4 Metropolitan-Vickers MV222 series-wound DC traction motors per motor coach, each rated at 180 hp, semi-automatic electro-pneumatic resistance control.
Transmission
74:17 Gear ratio. Helical gears. Wheel diameter 36 inch (914mm)
Electric traction equipment was supplied by the Metropolitan-Vickers, Manchester and were the final electric trains in New South Wales to have they're tractive power supplied from them before they liquidated in 1960. However, before construction began the order was amended with the 20 planned first with buffet cars built as full first class seating cars, after a review of the New South Wales Government Railways conducted by American firm Ebasco Services Incorporated in the mid-1950s recommended the change.[1]
The U sets were a bit different compared to the suburban single decked trains that were delivered at the same time. They were the first EMUs in NSW to feature stainless-steel construction using technology from the Budd Company, improving train acceleration and giving the trains lower maintenance costs and a longer usable life. Additionally, they were slightly thinner than their suburban counterparts.
Delivery
The U Sets started to be delivered from June 1957, and the first sets made their first public appearances that same year. The first appearance took place on 22 June 1957 when they were hauled by electric locomotive 4625 as part of the first official electric train to travel on the newly electrified Blue Mountains line. Normal services began on 15 September 1958, and all were in service by March 1960.[1]
First class travel was abolished on 1 September 1974. This saw the removal of the word "Second" on all carriages and also allowed non-first class passengers to enjoy the benefits of non-smoking carriages for the first time.
In service
U set at the official opening of Gosford Railway Station in 1960.
The U sets initially entered revenue service on 15 September 1958 this being a Sydney Terminal to Mount Victoria service which was then known as "The Fish".
In 1961, a U set trailer was borrowed for the Canberra Monaro Express and Goulburn Day Train that was taken by two 1100 class railcars and was sandwiched in-between the two diesel railcar carriages. This was due to the urgency of needing new carriages for the service that they were taking and at the time only had two motor cars. This U set car would be put back into regular service with its counterparts when the rest of the 1100 railcars were built.[2]
The U sets initially operated on the Main Western line as far as Bowenfels which was the limit of the electrified system at the time. This was cut back to Lithgow in 1974. As the electrified network expanded they began to operate to Gosford (23 January 1960), Wyong (April 1982), Newcastle (June 1984), Port Kembla (February 1986) and Dapto (January 1993). The U sets were supplemented by V set double deck sets from 1970.
From the mid-1970s many had their original lift-up windows replaced by Beclawat sliding windows.
Between 1973 and 1993, some carriages were damaged in accidents beyond repair and scrapped.
Withdrawals due to accident damage include:
11/1/1973: CF5034 and ETB6033 burnt while stabled at Gosford, scrapped in March 1976
3/1978: CF5038 and TF6018 damaged in a shunting incident at Flemington car sheds, scrapped in August 1981
11/1/1982: CF5016 damaged at Gosford, cut up on site
27/10/1983: CF5002 damaged in a shunting incident at Flemington, scrapped at Chullora
25/12/1989: CF5009 damaged in a shunting mishap at Flemington Maintenance Facility and cut up on site during May 1990
22/7/1993: CF5032 collided with electric locomotives 8627 and 8612 at Lithgow and cut up at Lithgow Maintenance Facility
Official withdrawal of the sets began in 1994 as new Tangara G sets began replacing them. The first Tangara G sets entered service in June 1994 and as they were progressively put into service through to late 1995 the U sets were progressively withdrawn. The final run of the U sets on the Main Western Line for Blue Mountains services was in late February 1996 after which they only performed revenue services on the Northern Line between Sydney and Newcastle.
The very last U Sets were withdrawn in early November 1996.[3] The final revenue service performed by a U set was on Friday afternoon 1 November 1996 – a four car set operating a Newcastle to Sydney service. The cars on the final passenger service were CF5008 TF6004 TF6020 CF5022 on set U3. The final U set to run under its own power was a Sydney Electric Train Society Farewell tour two days later on the Sunday 3 November 1996 performed by an eight car set lead by CF5005. Many carriages would be scrapped following withdrawal.
Preservation
Power car CF5003 at the Junee Roundhouse Museum in 2011
A number of U Set carriages have been preserved.[4] The Hunter Valley Railway Trust had five cars including class pioneer CF5001. The others were ETB6023, ETB6032, CF5011, and CF5005. All were scrapped in 2013, excepting CF 5001 which was purchased by the Sydney Electric Train Society. Richmond Vale Railway lost cars TF 6001/02 and ETB 6026 in a bushfire in 2017.
One car TF6011 was used in Like Minds (2005) and was featured in numerous scenes. A preserved U set carriage appeared in Guy Sebastian's "Standing with You" music video in 2020. Some carriages were modified for usage in 1999 Si-Fi film The Matrix were they are used by the protagonist Neo to run over his adversary Agent Smith. These carriages still retained their City Rail logo. The power carriage in the set was given lighting reminiscent of the Brown Line (CTA) used in Chicago, Illinois.[2]
Historic Electric Traction are making efforts to restore five carriages to traffic for charter services. This set will be targeted as U2 following from the targeting of set F1.[5]
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