NSB Class 87 ( no, NSB type 87) is a class of 25

diesel-hydraulic A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving wheels ...

railcar A railcar (not to be confused with a railway car) is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach (carriage, car), with a dri ...

s built by

Strømmens Værksted Strømmens Værksted A/S was an industrial company based in Skedsmo, Norway, specialising in the production of rolling stock. Founded in 1873, it remains as a part of Bombardier Transportation. The plant is located just off Hoved Line, Hovedbanen ...

for the

Norwegian State Railways Vygruppen, branded as Vy, is a government-owned railway company which operates most passenger train services and many bus services in Norway. The company is owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Transport. Its sub-brands include Vy Buss coach s ...

. Seventeen a-series units were delivered in 1941 and equipped with Deutz

prime mover Prime mover may refer to: Philosophy *Unmoved mover, a concept in Aristotle's writings Engineering * Prime mover (engine), motor, a machine that converts various other forms of energy (chemical, electrical, fluid pressure/flow, etc) into energy ...

. Eight b-series units were delivered in 1952 and equipped with

Scania-Vabis Scania AB is a major Swedish manufacturer headquartered in Södertälje, focusing on commercial vehicles—specifically heavy lorries, trucks and buses. It also manufactures diesel engines for heavy vehicles as well as marine and general indu ...

prime movers. The trains weighed and had a maximum speed of , respectively for the a and b-series. They were used on many branch lines until the 1960s, when the gradual electrification caused most lines instead to be served with Class 86. The a-series was scrapped in 1972 and 1973, while the b-series remained used between Ål and

Hønefoss __NOTOC__ Hønefoss is a town and the administrative center of the municipality of Ringerike in Buskerud county, Norway. Hønefoss is an industrial center of inner Østlandet, containing several factories and other industry. As of 1 January 2008 ...

on the

Bergen Line The Bergen Line or the Bergen Railway ( no, Bergensbanen or nn, Bergensbana), is a long scenic standard gauge railway line between Bergen and Hønefoss, Norway. The name is often applied for the entire route from Bergen via Drammen to Osl ...

until 1975 and on the

Flekkefjord Line The Flekkefjord Line ( no, Flekkefjordbanen) is a abandoned branch line to the Sørland Line. It ran between Sira and Flekkefjord in Agder, Norway. The only current activity on the line is tourist draisines. The station buildings along the line ...

until 1981.

Specifications

Class 87 is a single-car railcar with seating for 46 people plus 11

folding seat A folding seat is a seat that folds away so as to occupy less space. When installed on a transit bus, it makes room for a wheelchair or two. When installed on a passenger car, it provides extra seating. In churches, it may have a projection cal ...

s. The cars have an overall length of and a body length of . The class was equipped with a diesel-hydraulic transmission. The a-series is equipped with a Deutz A6M517 engine, which gives a power output of . The b-series has a Scania-Vabis D802 prime mover with a power output of . The higher power gave the b-series a maximum speed of , compared to the of the a-series. However, this also have the b-series a weight, compared to the a-series .

History

The class was ordered for NSB to have a class of smaller

railbus A railbus is a lightweight passenger railcar that shares many aspects of its construction with a bus, typically having a bus (original or modified) body and four wheels on a fixed base, instead of on bogies. Originally designed and developed d ...

es for lines with little traffic. Seventeen units were delivered in 1941, and were originally numbered 18.265–281 and designated Class 7a. Another eight units, the b-series, were delivered in 1952 and numbered 18.301–308. The class was later renumbered Class 87. The trains were used both on mainline routes with little traffic and on branch lines. As the railway network was gradually electrified during the 1950s and 1960s, the need for railcars dropped. Branch line service could easily be handled by the larger and more comfortable Class 86 and 91, and from the late 1960s Class 87 was taken out of use. NSB attempted to sell the units, but as no-one was interested in purchasing them, they were scrapped in 1972 and 1973. The b-series remained in service on the local service between Ål and Hønefoss on the Bergen Line, but was taken out of service in the mid-1970s. Also the Flekkefjord Line retained the b-series, which was used until 1981, when it was replaced with Class 89. The last six trains were retired on 4 March 1981. No. 87-01 and 03 have been preserved by the

Norwegian Railway Club The Norwegian Railway Club ( no, Norsk Jernbaneklubb) is an association which is involved in the preservation of Norwegian museum railways. NMT has its operating base at Hønefoss Station in Ringerike, Norway. The society was founded on 22 May ...

References

External links

Entry
at the

Entry
at Jernbane.net {{NSB stock 87 Vehicles introduced in 1941 Railcars of Norway