Unusual Electric Train Tours Sydney from 1965

[@robertcameron2808]

A great little video I remember taking strings of the red rattlers out to sims on the botany line.

[@tressteleg1]

Well unfortunately they could not be kept forever 😢. If you would like to see more of them in daily life, you will find some on this list. Sydney/NSW Trains Lineside kzbin.info/aero/PLLtOIHp49XNAvkewc94vibzB_jyDKGtXQ

[@astapic]

Wow,such rare and unusual combinations in this video,which makes for great memorabilia.

[@tressteleg1]

Yes, there were some odd combinations which maybe would not be permitted these days, along with climbing down out of trains to get scenes away from stations.

[@astapic]

@@tressteleg1 ,Agreed wholeheartedly.

[@tressteleg1]

@@astapic 😊👍

[@richardsmith8654]

Absolutely fantastic. We are so indebted to you for posting this gem. I will have to watch it again as I cannot decide what are my favourite shots. There was not one frame that was wasted or not interesting. Thanks once again.

[@tressteleg1]

Thank you, and everyone else, for your kind words. It is just a pity that my supply of vintage Australian movie and VHS video is slowly but surely running out.

[@johnmaddox4403]

Great footage, i remember the old track layout at gordon station, the single slip point and retractable stop block and watching the point rods move. Jm

[@tressteleg1]

Good fun watching the mechanisms move 😊

[@DKS225]

This is your most brilliant clip yet i really liked this one

[@tressteleg1]

Thanks for that. It certainly is a most extraordinary combination of events. Sadly I very much doubt I have anything to equal it. Wait and see.

[@astapic]

Great footage,thanks for sharing some wonderful old memories,

[@FrostysRailwayVideos]

Some fantastic footage here, thanks a lot for uploading.

[@davemail66]

Brilliant memories as always......thanks kindly tresstelg1 for posting

[@tressteleg1]

😊

[@marcconyard5024]

Amazing collection of gems! AL21 was an interesting vehicle. It was at one stage self propelled being fitted with a rather large Diesel engine that presumably provided 1500 volts for traction. I saw AL21 working under its own power on the Carlingford line during overhead replacement, the roar of its engine was quite amazing. At that stage it was wearing its sliver livery with zebra ends. My father was a boiler maker at Tullochs, Rhodes when the first DD trailers were constructed. I was allowed in with dad one Saturday morning to see the cars in various stages of construction!

[@tressteleg1]

Maybe the last job for AL21 was on the wiring train doing the Port Kembla electrification but only as a trailer. I, uppose it is scrapped now. I did not know about the Diesel engine.

[@duncanpadgett]

Great video

[@tressteleg1]

👍😊

[@waynewhite2323]

There's something wonderful about old 8mm footage, hope you can find more. Hats off!

[@tressteleg1]

I don’t have a real lot more of vintage Oz movie but there are railmotors and steam tours still to come. Most of the rest is overseas but of subjects little known or interest to the average Australian rail fan. However I have put someone onto the magic of the Wolverine movie converter. Check out KZbin for reidgck for some magical vintage movie in southern states.

[@waynewhite2323]

There's more old film out there undiscovered. I'II check out reidgck channel, thanks a lot!

[@tressteleg1]

When you do get to check Graeme’s channel, it is only the videos from the last couple of weeks that are the new digital versions. He has some wonderful WA steam 1971 which I have seen but it is not published yet so he will be working on post-production tasks at the moment. It will be worth waiting for.

[@waynewhite2323]

reidgck has a great channel, do you have any more recommendations?

[@tressteleg1]

Tassiebaz has some good Sydney Reds and Melbourne Trams video but mostly he has USA where he grew up. I don’t get much time to watch the work of others. Preparing mine generally takes a lot of hunting for locations etc, especially old movie.

[@zordmaker]

Some truly fantastic, unique stuff in here

[@tressteleg1]

Thanks. Unfortunately you were born too late to experience most of them yourself.

[@zordmaker]

Actually, I consider myself privileged to have been born exactly when I was, thanks. Any earlier and I would have potentially missed out on all of today's unique Red Rattler action (I'm 50, surrounded by 65+ year olds who won't really get to experience the beauty of running them in a world where they are now so awe inspiring and respected, whereas they were previously despised). Any later and I would have missed out on the things in regular service, indeed during what I consider to have been their "golden last days" when they were in better condition than they ever were back in the '60s or '70s.

[@tressteleg1]

Well we all are probably happy with our era. But you completely missed Sydney trams, and I sadly only had the last 5 lines to explore freely, on top a few rides on other lines when too young to act like a fan.

[@zordmaker]

No disrespect to the trammers but I like my sparks big, heavy and fast. I wouldn't have been born in any other time. if I want trams I can always go to Melbourne. I still wouldn't say no to Dr. Who though, if he ever offered me a lift back to some of these times to experience things the way they were..

[@tressteleg1]

zordmaker I’m just grateful that, thanks to a number of railwaymen, I clocked up plenty of miles on most of the electrified network in all types of MU Sets including I think a Tangarra once. I think the U Sets were my favourites, especially the EP manual lapping brakes. Delightful to use. Judging curve speed without any speedo for guidance came to me easily. Even in the dark. If it runs on rails, and especially if electric, then it is fun, big ones as much as ‘little’ ones.

[@daniellefko6527]

Merry Christmas tressteleg1 hope next year is a bit better.

[@tressteleg1]

Thank You very much and the same to you. 2021 could hardly be any worse!

[@imacgra1]

Glad you put that all up, there's some seriously historic stuff there. Blue and white cars, parcel vans, bradfield cars, the "new" comeng d/d motors, the inspection car, National Park and Warwick Farm Racecourse stations, too. One minor but unrepeatable thing was that section labelled "georges river" (4:35 and following): I'm assuming that's at Oatley. If so, then that''s a nice catch, with the two tracks in the foreground under construction for the new Como railway bridge which opened in 1972. Those tracks you filmed the train on are now a bike path, which goes over the old (single track) rail bridge between Oatley and Como. Nice walk, but not for trains any more!

[@tressteleg1]

It’s good that you appreciate the old scenes. The George’s River scenes were taken on the Sydney side of the bridge below Oatley. I certain rode trains across the old bridge enough times! I seem to recall there being a steam tour when the bridge was being commissioned. Maybe outbound was old bridge, return on the new bridge. I can’t remember now. I have a lot of steam tour movie film but I don’t know if anyone would be interested in that.

[@imacgra1]

I reckon I might be. It's amazing the interesting little historic things you see even in the background of some films. So many things that seemed mundane then, but aren't around now.

[@JohnSmith-sh1cu]

Very interesting footage, thank you for sharing. It's fairly rare to see footage from this period showing off electrics like this, as opposed to steam. Interesting to see the U sets looking pristine and sparkling - by the late 1980's and 1990s quite a few were pretty banged up with various dents and the non-uni formal mix of beclawats and the original windows. Also interesting that both the interurbans and the suburban red sets had the chocolate brown lower half saloon scheme. It's also great when you can identify survivors such as 3801, C3805 and the Summer Hill Parcel Van 3773/3653. Pretty much everything you see in this video, the 44 class diesel, 36 class steam and the various electrics - suburban, interurban and 46 class, have surviving examples in preservation, some of which are operational. One can only hope that other footage such as this does eventually make its way to youtube.

[@tressteleg1]

It seems that footage is rare because few people had movie cameras. In today’s money, one minute of film cost about $12 to take. Sadly if I have any more vintage Sydney electric movie or video, it is very little. I’m glad you liked tis movie.

[@JohnSmith-sh1cu]

I'm pretty sure when I did a search on ebay not long ago there were dvd's for sale showing video footage (or photos or both) of electric trains such as the interurbans and suburbans (single deckers). I'm glad that you've chosen to share this footage on youtube for all to see.

[@tressteleg1]

John Smith Check out tassiebaz for more Sydney Electrics. We were together for some scenes.

[@tressteleg1]

John Smith Hi John. Thanks for that information on the end of the S sets. Considering I was around it before any double-deckers existed it’s a little sad to know that now these sets have been and gone during my life time. Contacting me via comments as a very risky way of doing things as sometimes it is impossible to reply. I have had difficulty replying to this one so if you would like, perhaps you could contact me on. tressteleg(at)icloud.com Use the normal symbol instead of (at) Thanks.

[@darylcheshire1618]

Notice the overhead wire zig-zags so it doesn’t wear a groove in the pan.

[@tressteleg1]

Yep. Standard procedure 😊

[@lisa-mariegray5510]

I recall a very scary trip home on an old red rattler (Central to Campbelltown) in the early 80s: I was sitting on one of the long bench seats near the door and smoke started pouring up through the carriage from underneath the floor where I was sitting. I don't know whether something was on fire or what was happening.

[@tressteleg1]

Very likely one of the motors which drives the train along, suffered a failure. Often there could be a big bang, so sounds like you were lucky. It can’t have been too bad if the trip continued.

[@lisa-mariegray5510]

No, we survived but it was very smoky and stinky. Not a pleasant trip at all. @@tressteleg1

[@tressteleg1]

@lisa-mariegray5510 I could well imagine it would be quite worrying, not knowing it if would get worse. I am involved with the group maintaining vintage electric train F1 and tomorrow will be going to Redfern to see the progress since last year.

[@lisa-mariegray5510]

That's cool! I hope it all goes well for you guys. @@tressteleg1

[@tressteleg1]

@lisa-mariegray5510 Thanks. This is what I recorded there last year. I hope to see their progress since then. Historic Electric Traction, Workday at Redfern kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5iuc39pprhod7c

[@tramwayjohn]

Nice to look back on those tours. Sad of course that although sound was well and truly used. . . . . but not much for the public, at that time.

[@dieseldavetrains8988]

Very enjoyable footage from the annals of times long gone, no such thing as wearing PPE and "Trespass In The Rail Corridor" back then...Wonder what happened to AL21? I liked the PTC of NSW blue and white on the single deckers, looked nice.

[@tressteleg1]

None of the rules then, but I never heard of any incidents between rail fans on the tracks and passing trains. As for AL21, it was the platform for wiring to Port Kembla. I have a feeling I heard that some time after that, it was damaged by fire, but I could be quite wrong with that. I have not heard of it for years.

[@dieseldavetrains8988]

@@tressteleg1 Pity AL21 was rescued and preserved. Fond memories of Dairy Farmers at Pippita in your video also Dairy Farmers used to have a siding near the CBD at Ultimo back in the old days too, stinky old milk pots were always on the nose in summer! Wonder if there is any archival video floating about of the Tin Hares on the Tottenham NSW branch before they were terminated in 1974?

[@tressteleg1]

I later read that it was AL20 which burned, but being preserved at Dorrigo where it would be rotting with the weather is hardly any better. I think that the Dairy Farmers Ultimo building is spotted in one of my earlier videos. As for Tottenham, closing in 1974 there would certainly be no video and presumably if anyone has movie film, it is already on KZbin.

[@dieseldavetrains8988]

@@tressteleg1 Probably some Super-8 film of Tottenham Branch gathering dust in a garage or a box in a closet! Keep posting them oldies, love them, so many memories.

[@benm9382]

Did you film these in 1965? Good quality film.

[@tressteleg1]

I was careful to check dates for these tours and was able to be fairly accurate with most as I also took Kodak colour slides and these show the date that the roll was processed. Obviously most of the scenes were taken in later years and as much as possible the dates are shown in the video. I added just a few general scenes that had been missed earlier. I don’t think I have any more vintage electric video on movies or video but will check in the future. however there is a certain amount of steam tours and another video dealing with rail motors and railcars is being processed at the moment.

[@DKS225]

You don’t mind if I share this fantastic clip collection of yours tressteleg1 because I know of Two groups on Facebook that would love to see this some of clips on this are also immortalised in the limited release ARHS publication Sydney’s Electric Trains and now in your 8mm film collection

[@tressteleg1]

Yes, my KZbin is made for sharing with any person or group who may be interested. I just ask that the name tressteleg1 remain, which I am certain you would leave intact anyway. Happy viewing!

[@DKS225]

tressteleg1 of course and thank you

[@Steven_Rowe]

I dont think its my mind playing tricks on me, but it seems the trains on the Western line just seem slow. I went into Wynyard and the trains seem painfully slow from Parra into Redfern. I almost want to jump off and push

[@tressteleg1]

Sydney trains have been slowed by a painful amount. North Sydney to Central used to be 10 minutes with old ‘underpowered’ red Sets. Today’s more powerful trains get 14 minutes, last time I looked. Elsewhere the same. Now the transport minister can boast about more trains being on time.

[@albert3801]

There’s a lot of congestion between Granville and the City. That’s why the trains are always slow

[@darrenrichardson1738]

DARRENR 🏠 have OK yes