A 2100 kW motor coach of SOB at the head of a train in Wädenswil 2003

A motor coach (international usage) or motorcar (US usage) is a self-propelled passenger vehicle also capable of hauling a train.^[1][2] With multiple unit train control, one operator can control several "motor coaches", possibly even combined with locomotives, efficiently in the same train, making longer trains possible.

Motor coaches can replace locomotives at the head of local passenger or freight trains. Especially electrified narrow gauge lines on the European continent often saw this form of operation. Many of these railways closed down, and many others changed to electric multiple units. However, a few lines in Switzerland, Italy and Austria still work with train consists hauled by motor coaches. It can be expected that the Bernina line of Rhaetian Railway will continue for a long time to be operated with motor coaches pulling passenger and freight trains.

Examples of motor coaches

• 
  Two motor coaches of RhB in MU pulling the maximum allowed load of 140 t on the Bernina line
• 
  An old Bodensee-Toggenburg (Switzerland) motor coach pulling four coaches: not an EMU and not a railcar
• 
  Electric motor coach of CEV (Switzerland) with driving trailer
• 
  Metre-gauge electric twin motor coach ABDe 8/8 4004 of the Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line in Switzerland pulling two coaches and two cement wagons
• 
  A Czech diesel motor coach with a driving trailer

Examples of railcars

• 
  ARB BCFhe 2/3 6 in Switzerland, oldest operational rack railcar of the world, built in 1911
• 
  Soviet railcar AS1A at Museum of the Moscow Railway (Moscow Rizhsky station)
• 
  Czech railbus (now nicknamed Regiomouse)
• 
  Rack railcars of Gornergratbahn in Zermatt, Switzerland

Examples of multiple units not combined with other vehicles

• 
  Rack electric multiple units of Gornergratbahn in Zermatt, Switzerland: Two-car-units can work in MU
• 
  Two rack GTW of the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya working in MU on the Montserrat line
• 
  ZSSK Class 405.95 on the Štrba to Štrbské Pleso rack railway, Štrbské Pleso
• 
  Two EM class EMUs in New Zealand
• 
  Bilevel EMUs in Chicago
• 
  An MU of Silverliners of Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)
• 
  Sankt Petersburg Metro EMUs

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Multiple units, motor coaches and railcars.

References

Literature

• Ellis, Ian (2006). Ellis' British Railway Engineering Encyclopaedia. Lulu. ISBN 978-1-84728-643-7.
• Jackson, Alan A. (2006). The Railway Dictionary (4th ed.). Stroud: Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-4218-5.