| Sydney Electric Train Society | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Locale | Sydney |
| Website | |
| www.sets.org.au | |
The Sydney Electric Train Society is a railway preservation society in Sydney, Australia. It specialises in NSW electric traction and particularly NSW electric locomotives.
| Sydney Electric Train Society | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Locale | Sydney |
| Website | |
| www.sets.org.au | |
The Sydney Electric Train Society is a railway preservation society in Sydney, Australia. It specialises in NSW electric traction and particularly NSW electric locomotives.
The Sydney Electric Train Society (SETS) was established in July 1991 with the aim of preserving Sydney's vintage electric fleet colloquially known as Red Rattler's. In January 1992, it operated its first tour with single deck stock across the CityRail suburban network, the last of which were about to be withdrawn. [1]
By 1993, the executive of SETS had significantly changed to include more “mature” members. This went a long way to regaining some credibility with senior key players in the SRA. Through the hard work of these mature members, the manual doors impasse was settled. Tours then resumed, using trains hired from the SRA, with significant success through 1995 and 1996. A four car heritage set known as "M1" would commonly be used on such tours formed of carriages C3102, T4527, D4052, and C3218. In 1995, this set would be moved to Flemington where it would be known as "F1". [2]
In 1997, a number of SETS members voluntarily resigned with a new board taking on the job of electric preservation. This was due to a disagreement in operations with volunteers split on a private or public ownership. The remaining members of SETS would follow the private operation of owning rolling stock whilst the members that resigned would start a new organisation Historic Electric Traction (HET) with its primary objective of SRA owning the rolling stock whilst HET would be the care takers of it; a partnership of sorts. [2]
On 20 April 1998, SETS purchased 46 class electric locomotive 4615. [3] Later in 1998, it purchased four Tulloch power cars from the State Rail Authority along with some U set stock. [4] It has since expanded its collection with 85 and 86 class locomotives, one Bradfield and two Suburban power cars acquired from RailCorp and the only complete Sydney Monorail set. [5] [6] [7]
SETS rolling stock has at various times been on static display at various public railway museums; Lithgow State Mine Heritage Park & Railway, the Goulburn Rail Heritage Centre and Junee Roundhouse Railway Museum. From 2003 to 2009, SETS operational electric locos and interurban cars were housed at Hornsby Maintenance Depot. In 2009, locomotives 8606 and 4615 along with CF5003 and CF5021 would be forcefully removed from Hornsby after a disagreement in storage. They would be moved by rail with a 44 class locomotive to Junee where they would be stored on display at the Junee Roundhouse.
In June 2018, 4615, 8606, CF5003 and CF5021 would be then removed from Junee due to a disagreement in storage there and would be transferred to Lithgow with 8606 returned to service to haul infrastructure trains on the Sydney Trains underground network. [8]
Currently as of 2023, SETS has a number of its assets scattered across NSW with many items in various stages of restoration. A line up of eight red set carriages have been left at Chullora awaiting collection and moved to a secure location for future restoration. 46 class locomotives 4615 and 4627 are at Lithgow alongside U Boat carriages CF5003 and CF5021. 4615 is awaiting an ICE radio to be installed, [9] 4627 is awaiting funding for a static repaint, [10] whilst the U Boat carriages sit in the yard awaiting restoration. 8501 is presently at Werris Creek awaiting reactivation. 8606 is at Port Kembla awaiting traction motors to be refitted. 8649 is currently the only operating asset SETS has presently running rail robel runs in the city underground late at night.
SETS has also been allocated a four car S Set and four car C Set; both of which have not been signed officially over to SETS ownership and are currently sitting out the back of Auburn Maintrain. When the carriages are officially signed over to SETS, they will have 30 days to remove them from Sydney Trains land. [11] [12]
| Number | Image | Year | Manufacturer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4615 |  | 1956 | Metropolitan-Vickers | Purchased April 1998, [6] at Lithgow Locomotive Maintenance Centre for re-activation as at May 2019. Still awaiting ICE radio installation as of October 2023. [13] |
| 4627 |  | 1957 | Metropolitan-Vickers | Purchased April 2013, [14] at Lithgow in the yard at Lithgow State Mine Railway as of October 2023. Is awaiting further donations for it to be restored to static display. |
| 8501 | 1979 | Commonwealth Engineering | Stored at Werris Creek, [5] [6] one compressor temporarily swapped with 8649. Planned to be restored to operational condition. | |
| 8606 |  | 1983 | Commonwealth Engineering | Purchased February 2003, [5] [6] based at Enfield Yard, restored to operational condition in 2018 as a heritage loco and for Pacific National to use on Robel infrastructure trains on the Sydney Trains underground network. Currently stabled at Progress Rail Port Kembla awaiting traction motors to be refitted. [15] |
| 8649 |  | 1985 | Commonwealth Engineering | Purchased July 2018, based at Enfield Yard, restored to operational condition in 2020-21 as a heritage loco and as a second loco for Pacific National to use on Robel infrastructure trains on the Sydney Trains underground network. [15] On 9 May 2022, 8649 returned repainted in the SRA Candy livery. |
| Number | Image | Year | Manufacturer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C3082 | 1921 | Ritchie Brothers | Acquired 2008. Stored indoors at Bilpin | |
| C3104 | 1925 | Leeds Forge Company | Acquired 2008. [16] Stored indoors at Bilpin | |
| C3444 | 1937 | Clyde Engineering | Acquired 2008. Stored indoors at Bilpin | |
| C7489 | 1950 | Tulloch | Acquired 1998 [17] left abandoned at Chullora Industrial siding as of October 2023 | |
| C7510 | 1950 | Tulloch | Acquired 1998 [17] sitting in a field on private property in Castlereagh as of October 2023 | |
| C7512 | 1950 | Tulloch | Acquired 1998 [17] left abandoned at Chullora Industrial siding as of October 2023 | |
| C7513 | 1950 | Tulloch | Acquired 1998 left abandoned at Chullora Industrial siding as of October 2023 | |
| CF5001 | 1958 | Commonwealth Engineering | Acquired 2013 moved from Rothbury to unknown location in mid 2023 | |
| CF5003 |  | 1958 | Commonwealth Engineering | Acquired 1998 [4] currently at Lithgow as of October 2023 |
| CF5021 | 1958 | Commonwealth Engineering | Acquired 1998 [4] currently at Lithgow as of October 2023 | |
| CF5022 | 1958 | Commonwealth Engineering | Acquired 1998 [4] | |
| TF6010 | 1958 | Commonwealth Engineering | Acquired 1998 [4] | |
| ETB6037 | 1958 | Commonwealth Engineering | Acquired 1998 [4] | |
| C3861 | 1972 | Commonwealth Engineering | Under ownership of Sydney Trains at present. Stored at Auburn | |
| T4983 | 1975 | Commonwealth Engineering | Under ownership of Sydney Trains at present. Stored at Auburn | |
| T4003 | 1978 | Commonwealth Engineering | Under ownership of Sydney Trains at present. Stored at Auburn | |
| C3057 | 1977 | Commonwealth Engineering | Under ownership of Sydney Trains at present. Stored at Auburn | |
| C3584 |  | 1986 | Goninan | Under ownership of Sydney Trains at present. Stored at Auburn |
| T4266 |  | 1986 | Goninan | Under ownership of Sydney Trains at present. Stored at Auburn |
| T4274 | 1986 | Goninan | Under ownership of Sydney Trains at present. Stored at Auburn | |
| C3608 |  | 1986 | Goninan | Under ownership of Sydney Trains at present. Stored at Auburn |
| Number | Image | Year | Manufacturer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Von Roll Mk3 Set 4 | 1988 | Von Roll Holding | Acquired 2013 [7] |
The society formerly published Under the Wires, a bi-monthly magazine. [18]
The T sets, also referred to as the Tangara trains, are a class of electric multiple units that currently operate on the Sydney Trains network. Built by A Goninan & Co, the sets entered service between 1988 and 1995, initially under the State Rail Authority and later on CityRail. The T sets were built as "third-generation" trains for Sydney's rail fleet, coinciding with the final withdrawals of the "Red Rattler" sets from service in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The Tangaras were initially built as two classes; the long-distance G sets and the suburban T sets, before being merged after successive refurbishments.
The K sets are a class of electric multiple units that currently operate on the Sydney Trains network. Built by A Goninan & Co, the K sets first entered service in 1981 operating under the State Rail Authority, and later CityRail. The carriages are of stainless steel, double deck construction and share much of their design with the older S sets. All of the 40 K sets originally built remain in service and are currently the oldest in the Sydney Trains fleet.
The S sets are a class of electric multiple units that operated on Sydney's suburban rail network from 1972 up until 2019. Originally entering service under the Public Transport Commission, the sets also operated under the State Rail Authority, CityRail and Sydney Trains. Prior to their retirement, the S sets were the last class in the Sydney Trains fleet to not be air-conditioned, earning them the nicknames "Tin cans" and "Sweat Sets". They were also nicknamed "Ridgys" because of their fluted ("ridged") stainless steel panelling; they shared this nickname with similar looking K sets and C sets. Their stainless steel appearance was also shared with the intercity V sets and U sets. All remaining sets were withdrawn from service in June 2019.
The Blue Mountains Line (BMT) is an inter urban commuter rail service operated by NSW TrainLink serving the Blue Mountains region of New South Wales, Australia. The line travels west from Sydney to the major town of Katoomba and on to Mount Victoria, Lithgow and Bathurst. Mount Victoria is the terminus for most electric services, but some services terminate at Lithgow instead. Two express services per day in each direction, known as the Bathurst Bullet, extend to the regional city of Bathurst, which is supplemented by road coaches connecting Bathurst to Lithgow. Due to electrification limits at Lithgow, the Bathurst Bullet is run using the Endeavour railcars, which operate on diesel. The Blue Mountains Line operates over a mostly duplicated section of the Main Western line. As such, the tracks are also traversed by the Central West XPT, Outback Xplorer and Indian Pacific passenger services and by freight trains.
The V sets are a class of electric multiple units currently operated by NSW TrainLink. Built by Comeng between 1970 and 1989, the sets are of stainless steel construction, and are currently the oldest in the electric fleet of NSW. First delivered under the Department of Railways, only sets from 1977 and onwards remain in service, now operating on Intercity services to Lithgow and Newcastle.
The Sydney Trains fleet serves the metropolitan lines within Sydney, Australia. All of the rolling stock are double-deck electric multiple units and operate mainly as eight carriage sets.
The New South Wales 46 class was a class of mainline electric locomotive built by Metropolitan-Vickers and its partner Beyer, Peacock & Company in England for the Department of Railways New South Wales. They later operated for the Public Transport Commission, State Rail Authority and FreightCorp with most remaining in service into the 1990s.
The railways of New South Wales, Australia, use a large variety of passenger and freight rolling stock. The first railway in Sydney was opened in 1855 between Sydney and Granville, now a suburb of Sydney but then a major agricultural centre. The railway formed the basis of the New South Wales Government Railways. Passenger and freight services were operated from the beginning. By 1880, there was a half hourly service to Homebush.
The New South Wales XPT is a class of diesel-powered passenger trains built by Comeng and ABB. Based on the British Rail-designed High Speed Train, each XPT set comprises two XP power cars in a push-pull configuration and, between them, between four and seven passenger carriages.
The Southern Aurora was an overnight express passenger train that operated between Australia's two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne. First-class throughout, including the dining facilities, the Southern Aurora featured all-sleeper accommodation. The train first ran on 13 April 1962 after the opening of the North East standard gauge line from Melbourne to Albury, eliminating the break-of-gauge between the capital cities.
This article lists some of the terminology used at present and in the past by railway employees, railway enthusiasts and railway historians in Australia. Many appear from time to time in specialist, rail-related publications. Significant regional variations exist, indicated by abbreviations of the state or railway.
The U sets were a type of electric multiple unit (EMU) operated by the New South Wales Government Railways and its successors between September 1958 and November 1996. They were nicknamed U-boats.
Tulloch Limited was an Australian engineering and railway rolling stock manufacturer, located at Rhodes, New South Wales.
The Rail Motor Society, based at Paterson, New South Wales, is a community owned collection of preserved self-propelled railway vehicles and equipment from the former New South Wales Government Railways and its successors. The items in its collection date from 1923 through to 1972.
The NSW TrainLink fleet of trains serves the areas outside Sydney, Australia, mainly interurban and interstate lines. The NSW TrainLink fleet consists of both diesel and electric traction, with the oldest of the fleet being the V sets and the youngest being the H sets.
The NSW TrainLink D sets, also referred to as the Mariyung trains, are a class of electric multiple units (EMU) being built to replace NSW TrainLink's Intercity EMU fleet. The trains will operate on services from Sydney to Newcastle, Lithgow and Kiama, allowing the retirement of NSW TrainLink's V set fleet, and freeing the H set fleet for reallocation to Sydney suburban services.
The New South Wales Standard suburban carriage stock are a class of electric multiple units that were operated by the New South Wales Government Railways and its successors between 1926 and 1992. They served on the Sydney suburban network. In the years before their withdrawal, they were nicknamed Red Rattlers.
The New South Wales Sputnik suburban carriage stock is a type of electric multiple unit that was operated by the New South Wales Government Railways and its successors between 1957 and 1993 and served on the Sydney rail network.
The New South Wales Tulloch double deck carriage stock was a class of electric multiple unit carriages operated by the New South Wales Government Railways and its successors between 1964 and 2004.
The New South Wales Bradfield suburban carriage stock were a type of electric multiple unit operated by the New South Wales Government Railways and its successors between 1921 and 1975.
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