comet appears to have been the most successful application of Harlandic diesel engines in rail traction, successfully operating high speed services in harsh Australian outback conditions.

The Harlandic engines were Danish Budmeister & Wein engines (now MAN 2 stroke marine division) built under license in Belfast, peeping down the rabbit hole the Danish State Railways began using diesel traction from the late 1920s including "power vans", and a 2-D-2 boxcab type that operated between 1932 and 1959. Haven't been able to figure out (Google translate) if any of the earlier DSB locos used B&W engines.

 

 

Edited November 2, 2022 by Mayner

[Galteemore]

Most interesting John. What a pity this wasn’t developed locally too - imagine if H and W had landed the GN and UTA diesel contracts…..