New South Wales Bradfield suburban carriage stock

New South Wales Bradfield carriage stock
Preserved C3045 at the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum in March 2010
In service1921–1975
ManufacturerClyde Engineering
Ritchie Brothers
Meadowbank Manufacturing Company
Eveleigh Carriage Workshops
Constructed1921–1922
Number built193[contradictory]
Fleet numbersC3000-C3100, T4101–T4284, D4001-D4009
OperatorsNew South Wales Government Railways
Public Transport Commission
DepotsFlemington
Hornsby
Mortdale
Punchbowl
Lines servedAll Sydney suburban
Specifications
Car length18.75 m (61 ft 6+1⁄4 in)
Width3.180 m (10 ft 5+1⁄4 in)
Height3.930 m (12 ft 10+3⁄4 in)
Wheel diameter42 in (1,067 mm)
Maximum speed80 km/h (50 mph)
Traction system2 x Metropolitan-Vickers MV172 motors per carriage, Semi automatic Electro-pneumatic resistance control, DC series wound brushed traction motors
Power output2 x 270 kW (360 hp)
Transmission58:18 Gear ratio. Straight cut gears.
Electric system(s)1,500 V DC catenary
Current collector(s)Single-pan diamond pantograph
Braking system(s)Westinghouse air
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

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.

History

With the electrification of the Sydney suburban network planned, in 1919 orders were placed for 100 carriages with contracts awarded to three builders, Clyde Engineering (42), Ritchie Brothers (18) and Meadowbank Manufacturing Company (40).[1][2]

The carriages featured wooden bodies on steel underframes with 43 fitted out as EBB first class carriages and 57 as EBA second class. The carriages gained the Bradfield carriages nickname after the New South Wales Railway's Chief Engineer John Bradfield, even though they were designed by Chief Mechanical Engineer Edward Lucy.[2][3]

Bradfield carriages were the first electric train stock to cross the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932

All were delivered between January 1921 and January 1922 numbered 2112 to 2211. One further first class carriage was delivered as 2212 by the Eveleigh Carriage Workshops in January 1923.[3] All initially entered service as locomotive hauled stock with eight seats fitted in what would later become the driver's cabin.[1][2][4]

In preparation for the commissioning of the electrified network, the 101 newly-built carriages were converted to driving motor cars at Electric Carriage Workshops being renumbered C3000 to C3100 and operated with American Suburban stock.[2][3][4]

In the mid-20s 183 American Suburban end platform carriages were converted into trailer carriages numbered T4101 to T4284 along with a further nine converted into driving trailers numbered D4001 to D4009

The last Bradfield motor car was withdrawn in 1975 with two preserved.[5][6]

The last trailers and driving trailers were retired in the late-1970s.

Carriages C3001-C3080 were renumbered C7001-C7080 to allow newer Goninan-built S set carriages to be numbered C3001-C3080.

(Table is for power cars)

Numbers Builder
2112-2153 Clyde Engineering
2154-2193 Ritchie Brothers
2194-2211 Meadowbank Manufacturing Company

Preservation

Sydney Electric Train Society has Bradfield motor car C3082 preserved. This car were previously owned by RailCorp (now Sydney Trains) but was sold to SETS in 2008 (along with C3104 and C3444). This car is currently in undercover storage at Bilpin.[as of?]

Sydney Trains / Transport Heritage NSW / Historic Electric Traction has Bradfield motor car C3045 and wooden trailer car T4279 preserved. C3045 is on static display at the NSW Rail Museum, Thirlmere. T4279 is in undercover storage at Redfern, with the rest of the heritage electrics fleet.

Bradfield motor car C3080, Bradfield parcel vans C3661 and C3662, wooden trailer cars T4186 and T4224, and wooden driving trailer car D4004 are all in undercover storage at Rothbury. C3661 is privately owned and the ownership of the other carriages is unknown.

Surviving Bradfield carriages
Number Location Owner Status References
C3045 NSW Rail Museum, Thirlmere Transport Heritage NSW Static Display [7]
C3082 Bilpin Sydney Electric Train Society Stored [8]
C3080 Hunter Valley Railway Trust, Rothbury Unknown Stored
C3661 Hunter Valley Railway Trust, Rothbury Private Ownership Stored
C3662 Hunter Valley Railway Trust, Rothbury Unknown Stored
T4279 Redfern Carriage Works Transport Heritage NSW Stored [9]
T4186 Hunter Valley Railway Trust, Rothbury Unknown Stored
T4224 Hunter Valley Railway Trust, Rothbury Unknown Stored
D4004 Hunter Valley Railway Trust, Rothbury Unknown Stored

References

  1. ^ a b Kerry, Michael (1990). Sydney's Wooden Electrics. Sydney: Transit Australia Publishing. ISBN 0-909459-14-2.
  2. ^ a b c d Cooke, David (1999). Coaching Stock of the NSW Railways. Matraville: Eveleigh Press. pp. 200–203. ISBN 1-876568-00-3.
  3. ^ a b c C3045 Bradfield Suburban Car NSW Environment & Heritage
  4. ^ a b C3082 1921 Ritchie Bros Wooden Bradfield Motor Car Sydney Electric Traction Society
  5. ^ "Building Sydney's City Circle Railway". www.visitsydneyaustralia.com.au. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  6. ^ Doyle, Matthew (2003). "SETS Fleet". www.sets.org.au. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  7. ^ "C 3045 - 'Bradfield' Suburban Car | NSW Environment, Energy and Science". www.environment.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  8. ^ "SETS Fleet - Single-Deck Suburban Cars". www.sets.org.au. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  9. ^ "T 4279 - Suburban Trailer Car, Wooden | NSW Environment, Energy and Science". www.environment.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 25 May 2020.