Sydney Electric Train Society
LocaleSydney
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.

History

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operated its first tour with single deck stock across the CityRail suburban network, the last of which were about to be withdrawn.[1]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]

Collection

Electric locomotives

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 the 9th of May 2022, 8649 returned repainted in the SRA Candy livery.

Electric multiple units

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

Monorail

Number Image Year Manufacturer Notes
Von Roll Mk3 Set 4 1988 Von Roll Holding Acquired 2013[7] currently sitting in a field on private property in Castlereagh.

Tours

Tour Name Year Electric Train? Other Train? Bus? Notes
Farewell Single Deck Red Sets 1992 Yes No No SETS first official tour.
Elcar/Mortdale Visit 1992 No No Yes
W Set on the Illawarra 1992 Yes No No
Outer Western Red Revisited 1992 Yes No No
Elcar/Mortdale Revisit 1992 No No Yes
Twighlight Mystery Tour 1992 Yes No No
Dapto - Bondi U Boat 1993 Yes No No
Carlingford Inner City 1993 Yes No No
The First M1 Tour 1993 Yes No No
Zig Zag Over The Great Divide 1993 Yes No No
Single Deck Red Sets Return 1993 Yes No No
Shooting to the Loftus Tram 1993 n/a No n/a
The Terminating Tour 1994 Yes No No
The Sputniks' Send Off 1994 Yes No No
The Paterson Tour 1994 n/a n/a n/a
Half Yearly Tour Special 1994 Yes No No
Across the Great Divide 1994 Yes No No
Royal National Park Visit 1994 n/a No n/a
Cowan to Campbelltown 1994 Yes No No
Gosford to Lithgow 1995 Yes No No
Campbelltown Steam Museum 1995 No No Yes
The Paterson Tour 2 1995 Yes Yes No Would be recreated in 2023 using a K Set organised by Historic Electric Traction.
Goninans Visit 1995 No No Yes
Illawarra Wanderer Tour 1995 n/a n/a n/a
Tramway Twighlight Tour 1995 n/a No n/a
Above The Wires Part 1 1995 n/a n/a n/a
Above The Wires Part 2 1996 n/a n/a n/a
Suburban Goose Tour 1996 Yes No No
Freight Rail U Boat Tour 1996 Yes No No
Northern Reds Tour 1996 Yes No No
Goninans Visit 2 1996 No No Yes
St James Tunnels Walking Tour 1996 No No No
Farewell to the U Boats 1996 Yes No No
Why Use The Y-Link Tour 1996 n/a n/a n/a
Box Vale Walking Tour 1997 No No Yes
K Set to Kick Off 1997 1997 Yes No No
The Triangle Tour 1997 n/a n/a n/a The last tour ran before the infamous split of the group in July 1997.
Steaming Up To Richmond Vale 1997 No No Yes
Powerhouse Castle Hill Visit 1997 No No Yes
Newcastle 200 Tour 1997 n/a n/a n/a
Christmas Twighlight Tramway 1997 n/a No n/a
Double Decker History Tour 1998 n/a No n/a
Maintrain Workshops Tour 1998 n/a No Yes
Ropes Creek Revisited 1998 No No Yes
4615 Movement to State Mine 1998 Yes No No
The Lithgow Contura 1998 Yes No No
Twighlight Tramway Christmas 1998 n/a No n/a
Bondi to Goods Line 1999 Yes No No
The Pylon Tunnnel Walk 1999 n/a No No
Steel City Contura 1999 Yes No No
U Boats in the Coalfields 1999 Yes No No
Eveleigh Central Insight 1999 No No n/a
Thirlmere for Christmas 1999 No n/a n/a
South Coast Illawanderer 2000 n/a n/a n/a
Lapstone ZigZag via Powerhouse 2000 No No Yes
Steaming Down to Albion Park 2000 No n/a n/a
Clarence Power Contura 2000 Yes No n/a
Valley Heights Museum of Fire 2000 No No Yes
Hornsby and Hawkesbury 2000 Yes No No
Goninan and Newcastle Explorer 2000 No No Yes
Balmoral via Lilyfield 2000 No No Yes
Abandoned Branch Line Walk 2000 No No Yes
Millenium and Toronto Tour 2000 No No Yes
Tramways Old and New 2000 No No Yes
Dulwich Hill via Darling St Wharf 2001 No No Yes
Electric Trains 70th Anniversary 2001 Yes No No Set W3 was ran with SETS. Set F1 in a six car formation was ran with HET.
DELEC and Sandown Branch 2001 No No Yes
The Lithgow Explorer 2001 Yes No Yes
Flemington Maintenance Centre 2001 No No Yes
The Ships and Planes Tour 2001 No No Yes
Steam to Royalla 2001 No Yes Yes
Meeks Rd + Bus&Truck Museum 2001 No No Yes
The Airport Explorer 2001 No No Yes
Cockatoo Island and North Head 2001 No No No
The Sputnik Suburban 2001 Yes No No
Kiama to Dapto Elec Project 2001 No No Yes
Christmas at Goulburn 2001 No No Yes
North by North West Tour 2002 Yes No Yes The last time SETS would hire out specifically heritage rolling stock. Set W3 retargeted S7a ran the tour.
White Bay Powerhouse 2002 No No Yes
Maintrain Inspection 2002 No No Yes
Campbelltown Steam Museum 2 2002 No No Yes
Promote Hawkesbury Cruise 2002 No No n/a
Mortdale and Kogarah Explorer 2002 No No Yes
86 Class Farewell 2002 Yes No No
Airport Coalfields and 46 Class 2002 Yes No No
Ocean and Harbour 46 Class 2003 Yes No No
8606 Celebration Tour 2003 Yes No No
Live Steam & Electric Car Tour 2003 No No Yes
8606 Returns to the North 2003 Yes No No
Goulburn Mystery Tour 2004 No Yes n/a
Skyway Farewell Tour 2004 No No Yes
Changing Flyer Tour 2004 Yes Yes No
Passenger Elec SesquiCentenary 2005 Yes No No
Eastern Seaboard Double Head 2005 Yes No No
Terrain Tunnel Push Pull Tour 2005 Yes No No Would be the last tour operated by an 86 class locomotive. The next time an 86 class locomotive would be used for a heritage event would be the Harbour Bridge 90th anniversary assisting steam locomotive 3801 over the Harbour Bridge.
Numeralla Alco Limited 2006 No Yes Yes 44 Class trip from Central to Queenbeyan had to be cancelled due to operational issues with ARTC and RailCorp.
Double Decker Tramway Sizzle 2007 No No Yes
Valley Heights Steam Tramway 2008 No No Yes
SETS Tramway Christmas Party 2008 No No Yes
Powerhouse and Rogans Hill 2010 No No Yes
Comeng Crossover Conquest 2010 Yes No No
Darling Harbour Steam Cruise 2010 No No No
Roundhouse New Year Tour 2011 No No Yes
Suburban Interurban Tour 2011 Yes No No Set V13 would be involved in an incident less then a week later with a tree on the Blue Mountains line. That particular carriage got scrapped soon after.
Highlands Escarpment Tour 2011 No Yes No
Oberon Explorer Tour 2011 No No Yes
Transfer of 8607 2012 No Yes Yes
South Coast Chopper Tour 2012 Yes No No
Wolgan Valley Railway Tour 2012 No No Yes
New and Old Electrics Tour 2012 Yes No No Would be the last 2 carriage electric train tour ever.
Steamfest Express 2013 No No Yes
Port Kembla Steel Tour 2013 No No Yes
Full Steam to Dorrigo Tour 2014 No No Yes
Sydney Forts Tour 2015 No No Yes
Steamfest Express 2015 No No Yes
Quay to the Coast Tour 2016 No No Yes
Fire and Water Tour 2016 No No Yes
S Set Farewell Tour 2019 Yes No No Heritage set S28 and S56 ran the set in an 8 carriage formation.
Burbs and Bay Interurban Tour 2019 Yes No No Would be the last time a V Set went down the Carlingford line.
Chopper to the Summit 2021 Yes No No Vandals infamously broke into the rear cab of the tour and hung out the side of the train as it traversed the Parramatta River at Meadowbank.
Great Northern Chopper 2021 Yes No No Did not happen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rescheduled tour did not happen either due to the only remaining C Set requiring maintenance for re-certification.
Seaside Interurban Tour 2022 Yes No No A car cruise colloquially known as the "Seaside Statesman Tour" chased the train down to Kiama to get photos of it. Set V21 ran the tour.

Publication

The society formerly published Under the Wires, a bi-monthly magazine.[18]

Criticism

The society has had various criticism brought up against them over the years.

Restoration of Electric Locomotives

The restoration of 8649 whilst favourable by railfans highlighted a historical blunder. When the 86 class locomotive was drafted in the Candy livery, it was noted that the orange ban be 40 millimeters higher for a standardised look, however in production, the livery was slightly modified to have the orange ban 40 millimeters lower to allow for painting, maintenance and presentation simplified when locomotives were in active service.[19] The 8649 livery remained faithful to the original draft having the orange ban 40 millimeters higher arguably being the only locomotive to be correctly painted. This has created division in heritage whether the livery should be faithful to the original draft or what the locomotives actually wore in service. Of particular note, the repaint was achieved with a $40,000 heritage grant in which, 8649 has only been used for a heritage use once since the repaint. This event involved it assisting 3801 over the Harbour Bridge and through the city underground during the celebration of the Sydney Harbour Bridges 90th anniversary.[20]

C Set Incidents

On the 6th of March 2021, the "SETS Chopper to the Summit" tour had vandals break into the rear cab of the C Set train and hang out of the train as it travelled over the John Witton Bridge in Meadowbank during the Hawkesbury River leg of the tour. This was a significant blunder and as such threatened the future of mainline tours of electric preservation. Since the incident, C Set trains have formally been withdrawn with K Set trains receiving significant security modifications to prevent cab break ins.

On the 28th of April 2021, the "SETS Great Northern Chopper Tour" was supposed to operate after COVID-19 restrictions had ended.[21] This tour was not operated as the train (made up of half of C5 and C9) required maintenance and needed to be recertified. As of November 2023, this tour has still not been operated. The preserved C Set remains out the back of Auburn Maintrain awaiting maintenance.

Preservation of Suburban Single Deck Carriages

The SETS rollingstock as fallen into disrepair as a result of being exposed to natural elements as the society have no other places to store their rolling stock.[22] One of the most infamous locations, Chullora, came around due to mismanagement. In 1998 when C7489, C7512, C7513 and C7510 were bought, the former three were moved to Meeks Road behind the XPT Maintenance Centre. Between 1999 and 2004, significant work was done to maintain the carriages with C7512 even being put 'on the air' and fully functional.[23] However, by 2010 the carriages had reached a deplorable state with vandalism being the key cause of their demise. RailCorp no longer wanted the carriages there and by 2011 were shunted to Chullora Industrial Siding. There they joined carriages C3714, C3725, C3237, C3399, and C3772 (Superman). For the last twelve years, they have significantly deteriorated with severe corrosion across all the carriages, electronics and copper stolen and the carriages being further submitted to vandalism. Today, they are empty shells with all sorts of nefarious activities happening within and around them.[24]

Of note, C3714 and C3725 are outright privately owned by a SETS members whilst SETS only own the bodies on C3237, C3399 and C3772; the bogies are still under the ownership of Sydney Trains. C7510 is stored on a private property with the original intent of using it as a parts carriage.

Management

Any mention of said rolling stock, plans to restore them or failed tours/tours with problems will immediately be deleted on any page with SETS control with the member making the post/comment banned.

One of the members of the SETS group (also councilor for Manly) had suggested the idea of legalizing the illicit drug, Methamphetamine. He stated if the drug was distributed in a regulated way by doctors, it would be better off for users. NSW Premier, Mike Baird declined this idea.[25]

References

  1. ↑ "The Farewell Single Deck tour" Railway Digest March 1992 page 117
  2. 1 2 Matthews, Paul (2019). The History of ELECTRIC TRAIN PRESERVATION in NSW. Australia.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ↑ SETS Obtain 46-Class Locomotive Motive Power issue 3 December 1998 page 25
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Eligible Preservation Groups Car Allocations" Railway Digest December 1998 page 39
  5. 1 2 3 Sargent, John (2008). Under the Wires - New South Wales 85 & 86 Class Electrics. Pinewood: Train Hobby Publications Australia. ISBN 9781921122170.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Oberg, Leon (2010). Locomotives of Australia 1850s-2010. Dural: Rosenberg Publishing. pp. 303, 387, 393. ISBN 9781921719011.
  7. 1 2 Remember Sydney Monorail Archived 8 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine Harbourlink
  8. ↑ 86 Class Electric Reactivated Motive Power issue 120 November 2018 page 7
  9. ↑ "SETS Fleet - Electric Locomotive 4615". sets.org.au. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  10. ↑ "SETS Fleet - Electric Locomotive 4615". sets.org.au. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  11. ↑ "SETS Fleet - Double-Deck Suburban S-set Cars". sets.org.au. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  12. ↑ "SETS Fleet - Double-Deck Suburban C-set Cars". sets.org.au. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  13. ↑ NSW 46 Class Electric Locomotive 4615 Archived 28 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine Sydney Electric Train Society
  14. ↑ "SETS Fleet - Electric Locomotive 4615". sets.org.au. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  15. 1 2 NSW 86 Class Electric Locomotive 8606 Archived 17 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine Sydney Electric Train Society
  16. ↑ Howarth, Ryan (2010). Sydney Suburban Standards - the Leeds Forge Cars C3101 to C3150: A First in Australian Railway Carriage Design. Bow River Publishing. ISBN 978 0646530116.
  17. 1 2 3 Rolling Stock Railway Digest February 1999 page 29
  18. ↑ Under the Wires Archived 10 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine Sydney Electric Train Society
  19. ↑ Burns, Hugh. "8649 Draft Repaint Diagram" (PDF). Sydney Electric Train Society. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  20. ↑ THNSW (21 March 2022). "Sydney celebrates Harbour Bridge 90th". THNSW. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  21. ↑ "SETS Tours - The Great Northern Chopper Tour". sets.org.au. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  22. ↑ Chullora - Elcar Branch Remains, retrieved 3 November 2023
  23. ↑ "SETS Fleet - Single-Deck Suburban Cars". sets.org.au. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  24. ↑ ABANDONED SYDNEY TRAIN CARRIAGES | red rattlers | train graveyard | Sydney Australia, retrieved 3 November 2023
  25. ↑ https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/northern-beaches/nsw-premier-mike-baird-says-manly-councillor-hugh-burns-idea-of-legal-ice-is-crazy-and-will-never-happen/news-story/28e5e8db2f4f1f8b46b37f9eb8a137c6
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