Mixed train

However, some earlier passenger expresses, which also hauled time-sensitive freight in covered goods wagons (boxcars), would now be termed mixed trains.

Called motorail, such services operate in Austria, Turkey, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Finland, Serbia, Australia, Canada, Chile, and the US.

The Skitube Alpine Railway sometimes operates as a mixed service, as during winter there is no road access to Blue Cow Mountain.

These were common on branch lines and were run for the following reasons: To reduce smoke exposure, the passenger coaches were usually located well back from the locomotive.

However, when heating was required during cold weather, the coaches connected immediately behind the locomotive, because most goods wagons lacked heating-pipe conduits.

Into the 1980s, the Deutsche Bundesbahn ran GmP trains occasionally, but adding or detaching rolling stock created long wait times at stops, which contributed to their demise.

The other variant in German-speaking countries was the PmG or "passenger train with goods service" (Personenzug mit Güterbeförderung).

Passenger trains transporting skiers, in places like Interlaken, still haul an open wagon for ski equipment.

The shortcomings of mixed trains for passenger travel led the New Zealand Railways Department to investigate railcar technology in the early 20th century.

When successfully introduced from the 1930s, railcars primarily replaced unprofitable provincial carriage trains, and some mixed services in regions such as the West Coast and Taranaki.

Unlike prior era mixed trains, with their slow en route shunting, this time-sensitive freight travelled swiftly.

[21] By 1990, mixed trains existed on only four routes in Canada, namely the Via Rail (formerly Canadian National Railway) Wabowden–Churchill (ceased 2002)[22] and The Pas–Lynn Lake, the Ontario Northland Cochrane–Moosonee, and the Quebec North Shore and Labrador's Sept-Îles–Labrador City/Schefferville.

Opened in 1866, the Wrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay Railway operated mixed trains during its early years.

[30] The Regulation Act of 1889 generally prohibited traditional mixed trains because the absence of continuous braking apparatus on wagons preceding the coaches jeopardized passenger safety.

However, the Board of Trade exercised latitude in enforcing this rule, and some mixed trains ran until the end of the steam era.