Sydney Surroundings Late 20th Century

[@tsegulin]

Those red rattlers were the trains I used used to take toward the end of my time at primary school from Town Hall to Gordon in the mid sixties. There were also older ones with Bradfield power cars and wooden carriages which used on occasion to break down climbing the steep grade from Wynyard to The Bridge. This really is a blast from the past.

[@centurycity]

Excellent video brings back a lot of memories riding on the rattlers. Many thanks.

[@RuffKutz]

I miss that time. The smell the sounds of the red rattlers.

[@vjet]

Some seriously good footage there mate! You must have a had a great video camera (for the era) and knew how to use it! Thank God for people like you recording these everyday scenes that would otherwise be lost to time. Many thanks for giving this ex commuter some great memories. 👍🏻

[@paulsz6194]

Yes, eho here can remember when the red rattlers had manually opening & closing doors, Green interiors, metal blinds on some of the windows and screw- in , incandescent light bulbs ?

[@SlaintheMhath]

@@paulsz6194 The stink of brake dust on hot days when the train pulled into the station and all the windows were open ....

[@michaele7880]

I remember how those old seats were so comfy. And so much fresh air with the doors open. We all had enough common sense to ride these trains and not fall out the door. Nowadays there would be hundreds of fatalities. Also, people on the train actually looking out the window, not staring at a phone.

[@RGC198]

Wow! Excellent video. I remember all this so well when living up in Sydney prior to moving in 1981. I remember riding the single deck red rattlers to and from work during the week on a daily basis. As a child, I even remember riding in wooden single deck red train carriages on rare occasions. I used to live on the Bankstown train line.

[@Jay-2-jackpot]

Where did you move to?

[@RGC198]

My family and I moved to Melbourne in mid 1981 and we have been here ever since.

[@jakez6851]

I slightly remember the red rattlers in the early 1990s as a very young child. I love how the trains used to fly in and out of Central. Unfortunately, these days, Sydney trains travel at a snails pace, even exiting Central towards the suburbs. 🤭. Incredible footage, thank you so much for sharing. 😊

[@michaelhayden725]

We moved to Blacktown, an outer Western Sydney suburb in 1955. Those red rattlers terminated at Blacktown until late ‘55 when rail line to Penrith was finally electrified. Another point virtually all the rail crossings were “level crossings “ with gates and 24 hour rail staff to open and close them. Ah such memories!

[@DavidPola1961]

We used to catch a steam train from Blacktown to the city up till the mid 60's , the Motor Rail went to Richmond

[@michaele7880]

I grew up in Seven Hills. Parents moved there in 1957. I always knew when we were almost at Blacktown Station by the Whitmont shirt sign. The man with the eye patch.

[@michaelhayden725]

@@michaele7880 well you certainly have some very correct memories. They were a totally independent Australian owned (family?) company. Then Whitlam scrapped all the tariffs on footwear and clothing and they couldn’t compete. Screwed by a politician who couldn’t see far enough.

[@DavidPola1961]

@@michaele7880 The Mitchell and Townsend Holden Dealer was next to that , I was born in Wentworthville but lived in Seven Hills from 1961 whenit was still semi rural and had dirt roads and a stop sign at the intersection of Johnson Ave and Station rd and Seven Hills road we swam in the creeks before the put the sewage in around 71 /72 when Kings Langley was sub divided

[@michaele7880]

@@DavidPola1961 I was born in 1971. Older siblings came to seven hills with mum and dad in the late 50s. I remember them having driving lessons in the empty streets of Kings Langley. When they moved to seven hills, right into the 60s cows often got into the backyard. They often talked how they went berry picking on the land that became Kings Langley. I still remember mum holding my hand and crossing to the other side of the road when we passed The Robin Hood.

[@BruceBurgess-xt8et]

Great work .... your filming is first class ... thankyou for uploading

[@JohnEcco-rt3pj]

I grew up in chester hill great memories thankyou

[@rayloulach9376]

Great footage of a great era

[@dieseldavetrains8988]

Good old days, well before "Doors closing, please stand clear" announcement aboard the train! People didn't whine and moan about no air conditioning back then, you just accepted it and got on with life. I used to love the sound of the tractions motors when riding in a power car. Remembered a driver standing up to drive, stool pushed to one side, wearing sand shoes, stubbies and T-shirt with a ciggie in his mouth one summer, he would get suspended for that dress today. The rattlers used to get along at a cracking pace when wound up, give an interurban a run for its money. Classic video, much enjoyed.

[@Lee-hy4hg]

Great video, Mid 80’s by the looks of it, those were the days I grew up in Quakers hill so seeing that brought great memories back 👌👌👍🏻👍🏻🇦🇺🇦🇺

[@michaelhayden725]

That VLine at 15:37 looks like it’s towing The Spirit of Progress combined with those silver Southern Aurora the interstate Sydney to Melbourne

[@Mediawatcher2023]

this is brilliant video footage i remember riding these trains

[@coolhand1964]

The dreaded 'red rattlers'. The hours of my life spent standing in the aisle or doorway of those beasts. Just the sounds, let alone the vision, bring back so many memories.

[@samkaur4098]

Yes i remember travelling on them through the 1970`s 80`s and 90`s.I think they were finally retired out in the late 90`s??Can`t believe how we use to travel with doors and windows opened.

[@coolhand1964]

@@samkaur4098 I travelled from Town Hall to Cronulla for years. No air-con except for the windows and doors. When it was 35c at 6.00pm in summer everyone was soaked with sweat and the carriage smelt like a locker room. That summer North Easterly off the ocean when you finally walked through the old Cronulla Station turnstiles was the sweetest thing I ever smelt. Eventually I got smart and packed a t-shirt, boardies and thongs and got changed at work, then took a swim on the way home.

[@Conceptualcreatures]

Before the world was broken 😢

[@macca9392]

Oh God, Great Memories, the old Red Rattlers !!. Caught them to School, then to Work at Surry Hills, also woke up a few times late at night, after it had Terminated just past Hornsby. Great days, before the World went Nuts, well done on the Footage 👍👍👍👍

[@stevenmanganas5293]

Ahhh Sydney in the mid 80’s….back when the place wasn’t overcrowded,overdeveloped and no apartment invasion yet

[@brettpitman3718]

Mate are you dense? Apartments have been built in Sydney forever

[@victorsauvage1890]

Yes - Not only ‘over-developed’ - The new ‘development’ is so cheap and nasty looking

[@sniper10666]

Looks like your stuck under a rock, tell me were there any dinosaurs back then

[@chrisnewman7281]

I lived in Coogee in the 80s and I can tell you there was congestion all over the place plenty of developments underway. Im. The main change since the 80s has been the proliferation of toll roads people can get from one side of the city to the other quicker but they’re paying for the privilege.

[@Sweptundertherug]

Yes , I can hardly believe it ,there's no one on those trains😂

[@DarrenLock-zj6tq]

Im from Adelaide i remember them they were called the red ratler and we had the redhens Awesome vid😃👍

[@hakanersoy7914]

The good old Sydney Australia 🇦🇺

[@michaele7880]

Love seeing Seven Hills Station as I grew up there. As a small kid I remember the level crossing there and all The traffic.

[@iancampbell7171]

Luv the AP6 Valiant !

[@gyro65]

I still remember the smell of the brakes coming into Warwick Farm station from Cabramatta downhill run good gallop.

[@moniqueyang8130]

Ah Lovely. Did you notice not a single phone 😮

[@vnv8dude]

Yeah noticed that. Everyone just looks out the window😅

[@Nicholas.T]

@@vnv8dudeOr is reading the daily newspaper !!

[@jokearney5812]

I remember these trains and how kids thought they were so fun without any fear in them hanging out of the doors and windows and riding between the cars trying to get a rise out of there parents so much fun lol. Today's trains no fun at all makes you miss the goid old days and what we had.

[@stephensmith1794]

15:30. V line Diesel it has to be the Southern Aurora Spirit of Progress was I think run by the NSW Government but Southern had all silver carriages 🤔

[@fknows1]

the red rattlers were the best, loved them so much

[@sniper10666]

Lol anyone remember stopping at MacDonald town?when it did

[@SlaintheMhath]

All stations from St Marys to Redfern when I worked at Eveleigh Loco as an apprentice in the 70s.

[@jamespeet3060]

I remember sometimes you couldn’t shut those doors!

[@glenmccarthy8482]

Those open doored carriages where a blast , real seat of your pants ride. Today Sydney has become just another bland globalized metropolis.

[@HyRax_Aus]

Wow, those subtitles - is that Pinnacle Studio 8?

[@gdawwg1125]

I can smell the burning metal And the noise , the relentless noise No need for namby pamby doors either

[@nextfall1047]

Those red rattlers sure were noisy to travel in. You wouldnt have been able to talk on your mobile phone annoying everyone else on those haha

[@sigmaoctantis1892]

About 10 to 15 years before these images were taken they started putting in continuous welded rails. Before that you had that clickety-clack, clickety-clack sound as well. When the train went over a bridge where there was a road underpass, the sound was truly deafening.

[@bentriefus5961]

Doug Mullray used to call the Sydney Melbourne express 'the great misnomer of our time'

[@billmago7991]

why sit when you could hang out the doors👍

[@Matty-e8l]

Sensational❤The Warriors 🤘

[@shanebarker3131]

Those cars are still waiting for the green light at Riverstone lol

[@ALITISA78]

When Sydney was a fun place to live. This reminds me of my weekend outings going into the city by train. Also my high school days of jigging with my friends. "You feel like school? ... nah ""ok we'll train it to the city and bus it to Bondi" lol P.s Omg at the end. A train announcement in an Aussie dilect hahaha haven't heard that in a while.

[@jb7591]

Those were the days

[@michaele7880]

Wow. Schofield station has been moved now and all that land is houses.

[@matcole1975]

Remember going on the train for 30 cents a ticket. The old red rattlers.

[@fredsalfa]

I’m guessing late 80s early 90s?

[@margarita8442]

around 1980 ?

[@jamesm7566]

Is this your video?

[@melisacelese2785]

We where free!,

[@dapto234]

The ole Red Rattlers were great in summer time if it was a hot day ...stand near the open doors free aircon.

[@alexdalrymple]

It is kind of extraordinary to think that we were allowed to travel on trains without functioning doors for so long. Was human life considered to be so cheap back then?

[@DavidPola1961]

People were not stupid like they are now

[@thesystemsucks]

@@DavidPola1961 was about to say the same thing 😅

[@MrJohnnybe123]

Always think those days were better

[@SlaintheMhath]

Great memories but those trains were atrocious, so hot in summer with asbestos brake dust blowing in the windows, you get home and your nose was full of black whatever, winter mornings so cold, so cold then someone farts and the trains were so loud and never on bloody time. Smoking or non smoking cars but you forget and light up in the non smoker oops. Tele in the morning , sun or mirror in the arvo leave it stuck down the side of the seat for the next traveler. Those were the days my friend ....