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blue bird
diesel railcars used on country lines, so named because they were painted blue and all had a name of a native bird on them: Are you going to catch a bluebird to Mt Gambier or take the bus? Compare Barwell's bull, Brill car, red hen.
Contributor's comments: Blue bird was also known in Northern South Australia as the Blue bird or bud-car serviced Woomera in my youth 1959-1972. We also had the "tea and sugar train" that travelled the line each fortnight bringing tea, sugar, meat, etc.
Contributor's comments: The Blue bird was a diesel train with blue and silver carriages. Each carriage was named with an Australian bird name. From Adelaide, the Blue bird travelled only to Mount Gambier, and stations in between. It was distinguished from the Melbourne Express and the Budd cars of Northern South Australia by its colour. Until the 1960s country trains going North from Adelaide were usually steam driven. Passengers changed to the Budd car at Port Pirie. The Ghan, which travelled from Port Augusta to Marree, and the Overland, which travelled from Port Augusta to Kalgoorlie were both diesel trains at that time.
Contributor's comments: I lived at Riverton in the 1960s, and we had blue bird railcars there. I suspect they were used on all the broad gauge lines - ie south of Port Pirie, Gladstone and Terowie.
Contributor's comments: The Blue Bird sounds like what Victorians called a Rail Motor. In the 90s flash new ones have been introduced and are called Sprinter Trains.