1903 NER Petrol-Electric Autocar.

[Tokkyu40]

In 1903 the North East Railway built a pair of passenger cars for use in Yorkshire, England. The cars were each equipped with an 85 hp engine and generator set to power a pair of electric motors on the front bogey. While never entirely satisfactory with the technology of the time, they were used until 1931 before being retired. These were the first self propelled rail cars.

One body survived as a cabin in North Yorkshire, where it was purchased in 2003, and is currently under restoration.
http://www.electricautocar.co.uk/

 

[JCitron]

That is cool on two fronts. It's the first self-propelled rail car and also I think a test of the early gasoline engine used to drive a traction motor. This latter principle is used today for our big diesel electrics.

Is this a current photo? I see what looks like yellow ropes or tie down holding the body on the rail chassis.

John

 

[sawyer811]

There was an interurban railroad right near me (Kansas City, MO to Olathe/Overland Park, KS) called the Missouri & Kansas Interurban Railway, knicknamed the "Strang Line" (it was built by William Strang) that had something similar. It was built after the 1905 flood in KC, and originally ran with a series of cars whose design was similar to this NER one. Interestingly, its cars also had the same style of regenerative braking and batteries/gasoline engine powerplant that you see on modern hybrid cars...yet more proof that rarely is any "revolutionary" design truly new.

Actually, if you drive down "Strang Line" road today, you're driving beside the old track bed; Strang Line Rd was the service road built along the entire side of the RR grade once they strung catenary over the rails...like the NER car, the hybrid motors on the interurban cars just weren't powerful enough to do what they wanted them too.

(also, this post is more proof that my mind is full of useless trivia facts that will get me nowhere in life, lol).

 

[Tokkyu40]

That is cool on two fronts. It's the first self-propelled rail car and also I think a test of the early gasoline engine used to drive a traction motor. This latter principle is used today for our big diesel electrics.

Is this a current photo? I see what looks like yellow ropes or tie down holding the body on the rail chassis.

John

This is the body on a flat car after they rescued it from the field it was set up in.
They found a suitable frame that can be refurbished and a traction truck so it looks like they'll have it on a permanent frame and back on the rails.
The link has all the latest information.

 

[Vern]

Using petrol (gasoline) as opposed to diesel with a much less volatile flashpoint must have presented a few safety issues with regard to fire risk though!

 

[magickmaker]

In 1903 the North East Railway built a pair of passenger cars for use in Yorkshire, England. The cars were each equipped with an 85 hp engine and generator set to power a pair of electric motors on the front bogey. While never entirely satisfactory with the technology of the time, they were used until 1931 before being retired. These were the first self propelled rail cars.

One body survived as a cabin in North Yorkshire, where it was purchased in 2003, and is currently under restoration.
http://www.electricautocar.co.uk/

I'm not so certain those are the first "self propelled" railcar. GWR had the Railmotor (most were converted later to autocoaches) that started operation in 1903 also. They were powered by a vertical steam boiler located in the cab with the driver. The website you linked even says it wasn't the first self propelled car, but rather it was the first one to use internal combustion.