 They originally augmented the Wairarapa Mail but replaced it in 1948.Carriage trains operated only at peak times of the year when the railcar capacity was exceeded; in 1955, the Incline's closure meant the Wairarapa railcars were withdrawn and 88 seater railcars were introduced, boosting capacity at off-peak times.One Wairarapa railcar has survived and is currently under restoration by the Pahiatua Railcar Society.