(AUS)End of the line for Sydney's 'sweat set' trains

[Pakenhamtrain]

From the Sydney Morning Herald:

Unlike many commuters, NSW's longest serving train guard, Patrick Breen, is sad to see the last of the S-Set trains retired from service on Sydney's suburban rail network.

"They are a fantastic train. They are reliable and, if anything goes wrong with them, they are easy to fix," Mr Breen, 68, said aboard one of the oldest S-Sets in the fleet as it crossed Sydney Harbour Bridge to mark the retirement of the trains.

After 47 years of service, the last of the trains dubbed "sweat sets" by passengers due to their lack of air conditioning will officially be retired in the early hours of Saturday morning when the last timetabled service leaves from Olympic Park Station at 12.02am.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...ydney-s-sweat-set-trains-20190627-p521w0.html

 

[yorksrob]

They sound very much like our forty year old slammers. Less technology to go wrong (although lack of air con might have been more of a problem in Australia than here !).

What were the interiors like ?

Well done to the Government for preserving 14 carriages ! Would have been nice if our Government could have saved 4EPB 5001 for heritage purposes.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

What were the interiors like ?

That's of driving trailer turned normal trailer T4018.

Some cars cars converted to trailers just had the cab wall removed and the cab locked off.

 

[yorksrob]

They look nice enough - I can imagine sticking to the leather seats though !

 

[LeeLivery]

I always wanted to travel on an S Set, shame I've missed them. Are the K's still around or are the oldest now the T Sets?

 

[Mag_seven]

After 47 years of service, the last of the trains dubbed "sweat sets" by passengers due to their lack of air conditioning

They have proper air conditioning that never fails - opening windows!

 

[route101]

Remember using these in 2011 , could turn the seats around to face direction of travel . Hardly seen any when i went back in 2014

 

[Springs Branch]

...... Are the K's still around or are the oldest now the T Sets?

The airconditioned K Sets are still in service - mostly on weekday & peak-hour services, as I understand it.
There's a TV news item on this from a couple of months ago at:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=284240278925278

They look nice enough - I can imagine sticking to the leather seats though !

The older Sydney double-deck S and K-Sets had been cleaned up internally in recent years (but still a pleasingly no-frills and workmanlike means of urban transport, as images in this thread show).

I remember this style of train back in the late 80s and 90s when they were less well-lit, grubby and run-down internally. With lower ridership back then and the poor lines of sight due to the double deck layout, they could have a very intimidating atmosphere in off-peak / late night operations. Much improved in recent years, now with minimal graffiti and a better ratio of normal citizens:low lifes travelling on the trains (in my own experience, at least).

 

[raetiamann]

I remember travelling to the west of the city on one of these, and a cyclist on an adjacent road overtook us.

 

[LeeLivery]

The airconditioned K Sets are still in service - mostly on weekday & peak-hour services, as I understand it.
There's a TV news item on this from a couple of months ago at:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=284240278925278

Great, thanks for that. Hopefully I'll get to Sydney before they'll go.

 

[Stonesourscotty]

C and K sets only work Monday- Friday trains now and are restricted to T2/3/5/6/7
Milleniums only work in Pairs Monday - Friday
Tangara's now work on T7
Milleniums Now work on T6 during the week
Milleniums work alone on the weekend on T5/6 Only If T5 is Running at the weekends