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Bluebird Railcars

250 to 260

250 Diesel Hydraulic Railcar Bluebird

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250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260

Built at Islington workshops between 1954 and 1959 by the South Australian Railways as Bluebird railcars. All the trailers carried road numbers and names.

Members of the class were also known as:

Blue Wren Brolga Corella Curlew
Goshawk Kestrel Kookaburra Lowan
Pelican Penguin Quail


24.12.1986 Keswick, Bluebird "261"

250 -- Quail -- 261 -- FDAY 4

Bluebird railcar, built Islington workshops. Seated 56 second class passengers.

10.1954Entered service named Quail.
5.1972Fitted with buffet. Seating reduced to 52 second class passengers
3.1978To Australian National Railways.
-Renumbered "261".
12.1995Written off and sold to "International Development Services".
-Sold to Bluebird Rail Systems.
Late 2003Converted to crew car for FreightLink. Coded "FDAY 4" [cp 1.2004]
2012Destroyed in bridge washaway accident at Edit River on the Darwin line.
251 and 106 at Islington on 29.12.1998

251 -- Lowan -- Chardonnay

Bluebird railcar, built Islington workshops. Seated 56 second class passengers.

11.1954Entered service named Lowan.
3.1972Fitted with buffet. Seating reduced to 52 second class passengers
3.1978To Australian National Railways.
12.1995Written off and sold to "International Development Services".
-Sold to Bluebird Rail Systems.
5.1998Returned to active service.
8.2001Named changed to Chardonnay.
4.2003Stored Islington works - broad gauge.
-Offered for sale by CFCLA - appears to be owned by Barossa Wine Train, Fair Australia Tours Ltd.
252 and 255 at Islington on 29.12.1998.

252 -- Blue Wren -- Merlot

Bluebird railcar, built Islington workshops. Seated 56 second class passengers.

16.8.1955Entered service named Blue Wren.
12.1971Fitted with buffet. Seating reduced to 52 second class passengers
3.1978To Australian National Railways.
12.1995Written off and sold to "International Development Services".
-Sold to Bluebird Rail Systems.
5.1998Returned to active service.
8.2001Named changed to Merlot.
4.2003Stored Islington works - broad gauge.
-Offered for sale by CFCLA - appears to be owned by Barossa Wine Train, Fair Australia Tours Ltd.
4.5.2002 Islington - Bluebird 253

253 -- Pelican -- PDAY 1 -- Robert Mervin Yates

Bluebird railcar, built Islington workshops. Seated 56 second class passengers.

16.8.1955Entered service named Pelican.
c.1972Fitted with buffet. Seating reduced to 52 second class passengers
3.1978To Australian National Railways.
12.1995Written off and sold to "International Development Services".
-Sold to Bluebird Rail Systems.
-Stored Islington works - derelict.
2005To be converted to crew car for "Specialized Container Transport's (SCT)" trains. Coded "PDAY 1".
-Named "Robert Mervin Yates"
9.9.2001 Bluebird 254 at Whyalla Interior 254

254 -- Brolga -- 801 -- 254 -- CDBY 254

Bluebird railcar, built Islington workshops. Seated 56 second class passengers.

5.9.1955Entered service named Brogla.
3.1978To Australian National Railways.
12.1995Written off and sold to "International Development Services".
-Sold to Bluebird Rail Systems.
24.11.1998Sent from Adelaide to Melbourne on No.3AM3 Patrick service. Car had been repainted red and blue and renumbered "801".
6.1999Returned to Adelaide.
5.2001Repainted all blue and renumbered "254 Brolga".
-Sold to Great Northern Rail.
12.2002Offered for sale by "Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia (CFCLA)" after Greath Northern Rail went into receivership.
-Stored Islington works - owned by CFCLA - standard gauge.
2007Proposed for conversion to crew car
5.11.2007Registered for traffic after conversion to crew car "CDBY 254" for "Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia (CFCLA)"[arct]
802 and 812 at Islington on 23.12.1998 255

255 -- Curlew -- 802 -- 255 -- CDBY 255

Bluebird railcar, built Islington workshops. Seated 56 second class passengers.

29.3.1956Entered service named Curlew.
3.1978To Australian National Railways.
12.1995Written off and sold to "International Development Services".
-Sold to Bluebird Rail Systems.
28.11.1998Ran a test trip on broad gauge from Islington to Belair with trailer car 106. It had been painted in blue and red livery.
30.12.1998Sent from Adelaide to Melbourne on a National Rail freight. It had been renumbered "802".
13.6.1999Sent from Melbourne to Adelaide on National Rail freight.
5.2001Repainted all blue and renumbered "254 Curlew".
-Sold to Great Northern Rail.
21.04.2002Last Run in South Australia. [cp 5.2003]
12.2002Offered for sale by "Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia (CFCLA)" after Greath Northern Rail went into receivership.
9.4.2003Sent to Melbourne for proposed Melbourne to Mildura passsenger service. [cp 5.2003]
-Transferred to broad gauge [cp 5.2003]
2003Sent to Victoria for use on proposed Mildura service.
23.11.2003Returned to South Australia as Mildura service not going to proceeed.
-Stored Islington works - owned by CFCLA - standard gauge.
2007Proposed for conversion to crew car
5.11.2007Registered for traffic after conversion to crew car "CDBY 255" for "Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia (CFCLA)"[arct]

256 -- Kookaburra -- FDAY 5

Bluebird railcar, built Islington workshops. Seated 56 second class passengers.

21.12.1956Entered service named Kookaburra.
3.1978To Australian National Railways.
12.1995Written off and sold to "International Development Services".
-Sold to Bluebird Rail Systems.
Late 2003Converted to crew car for FreightLink. Coded "FDAY 5" [cp 1.2004]
257 at Port Dock on 17.11.1995

257 -- Kestrel

Bluebird railcar, built Islington workshops. Seated 56 second class passengers.

13.2.1957Entered service named Kestrel.
3.1972Fitted with buffet. Seating reduced to 52 second class passengers
3.1978To Australian National Railways.
3.1995To Port Dock Station Railway Museum.
8.6.1986 Bluebird 105 and 258 Outer Harbor

258 -- Goshawk -- PDAY 3 -- Monica Ivy Smith

Bluebird railcar, built Islington workshops. Seated 56 second class passengers.

18.4.1957Entered service named Goshawk.
c.1972Fitted with buffet. Seating reduced to 52 second class passengers
3.1978To Australian National Railways.
12.1995Written off and sold to "International Development Services".
-Sold to Bluebird Rail Systems.
-Stored Islington works - derelict.
2005To be converted to crew car for "SCT"
-Re-entered service as SCT crew car "PDAY 3"
-Named "Monica Ivy Smith"

259 -- Penguin -- BM 259

Bluebird railcar, built Islington workshops. Seated 56 second class passengers.

4.11.1957Entered service named Penguin.
3.1972Fitted with buffet. Seating reduced to 52 second class passengers
3.1978To Australian National Railways.
5.1984To standard gauge.
2.1990Converted to standard gauge locomotive hauled car. Reclassified "BM 259".
1.1991Converted to broad gauge and painted in red/silver. Engines removed and changes made to baggage section.
12.1995Written off and sold to "International Development Services".
6.1998Sold to West Coast Railway.
-Transferred to Victoria. Stored RTS Dynon
4.5.2002 Islington, Bluebird 260

260 -- Corella -- PDAY 2 -- Peter Terence Mason

Bluebird railcar, built Islington workshops. Seated 56 second class passengers.

12.11.1959Entered service named Corella.
3.1978To Australian National Railways.
12.1995Written off and sold to "International Development Services".
-Sold to Bluebird Rail Systems.
-Stored Islington works - derelict.
2005To be converted to crew car for "SCT"
-Reentered service as SCT crew car "PDAY 2"
-Named "Peter Terence Mason"