It will be sad to see the old V sets go. They've long been my favourite train of the Sydney system. For what they lack in modern conveniences, they make up for in sheer character.
still more comfortable than the waratahs in my opinion. cushy leather seats, the backrests are also taller for tall folks (or more privacy from the people behind for us shorter folk).
I love the V-sets. They were made at a time when they actually put padding into the seats. And after decades of use, they have become very soft and comfortable. I'm not looking forward to their retirement.
I see at lot of people love these trains and have great memories , but the seats really seem to be the only good thing worth saving about them. They really lack proper accessibility, power, digital wayfinding, better lightning, audible announcements, which the new trains will finally bring.
@@Simon-Andersen You show me a commuter train in Australia with all these features you think are "mandatory"? I grew up just fine without a mobile phone, without the internet, without all this interactive bullshit, and crappy - if any - announcements! I learnt my way around the system! I also stood in the open doorways of Red Single Deck Sets ("Red Sets") hundreds of times, as well as the open failed auto doors on S sets, and never fell out! Up until 15-20 years ago, the world was not totally a "cotton wool society."
@@tobys_transport_videos You show me any where else in the world that's serious about trains that keep 40 year old rolling stock around. Great! Good for you that you managed fine. Guess what the world has moved on, please give me one good argument for why we shouldn't make trains as easy and accessible as possible for everyone to use now we have the means to do so? Your comment gives me the impression that life "back then" somehow was so much harder but somehow also so much better. And I am very happy to know it's not that type of people placing train orders in NSW
I used to get these kinds of trains from Kiama to Sydney frequently. They were the most comfortable. Some of the smoothest operating trains to this day, and the ledges on the window and near the ground made the ultimate foot and arm rests.
It's been a standard feature of all Sydney trains (save for the early Tangaras) for many years. The attempt to do away with them on the Tangaras drew considerable criticism from the travelling public - a hasty and unapologetic retreat was beaten.
It can be found also in other NSW Trains' trainsets, as all other trains are also following their double-decker train tradition, e.g. Tangara from 1980's and 1990's, Waratah (newest, from 2010's and 2020s) and Millennium Train from 2000's.
As a side note - The V set can actually do 145km/h in service, however they are restricted to 115km/h in regular service to reduce maintenance costs - they haven't done 145km/h in service in 30 years.
Yes, I can remember in the early to mid 90's whilst travelling on the Central Coast line, the drivers loved to test out the V sets between Ourimbah and Tuggerah and between Wyong and Wyee (express service). I am sure that they were going over 150kmh.
There was a program in the '80s to determine if they could be allowed to follow the XPT speed boards (limits), which max out at 160km/h. In testing, they got them well over that speed although the ride was rough and the pantographs did not track well, resulting in a lot of arcing.
@@MattyClivingthedream A V set was alleged to have done 160 kmh in the suburban area (presumably out towards Penrith) and passing a new XPT set full of stuffed shirt politicians! The V set driver was a well known enthusiast driver who is no longer with us. He got in the shit and was put back to the suburbans for 6 or so months! 😂😂 Another V set story I recall, is how the front vestibule door would bang in the lead car when you came out of Woy Woy tunnel heading north if your speed was over about 120 kmh or more!
115kph? I've never been on a train that exceeds 90-100kph, while in Europe, Asia, (S.Korea, Japan, China, etc.) the trains reach 300+ kph. Imagine a commute from Sydney to Canberra in an hour? - lol not for another 50-100 years. While the rest of the world will be teleporting, we'll have trains that can maybe do 150kph.
As I'm from Sydney, it might be worth clearing a couple things up and adding some info (most was pretty close though) - The asbestos issue mostly effected only the K and C set suburban trains from a similar era, and was quite quickly dealt with. - As for the age of the trains, the first batch from 1970 were a catastrophic failure (I'm talking frame corrosion, electrical failures (many), aircon never working, door faults and more). They have long since been scrapped after many attempts to fix them. Comeng went back to the drawing board, revised their design, and the second batch appeared from 1976. These included a small batch of motor cars and an equal amount of driving trailer cars (what you call the "cab cars" in the video). Despite these being much more successful, only 2 of the motor cars remain in service, as well as the ex- driving trailers. The other motor cars were mostly withdrawn when the H sets were built (2006-2012). The later batches were delivered from 1981, being only 43 years old at most. The last 14 cars were delivered with different shaped fluting on the side and look slightly more modern, you can see this on the last two cars of the passing train at Penrith at 7:46. The youngest of these cars entered service in 1989, making them 35 years old. - Of course, this is just opinion, but the V set seats are considered by everyone I have ever heard (including myself) to be the best in NSW despite their age. They are a blessing compared to the H sets and the incoming D sets don't have reversible seats, so half the passengers are forced to face backwards, which would be infuriating on a long journey.
There will be another hasty retreat to replace the seating. The failure to provide reversible seating from the start is inexplicable and shows a complete lack of consultation with those pesky people called passengers
Yep can't agree with you more. The V sets are a lot more comfortable than the OSCARs. Don't care that they are missing the mod-cons like power outlets, tray tables, etc.
The mans right , The first ones are gone, the ones we have now are amazing. Shows with building them here and fixing the problems here you can make one great unit. To quote the great Gladys "Australia is no good at making trains"
I agree so much, Comeng is such a legendary train manufacturer. I've ridden the Comeng train, the V set, and the A,Z,B class trams in melbourne (which are all made by Comeng) and they're seriously still the some of the best rollingstock in service. They're old and have high floors and old aircons but they have really nice seats and nice suspension. It's really sad to see them be phased out because they're so comfortable to ride and so charming in their appearance.
I love these trains. I used to get up an hour early to catch these to work from Newcastle to Sydney rather than ride in the newer (and far less comfortable) mid distance commuter trains.
My bum will miss the V sets when they are retired! As someone who commutes on the Newcastle line which is the only other line that uses them, seat quality is about all I care about, and the newer trains are very uncomfortable, especially in summer when the carpet seating absorbs people's body sweat and is not only rough and spiky (to the point it often gives me a friction burn if I am wearing shorts or a short skirt that day) but weirdly damp too 🤮 I can understand why tourists would be more concerned about things like luggage storage and USB phone charging ports, but the vast majority of people I see riding them here whether it is during rush hour or during the day (as I often leave at different times) are workers who do little but nap or work on laptops that don't need charging bc they've just come from home/work, or elderly people who are just going for a day out, so I don't feel they're as important to the average person as ride comfort. I wish they considered this when making the new D sets, because they look truly horrible. Maybe I'm wrong, and those thin bus seats might be amazingly plush, but I rather doubt it. At least, perhaps, they will not be so noisy. 😆
I generally agree with what you're saying. The new seats likely won't be better that then current ones, and yes the current commuters might not currently care about those amenities, because we'll they don't have them! People were saying the same 10-15 years ago in Europe and now you have commuters that have based their trips around these amenities or switched to the train because of them. If anything it just helps make the train attractive even more people while you can still have a nap or be on your phone, albeit in what might be a less comfortable seat.
I can like them from an enthusiasts perspective, the seats are good and they have character. But c'mon they lack just about every amenity any average non enthusiast traveler would expect. Proper accessiblily, wayfinding screens, power, wifi, audible announcements etc
I know lol, of course that wether your a tourist or you grew up in Australia you will have a different perspective on v sets, and that with our changing society we need to keep our trains up to standard, but I totally understand your point from a tourist perspective, it’s just to us that have grown up with em, it’s quite sad the see em go.
@@Simon-Andersenyou would be suprised how much love the public love these trains, to most people things like tray tables and chargers as a nice touch but a bonus. Most importantly is it comfortable and being able to fall asleep on the way to work. Most people who take these trains are people who travel close to an hour or more. Most just want to sleep or happy with just being on the phone.
Properly cold air con, 2+2 seating, thickly padded seats facing the direction of travel, closing vestibule doors with a quiet ride. You dont get much of that on any new Sydney train. For a two hour journey I don’t need a charging port, or a tray table or an overhead bin or destination board. I know if my train is on time based on when I get to Springwood, Hazlebrook or Wentworth Falls and I know when to get out. As far as journey comforts go the least comfortable thing is the choppy motor controls and the lurching couplers, but that is not a huge problem. You have to ask what really matters to a regular long distance commuter and its not most of the items on an enthusiasts tick the box list.
@@Topher5035 I don't think the seats are going to be that bad. They look like the ones we have in Europe for similar journeys, which is okay, but I agree it's a step down from the current V-sets. If anything, on the new trains, you'll have a quieter ride and still be able to browse your phone and have a nap. But adding these new features helps make the train more accessible and easy to use for everyone, including people who currently don't choose the train because it's old, outdated, and inaccessible. We didn't have these things in Europe 10-15 years ago, and people were saying the same things. Now it would be unthinkable to build a train without them, and I'm sure the sentiment will be the same in Australia as they attract new riders who get used to being able to work on their commute and cut time at the office or have a picnic with the family on the train on the way to Lithgow.
Our V sets are a much beloved train and widely regarded as the best electric commuter train we’ve ever had. Yes, they are old and haven’t many upgrades over the years but they are comfortable and reliable. Set V21 contains the oldest electric motor car in the NSW fleet at 47 years old (DCM8032) and is slated for preservation upon retirement. There are also two types of motor cars in the V set fleet, the older Camshaft type and the “newer” chopper type. Thanks for doing a video on them.
I always liked the whine on the camshaft sets, especially when the pitch rose at speed. It added to the experience of these and was very subtle from inside.
I started work as an engineer at Comeng, Granville and was honoured to work with the great engineers there - at the tail end of their careers - who designed these trains.
I used to manufacture the seats/armrests here in Sydeny. They're not wood but rather moulded plastic and foam. Was more cost-effective to re-engineer and manufacture in Sydney than get them done overseas. Especially now ComEng is defunct. I just remember it was a pain to get the dye quantity right in the chemical mixture to get the colour matching and consistent haha
9:11 just a heads up, the D-sets have been highly controversial from railfans just not wanting the V-sets to be gone, to large union disputes about the design intended to phase out guards (a rather important safety feature that's been standard on every train since the single deck days) along with defective equipment such as brakes, AC and doors
I can tell there are lots of fans of the V-sets in the comments 😅 I think just about the seats are the only thing the v-set does better than the new trains. I can't see why driver only operation can't work in Sydney when it can elsewhere in the world, but that's a whole other issue that has very little to do with the train itself
@@Simon-Andersen Does "elsewhere in the world" have the large number of unattended stations that NSW's Intercity lines do? If they did away with train guards, who helps disabled passengers on and off trains at these stations? The driver leaves the train cab? I think not.
@@ktipuss You sound sceptical but that's exactly what happens in my home city Copenhagen. The far majority of s-tog stations are unattended. When a passenger requires assitence the driver just deploys the ramp at the door next to the cab, passenger boards and the train gets on its way. Definitely possible
@@ktipussWhy would it be a safety issue if the driver left the cab, they can just lock the cab and put the train in a park brake like they do in Melbourne when a driver helps a wheelchair passenger board or alight
The Ds are garbage, and were well known to be delivered full of faults before they were ordered, but the hard-right so-called "Liberals" hate generating jobs in unionised industries.
The seating in the area over the bogies had luggage racks, and there was limited (unsafe, IMO) storage in the end vestibule areas. I think the reason for no luggage space in the upper or lower decks may have been due the NSW loading gauge not really being suited to Double Deck trains, so the designer at Tulloch, Roy Leembruggen, designed the 48xx series Tulloch trailers to fit through the City Circle tunnels, so naturally when Comeng went into the business of building what became the V sets, they too were restricted by tunnel clearances, these being on the Blue Mountains and on the Central Coast line to Gosford, remembering that electrification to Newcastle didn't happen until June 1984, with Wyong having been a stepping stone for a while just beforehand. South Coast electrification didn't happen until the mid 80s, with Dapto by the early 90s, and Kiama some time later.
@@Simon-AndersenWhen the V sets were first built the single seats on the upper and lower decks did not exist. They were luggage areas originally. There are also two secret luggage storage areas. Behind the first row of seats in every carriage is a space on eith side for one suitcase and if you fold over two seats back to back you can place a suitcase in the gap🤔😊🇦🇺
So great to have you in Australia mate, us Sydneysiders are all fons of the old V Sets, very iconic! The Purple seats 💜 they used to be this pastel green years ago 😂 Great route to take too, I took that same route recently even further to Lithgow, and ironically you can see the currently stranded D Set replacements for these V Sets which aren't in service yet. To those worrying about the toilets, you're right to worry haha that's a good one, I've spent 2+ hours in one of those toilets when unwell 🤢 Thanks again for another Australian video!
I think I might become too lenient with my toilet standards after being in the Balkans and central Asia 😅 I get there is a lot of love for the v-set in the enthusiast circle especially for the seats, but it's gonna be great getting just about every other modern amenity on the long trips out to places like Lithgow :D
I personally find the seats on the V Sets to be extremely comfortable, because they are extremely heavily padded and you can really sink into them. However, the ride overall can be pretty bad, because some of the carriages have pretty bad suspension and you can get a lot of jostling on your way on rougher sections of track.
Yeah exactly, the seats are good and comfortable, but that's about the only redeeming quality about them. The new trains will bring a lot of improvements in every other aspect.
The Xplorer runs from Central to Armidale, Moree, Broken Hill, Griffith and Canberra, the XPT runs from Central to Melbourne, Dubbo, Grafton, Casino and Brisbane, V sets run on the CCN line to Newcastle Interchange and the BMT line to Lithgow, the Endeavours run on the SCO line between Kiama and Bomaderry, SHL line between Campbelltown and Goulburn, BMT line between Lithgow and Bathurst and also the HUN line between Scone, Dungog, Muswellbrook, Telarah and Newcastle Interchange
Technically the Hunter Line is serviced in part by its own unique sets called the Hunter Railcars, which are based on the Endeavors but mechanically simpler and slower, with only one engine per car.
@@lachlanmcgowan5712 These are shown in official circles as "J sets." I can't remember what an Endanger is called, apart from what I've called them for over 30 years, but neither is fantastic. The Endangers used to have fixed bucket seats, but at at some stage got G set style seats, making the journey from Sydney to Lithgow much better!
@@JRBRailstuff Thanks! I remember this now, and laughing at the absurd comparison I made a the time. I'd rather a V/Line N set than a current day NSW N set!
The V sets were built in 4 car sets, the "recycled carriages" you saw were because it was two 4-car sets combined to create an 8-car for greater capacity.
I believe the carriage is of the two-unit Citydecker/The River refurbishment, with the cab repurposed as a luggage compartment. A four car set will have the driving trailer ends yellow, and in eight car sets will have four yellow ends, two at the ends and two in the middle. The grey fibreglass end is done if the intermediate cars are also driving trailers, in order to make their presence (whether coupled cab to cab or cab to end) slightly less intrusive
They were built when a set could and would be pulled apart and mixed up at any opportunity. They'd run as 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10 car sets. They'd pull a 4 car set in half and attach both halves of it to other 4 car sets to make 6 car sets, which was a really common configuration (as a 6 car V set is the same length as an 8 car suburban, so they fit nicely on most platforms - especially when they occasionally diverted an Illawarra line service to Martin Place). And back in the 80s and early 90s they'd attach a 4 car set to one of the aforementioned 6 car sets, to run a handful of 10 car sets that'd run express peak hour services from Newcastle to Sydney. There's a reason Platform 1 at Gosford is unusually long. When they decided to stop doing stuff like that, they filled in the southern end of Platforms 9&10 at Sydney Terminal to widen out the pedestrian concourse. Only Platforms 1, 8 and 10 could accommodate a 10 car V set, and if they used Platform 1, they'd block the engine release road for Platform 2. This was before they moved Platforms 1-3 outside the paid area. They had a small number of driving trailers (2?) that could be used to either make a 6 car set not look so weird, or that could be used to run 'The River', a daily peak hour service from Wyong to Parramatta/Blacktown via the North Strathfield triangle. I think they occasionally ran it as a 3 car set (M-T-M) when the driving trailers were unavailable & they couldn't run the usual 2 car set (M-D). Or maybe I'm thinking of the L sets. Not sure.
These V SETS were designed for passenger comfort, these days that is the last consideration, the currently delayed D sets come with from my observation a fixed non reversing seat, which will probably be as comfortable as sitting on rock, maybe ok for those who travel less than 40 minutes on a suburban train, but not for 2 plus hours, I find traveling backwards causes me to feel sick, but these days no one cares. Over the last thirty years we have gone from standard reversible seats to fixed seating then back to reversible seats on various suburban & country trains, & now back once again to fixed seats.
The only thing comfortable about the v-set is the seat cushioning. They lack every other modern amenity, reversible seating would be nice, but I don't actually know for how big a percentage of travelers riding backwards is an issue
@@CaptainsChannel58 I completely agree, I am one of them, but I also know from experience, working in the rail rolling stock maintenance area, a test run on an updated mainline carriage back in the 1980's which had been converted from compartment to open saloon was greeted with many passengers passing comment of being able to sit in the direction of travel, something that the designers of train interiors have no knowledge of, we seem to wind up with the British/European concept of fixed seats facing the wrong direction of travel, maybe okay for a time period of ten to fifteen minutes but not two to three hours. it was the same when the Tangara's first entered service, the complaints about that type of seating wasn't well received by those who had approved it, the later G set configuration was the result of the complaints, even today when passengers find these reversible seats on the converted G to T sets think the whole fleet is being converted, of course these days most passengers are just happy to find a seat.
The V sets are the best trains in Sydney. I catch them frequently on trips up to the Blue Mountains. Much more comfortable and a much more pleasant ride then any of the newer intercity trains. While the newer trains are more accessible (which I fully support) they have no where near the comfort or class of the V sets. A lot of the newer intercity trains don't have flipable seats, feel very rigid, and the trains feel very corprate and city like. Half the journey intercity is the view, I'd rather be able to actually watch it in comfort then just watch my phone charge. The Blue Mountains is known for it's older quaint style so older quaint trains fit it better. If I'm taking a two hour trip up to Lithgow I would rather be able to flip my seat around and actually enjoy the view in a pleasant looking train. I hear so many people who frequently catch trains in Sydney like me specifically aim to catch the V sets over any other intercity train, heck, a lot even catch them in between stops in Sydney because they're more comfortable. I'd support the V sets being replaced with more accessible trains if they actually still built comfortable classy ones. But until then, I'd rather catch a V set then any OSCAR or newer one.
They definitely work, but they for sure lack many of the modern amenities that new trains bring, new trains will likely be a downgrade in actual seat comfort unfortunately.
The V-sets are the most comfortable train for the everyday local commuter. It really absorbs the bumps so well and its a quiet train. The V-sets will be missed.
Should have ridden them in the 80s when they still had double glazed windows. They were eerily quiet and you had to swallow sometimes to be sure you hadn't lost your hearing.
@@geoffreycaterpillar702 I don't know the reason, I presume it was a cheaper replacement and the golden two way mirror outer glass layer became NLA. They often trapped moisture between the layers and we had a situation of mixed window types which looked unsightly. They then replaced them all during refirbs.
I drove them for 10 years before transferring back to Sydney Trains. Long in the tooth but can be a joy to drive. Had an empty one from Newcastle to Sydney, managed the trip in 2 hours 5 minutes, would've been sub 2 hours if it wasn't for signals at epping and strathfield.
Central Station should bring back Fast food outlets, Hungary Jack's for convenience for passengers. V set trains are great. I love them.. The seats were refurbished a while ago..
@@PCLoadLetter Something very odd going on involving the US based franchise holder, a company called Delaware North. They run stuff like all the junk food franchises at airports including Sydney, and run casinos.
As someone who has a long term back injury, travelling between Newcastle & Sydney is much more tolerable on this train than the newer ones which make me almost a cripple by journeys end
Of course seats for both drivers and passengers should be comfortable. Those responsible for the seats on the V sets understood that and got it right. If, for some strange reason known to neither of us, there had to be a choice between comfort for passengers and drivers, the driver would win hands down.
Nice to see these again. I remember travelling on one to Katoomba on my first visit to Australia in 1982. Great views from the upper deck, and nice and comfortable. Classic designs don't grow old or lose their inherent functionality. Good also to see an XPT still in service now that the HSTs have almost disappeared from the UK network.
Cool video and an awesome train Simon, They look similair to American Trains with all that ribbed metal sheet metal, Australia is really an amazing and beautiful Country, Mind also that brandnew Sydney Tram under the canopy at 0:53, What a beast! (Yes I'm also a Tram Geek from The Netherlands) :D
Those trams ended up with "cracks", more like huge tears, around the wheel arches. Definitely "Cranked And Faulty". And the worker hating so-called "Liberals" bought more from CAF despite the problems in the north of England.
I often catch these trains between Newcastle and Katoomba with a change at Central in order to visit family when I don't want to spend a bomb on petrol money by driving. I quite like the journey, especially when it's quiet. Only costs about $7 one way off-peak, which is pretty incredible for a four and a half hour journey!
Thanks for the ride. I’ve lived in Blackheath and know the ride well. Always thrilling when you get down to Penrith and can go faster with fewer stops. Come back again some time and have a look at the heritage listed Mount Victoria station, and ride through the fascinating ten tunnels on the descent to Lithgow!
@@ceeemm1901 No, worker hating extreme right "Liberals" ordered them over European designed, locally built options. Not fitting didn't matter, and they woudl have happily ended electric service at Mt Victoria. They just reduced the legal safe passing clearance in the tunnels, after ding some gouging if the tunnel walls.
they Sydney to Brisbane service actually terminates at Casino if you catch the day service. You get bussed into Roma Street Station via Lismore, Bryon Bay, Surface, Logan and finally Brisbane. The night service runs directly into Roma Street as QR has slots for it to run over all the bridges during off peak commuter time.
We should keep them, their replacements are sterile uncomfortable crap. They were able to breathe new life into these Vsets when they were re-upholstered in Purple. These trains are magnificent and comfortable.
The V-sets are peak electric train in Australia. I rode them on their first day to Newcastle. I rode them on their last day to Newcastle. And hundreds of times in between Sydney, Newcastle, Broadmeadow, the 'gong and a couple of times to Kiama and Katoomba. They will be sorely missed.
I see a lot of people have great love for them and their great character. Its also gonna be great to see Sydney/NSW move forward and get some new trains that are more adequate for the times.
I recently moved to Sydney and have been taking the trains pretty often. I noticed they're still running old trains in their fleet so it was great to see this video pop up!
Misleading title. None of the Series 1 of the V sets that were built at the beginning of the 1970s are in service anymore, they were scrapped almost 20 years ago. All the sets still in frequent service are series 3 to series 8 that were built during the 1980s. More like 35-40 years old, so approaching the end of their lives but not older than the 45 years of frequent service which rolling stock are expected to have.
Lets give them some heavy maintenance, and keep them in use to improve service frequency! Once per hour is pathetic for world famous tourist sits like the Blue Mountains.
Can’t wait to go one one when I’m down that way next month. Also on the non electrified sections, NSW also has the Hunter DMUs, used on the hunter valley commuter line between Newcastle and Maitland/Scone/Muswellbrook/Dungog
V sets are my favourite train. And fun fact, I'm writing this post while sitting on one. But I'm biased. I grew up with these trains. But here's some non biased feedback. My brother-in law was recently visiting from Canada. We caught a V set in to Sydney and caught an H set back. When we got on the train for the return journey, he said "Oh, how come we don't get one of those luxurious trains going home?". I found this an odd thing for him to say, because I assumed overseas visitors would consider the V sets to be old and crusty without the rose coloured glasses. Seems I was wrong.
I think the main issue here is that the H sets really are inner suburban trains being used on a wrong kind of service, where the V-sets actually had a bit of comfort in mind. Seems like with the new D-sets there is being made an attempt at getting something similar to whats offered on similar lenght services in many european countries
Hopefully I can go on a V set before they are retired, they now mostly run Blue Mountains, so I am expecting to go somewhere and back on the V sets. Just a few weeks ago, I went on a Hunter Railcar, not an explorer or endeavour (as they require booked seats only which I will probably not get. I am expecting that I can just go on a V set one last time before they go and retire. I do not think they are going to preserve it, but most trains gets preserved, used as a emergency or used in a heritage expo.
I’ve travelled many times on these trains many times over the years, mainly out to Lithgow or up to Newcastle. Despite being old they are very comfortable to ride on, just without modern amenities. There have been many problems with the replacement D sets. I’ve heard stories ranging from union disputes, to the trains being too wide for some stations.
My Dad once had someone who was involved in the design of the V sets tell him the reason they are so smooth is that they actually weighed them down with concrete under each carriage. I didn't speak to him myself so this is second hand knowledge. But it's amazing if true.
A good switch-mode supply can handle 85 to about 280 volts. Or do you mean USB? I wonder if they USBs on the Krap from Korean are protected against bogans putting 5 cent coins in them.
Nice vid. I lived in Blackheath for 12 years.Fantastic place .That weather reminded me of it a lot, haha. Snow in the winter sometimes. But in front of a wood fire and a book, nothing compared. Miles and miles of hiking paths and falling rock climbers Great meditation centre too. Thanks.
Well, we don't go so far inland where there is no green, and it was probably filmed where everywhere isn't burning 10x more than what you would get from a battle scene in a movie/tv show. Oh and the mountains are pretty cool too.
I was actually in the Blue Mountains a couple of days ago (but unfortunately I didn’t know the V set existed) so that’s why next time if I ever go to Sydney I’m gonna film a whole bunch of V set trains (mainly because I’m from Melbourne and I Love old trains)
50 years old and still comfy af, caught one to school every day for 6 years in the early 2000's. also you got the purple seated treains, the green seated trains have comfier seats and are more common. or were back then
My dad used to call them the blue tongue train due to the decorative blue on grey livery of the fronts the earlier batches carried. They originally had the two way gold mirrored windows like the XPT still has and double glazing which made them super quiet in the saloon. They felt like a luxury car in rails. More sound comes through due to them phasing in the single layer windows. They were fantastic in their day.
@@jamesfrench7299 I vaguely remember the water. I also remember that while they gave you privacy at day (they looked like gold aviator glasses from the outside), at night time it was reversed.
The term I heard was Blue Goose. And yeah, the orange windows were awful. I got no radio reception on my walkman through the orange windows & heaven help if I heard the chopper whine through my headphones! They really needed to be replaced on the XPT too, as soon as mobile phones became a thing. The orange windows block mobile phone signals. If you don't know to put your phone in airplane mode, it keeps trying, over and over, rarely succeeds at making a connection to a base station, and thus those windows will drain your phone battery flat.
The new metro extension through the central city area of Sydney opens soon. Hopefully one day you will come back to ride on it. The new stations look really amazing, and the driverless technology reminds me a lot of Copenhagen's metro. I'm glad you came to experience our country ☺
Dude this is a complete 4th wall break for me. Seeing a mainstream channel cover the train route that all blue mountains goers travel to Sydney and around each town, a romantic yet seemingly isolated hidden train ride for me atleast is shown to the world. Insane
@@Simon-Andersen I don't know how the platforms for the new Metro will be configured, it looks like they will be underground. I presume the Metro will have at least two platforms.
They've already purchased the V set replacements...they are exactly the same sort of train just much more modern. They have had some sort of teething problems which are being sorted out as we speak. To see them one merely needs to go to the yards in Chullora/Enfield and they are there.....very flashy..
I used to work on these @ ugl doing refreshes ( referb) also travelled on these Newcastle line ! Will be sadly missed 😢when eventually retired! Great video thank you ! 😊
There was a lot in this video I found extremely funny because you won the lottery. First of all.... the fact your bmt train was on time is a miracle in itself. The second is that your train was clean, not covered in gum, snot or graffiti or the seats was blackened by who the heck knows anymore...and I was amazed to see that your seat actually flipped over and didn't just keel over the second you moved it or just locked up for no reason, better yet.... you could move it with one hand too! And you are now the bravest person in aus for walking into that train bathroom, most people pass out fron just looking at the door of that ice cave. Especially because the ride on those trains are bumpy and aiming is like threading a needle at the best of times I'm surprised you could leave with your shoes still on. And you're lucky some grumpy old guy didn't yell at you in the quiet carriage for no reason. Complaining that your foot steps were too loud or something. Getting a train in aus is an experience and this video ain't it chief.
@@Simon-Andersen that was the average interstate train experience yes... You should do a video on the city circle service. That one goes over the harbour Bridge.
I used to love the beautiful colour seats and flooring. The seats were fairly comfortable and the windows large and picturesque! Last time I was on one was when I was living in Australia in '94 or so before I moved to the UK then the US.
I travel regularly between Central and Newcastle Interchange (approx 2hr 40min) and will adjust my plans just to get one of these Intercity trains. The only downside is the very small toilet, including the door....virtually impossible to enter while wearing any type of backpack.
Still love travelling on these units. I was in Sydney last week and travelled to Newcastle (Hamilton) and back. Still very comfortable and quiet. The new units which are around the Broadmeadows sidings, appear to have high back less comfortable seating. Why do we do this?
Great video, they are work horse trains the V’s and will be missed. They were great as an express to the city from Hornsby as you always had A/C compared to the red rattlers on the north shore line.
Most of the V sets in use today are variants made in the 1980s that use a chopper system similar to those used in Tangaras and the scrapped C sets. For some reason, the OSCARs were never capable of travelling to the Blue Mountains. But now that the D sets are coming in, they'll transfer them to Sydney Trains.
The Oscars were too wide for the blue mountains line until the clearance upgrades were done for the D sets. They do rarely head up the mountains now to cover a V set
@@aidenteszke9000Yeah it's funny that people make fun of the D set for being too wide, when really it's just any modern sydney train design being slightly wider than the comeng design.
@staryoshi06 Sydney Trains have three basic widths - wide, medium, and narrow. The V sets are narrow & unusually long, which means that they couldn't operate in tunnels that were curvy. A few on Cowan Bank were bypassed or demolished ages ago. All other country rollingstock is narrow. The Red Rattlers were wide. Only suburban platforms were ever cut back to let them run. The Tangaras are technically wide, but only when their doors are open. The S set (and similar) were medium, as are Tangaras when their doors are closed. They could run just about anywhere, but when traveling empty to Newcastle for heavy maintenance, before the G and H sets were a thing, they had to slow to a crawl past station platforms. I've never bothered to look into whether the newer suburbans are considered wide when their doors are open, but the doors seem more slimline than the Tangaras, so maybe not. Either way, there's a reason why platform heights in Sydney generally don't match train floor level.
One point of interest is that there are several stations outside of the suburban network have platforms that can't accommodate an 8 car train (and one station on Central Coast route is so short you can only enter\exit from the last carriage). 8 car trains are actually 2 x 4 car trains joined together so you can't walk the full length of the train. If you're in the front 4 cars of an 8 car train and you want to exit at the next stop, you're not getting off if the platform is short and only takes 4 cars.
Selective door opening isn't really a thing. People just know not to go to the front of the train when they're going to a station with a shorter platform. Works fine at Sydney Terminal as nobody really likes to walk the entire length of the train anyway. People tend to congregate in the rear half of the train as it is. Once or twice I was travelling from Sutherland to North Wollongong on the 6:57am Port Kembla train, circa 1997, and I'd have my bike with me. Normally it's 4 cars so there's no issue (including the day G7 derailed at Waterfall in 2003). But for a while they made it 8 cars, possibly just to transfer a T set from Mortdale to Wollongong. Anyway, the driver would sometimes pull up so the rear of the train was on the platform (as is normally the case) meaning the front car would overhang. But occasionally the driver wouldn't think & just pulled up at the end of the platform meaning the rear car would overhang, right where the guard is. And right where I was with my pushbike. The guard tried to shoo me through the car, but when I stuck the end of my bike out the door, he said hold on, phoned the driver, and told him he'd have to make a second stop. Phew!
These trains have surprised me to no end. The manual doors might be a bit of a confusion for people who haven’t gone on The Blue Mountain Line (aka me) but other than that, these trains are amazing (we’re never talking about the new ones)
I spent many years commuting on these, on that line. These are great, comfortable trains, that have served well. Better than the newer rubbish. The modern colour scheme leaves a bit to be desired though. Luckily they will be replaced soon???? Your video gets a thumbs down for that comment alone
I will never understand the sentiment for old trains. Sure the seats have plenty of padding and they work, they probably were great for their time and have served well as you point out. But it's 2024 the accessibility leaves lots to be desired, lacks modern amenities like screens, proper toilets, wifi, lightning, announcements etc. I'd much rather railways actually evolve into the future than keeping stuff like this around forever
@@Simon-Andersen i think the issue is that these have been often replaced with trains designed for suburban running in some cases, and these are nowhere near as comfortable when taking a 2-3h train trip as the older V set. It is definitely true that a modern replacement is needed, also, the upcoming replacements are korean imports and lack many features that sydneysiders expect, including but not limited to seats that reverse. They also had modify platforms and tunnels to fit the new sets. Also none of the trains in the NSW fleet, except perhaps the state rail fleet (which are managed completely separately) have wifi. Yes the additional ammenities are nicez but if you cant get yhe basics right, what do the extras like screens mean, especially when we have phone apps that have realtime data from the rail opperations system, and basically obsolete those on train screens anyway in most cases. That isnt to say i dont want a good replacement for the intercity sets, but what was acquired to replace them have had real compromises made
@@varno That sounds about right. I think i had a breif trip on a OSCAR that also does longer runs? They are definitely just a "glorified" surburban train and i likely wouldn't find them adequete either. I guess time will tell when the D-sets enter service, but from the renders they seem to have just about every feature that id expect from something running these 2-3 hour inter-urban style services, albiet the seats looks to be on the harder end (but thats also seems to be a general trend everywhere else :/ )
I don’t think people who never used a V-set regularly will ever understand that those “amenities” like fancy screens and the like were never needed on lines like the blue mountains. Every station has character, and you know when yours is coming up from the scenery changes. Oh, and all the guards I ever came across doing regular Lithgow runs announced stations clearly. I’m not liking the hospital waiting room purple theme, nor the cheap-out single glazing. The olive green and golden gaytime interiors were high fashion in the day 😂. I wonder how many of the classic old fittings like the vestibule doors, cold water fountains with cups, and ashtrays under the windows survived the refits?
@@Simon-Andersenyou'll never understand because you are under the false impression that 'newer is better', a sad impression that many younger people have these days. I hope you enjoy your ironing board seats on the new D sets for a 2+ hour trip
LOL, the D sets, how long do you think they have been sitting around in storage because of problems....glad I don't rely on public transport in Australia any longer.
It will be sad to see the old V sets go. They've long been my favourite train of the Sydney system. For what they lack in modern conveniences, they make up for in sheer character.
still more comfortable than the waratahs in my opinion. cushy leather seats, the backrests are also taller for tall folks (or more privacy from the people behind for us shorter folk).
Agree. This train could bring me back to my past, allow to remember many memories, which would be over when this goes.
😢 I wish it wasn’t old
My dad described these trains as ordering a Commadore and receiving a Statesman.
I love the V-sets. They were made at a time when they actually put padding into the seats. And after decades of use, they have become very soft and comfortable. I'm not looking forward to their retirement.
I see at lot of people love these trains and have great memories , but the seats really seem to be the only good thing worth saving about them. They really lack proper accessibility, power, digital wayfinding, better lightning, audible announcements, which the new trains will finally bring.
@@Simon-AndersenGood point! Let's campaign to replace the fixed plastic seats on the new trains with the ones from the old V-set. 😁
@@Rocky-2300 Best of both worlds!
@@Simon-Andersen You show me a commuter train in Australia with all these features you think are "mandatory"? I grew up just fine without a mobile phone, without the internet, without all this interactive bullshit, and crappy - if any - announcements! I learnt my way around the system! I also stood in the open doorways of Red Single Deck Sets ("Red Sets") hundreds of times, as well as the open failed auto doors on S sets, and never fell out! Up until 15-20 years ago, the world was not totally a "cotton wool society."
@@tobys_transport_videos You show me any where else in the world that's serious about trains that keep 40 year old rolling stock around.
Great! Good for you that you managed fine. Guess what the world has moved on, please give me one good argument for why we shouldn't make trains as easy and accessible as possible for everyone to use now we have the means to do so?
Your comment gives me the impression that life "back then" somehow was so much harder but somehow also so much better. And I am very happy to know it's not that type of people placing train orders in NSW
As a proud mountain resident I say that these are the most comfy seats ever put in Sydney public transport ❤
Absolutely and such a quiet and smooth ride too.
I used to get these kinds of trains from Kiama to Sydney frequently. They were the most comfortable.
Some of the smoothest operating trains to this day, and the ledges on the window and near the ground made the ultimate foot and arm rests.
100% agree. The window ledges are good. But the ledges at the floor are brilliant to put one foot up on.
The seat flipping to adjust for the direction is such a clever design!
There is the same thing on NJT trains and I was astounded when I figured the out
It's been a standard feature of all Sydney trains (save for the early Tangaras) for many years. The attempt to do away with them on the Tangaras drew considerable criticism from the travelling public - a hasty and unapologetic retreat was beaten.
Seat flipping has been around since the 1800's.@@yaush_
And guess what the new trains they spent too much money on dont have that.
It can be found also in other NSW Trains' trainsets, as all other trains are also following their double-decker train tradition, e.g. Tangara from 1980's and 1990's, Waratah (newest, from 2010's and 2020s) and Millennium Train from 2000's.
As a side note - The V set can actually do 145km/h in service, however they are restricted to 115km/h in regular service to reduce maintenance costs - they haven't done 145km/h in service in 30 years.
Yes, I can remember in the early to mid 90's whilst travelling on the Central Coast line, the drivers loved to test out the V sets between Ourimbah and Tuggerah and between Wyong and Wyee (express service). I am sure that they were going over 150kmh.
Ah ha! Interesting, I didn't seem to stumble on that information during my research. Surely must have been an expirience doing 145 in one of them
There was a program in the '80s to determine if they could be allowed to follow the XPT speed boards (limits), which max out at 160km/h. In testing, they got them well over that speed although the ride was rough and the pantographs did not track well, resulting in a lot of arcing.
@@MattyClivingthedream A V set was alleged to have done 160 kmh in the suburban area (presumably out towards Penrith) and passing a new XPT set full of stuffed shirt politicians! The V set driver was a well known enthusiast driver who is no longer with us. He got in the shit and was put back to the suburbans for 6 or so months! 😂😂
Another V set story I recall, is how the front vestibule door would bang in the lead car when you came out of Woy Woy tunnel heading north if your speed was over about 120 kmh or more!
115kph? I've never been on a train that exceeds 90-100kph, while in Europe, Asia, (S.Korea, Japan, China, etc.) the trains reach 300+ kph.
Imagine a commute from Sydney to Canberra in an hour? - lol not for another 50-100 years. While the rest of the world will be teleporting, we'll have trains that can maybe do 150kph.
As I'm from Sydney, it might be worth clearing a couple things up and adding some info (most was pretty close though)
- The asbestos issue mostly effected only the K and C set suburban trains from a similar era, and was quite quickly dealt with.
- As for the age of the trains, the first batch from 1970 were a catastrophic failure (I'm talking frame corrosion, electrical failures (many), aircon never working, door faults and more). They have long since been scrapped after many attempts to fix them. Comeng went back to the drawing board, revised their design, and the second batch appeared from 1976. These included a small batch of motor cars and an equal amount of driving trailer cars (what you call the "cab cars" in the video). Despite these being much more successful, only 2 of the motor cars remain in service, as well as the ex- driving trailers. The other motor cars were mostly withdrawn when the H sets were built (2006-2012). The later batches were delivered from 1981, being only 43 years old at most. The last 14 cars were delivered with different shaped fluting on the side and look slightly more modern, you can see this on the last two cars of the passing train at Penrith at 7:46. The youngest of these cars entered service in 1989, making them 35 years old.
- Of course, this is just opinion, but the V set seats are considered by everyone I have ever heard (including myself) to be the best in NSW despite their age. They are a blessing compared to the H sets and the incoming D sets don't have reversible seats, so half the passengers are forced to face backwards, which would be infuriating on a long journey.
There will be another hasty retreat to replace the seating. The failure to provide reversible seating from the start is inexplicable and shows a complete lack of consultation with those pesky people called passengers
Yep can't agree with you more. The V sets are a lot more comfortable than the OSCARs. Don't care that they are missing the mod-cons like power outlets, tray tables, etc.
The mans right , The first ones are gone, the ones we have now are amazing. Shows with building them here and fixing the problems here you can make one great unit.
To quote the great Gladys "Australia is no good at making trains"
The aircon didn't just not work, there wasn't an aircon to begin with.
I agree so much, Comeng is such a legendary train manufacturer.
I've ridden the Comeng train, the V set, and the A,Z,B class trams in melbourne (which are all made by Comeng) and they're seriously still the some of the best rollingstock in service. They're old and have high floors and old aircons but they have really nice seats and nice suspension.
It's really sad to see them be phased out because they're so comfortable to ride and so charming in their appearance.
I love these trains. I used to get up an hour early to catch these to work from Newcastle to Sydney rather than ride in the newer (and far less comfortable) mid distance commuter trains.
My bum will miss the V sets when they are retired! As someone who commutes on the Newcastle line which is the only other line that uses them, seat quality is about all I care about, and the newer trains are very uncomfortable, especially in summer when the carpet seating absorbs people's body sweat and is not only rough and spiky (to the point it often gives me a friction burn if I am wearing shorts or a short skirt that day) but weirdly damp too 🤮
I can understand why tourists would be more concerned about things like luggage storage and USB phone charging ports, but the vast majority of people I see riding them here whether it is during rush hour or during the day (as I often leave at different times) are workers who do little but nap or work on laptops that don't need charging bc they've just come from home/work, or elderly people who are just going for a day out, so I don't feel they're as important to the average person as ride comfort. I wish they considered this when making the new D sets, because they look truly horrible. Maybe I'm wrong, and those thin bus seats might be amazingly plush, but I rather doubt it. At least, perhaps, they will not be so noisy.
😆
I generally agree with what you're saying. The new seats likely won't be better that then current ones, and yes the current commuters might not currently care about those amenities, because we'll they don't have them! People were saying the same 10-15 years ago in Europe and now you have commuters that have based their trips around these amenities or switched to the train because of them. If anything it just helps make the train attractive even more people while you can still have a nap or be on your phone, albeit in what might be a less comfortable seat.
9:04-9:07 “luckily they don’t have much time left in service anymore” LUCKILY?? How could you not like the v sets lol, I’m gonna miss em 🥲
I can like them from an enthusiasts perspective, the seats are good and they have character. But c'mon they lack just about every amenity any average non enthusiast traveler would expect. Proper accessiblily, wayfinding screens, power, wifi, audible announcements etc
I know lol, of course that wether your a tourist or you grew up in Australia you will have a different perspective on v sets, and that with our changing society we need to keep our trains up to standard, but I totally understand your point from a tourist perspective, it’s just to us that have grown up with em, it’s quite sad the see em go.
@@Simon-Andersenyou would be suprised how much love the public love these trains, to most people things like tray tables and chargers as a nice touch but a bonus. Most importantly is it comfortable and being able to fall asleep on the way to work. Most people who take these trains are people who travel close to an hour or more. Most just want to sleep or happy with just being on the phone.
Properly cold air con, 2+2 seating, thickly padded seats facing the direction of travel, closing vestibule doors with a quiet ride. You dont get much of that on any new Sydney train. For a two hour journey I don’t need a charging port, or a tray table or an overhead bin or destination board. I know if my train is on time based on when I get to Springwood, Hazlebrook or Wentworth Falls and I know when to get out. As far as journey comforts go the least comfortable thing is the choppy motor controls and the lurching couplers, but that is not a huge problem. You have to ask what really matters to a regular long distance commuter and its not most of the items on an enthusiasts tick the box list.
@@Topher5035 I don't think the seats are going to be that bad. They look like the ones we have in Europe for similar journeys, which is okay, but I agree it's a step down from the current V-sets.
If anything, on the new trains, you'll have a quieter ride and still be able to browse your phone and have a nap. But adding these new features helps make the train more accessible and easy to use for everyone, including people who currently don't choose the train because it's old, outdated, and inaccessible.
We didn't have these things in Europe 10-15 years ago, and people were saying the same things. Now it would be unthinkable to build a train without them, and I'm sure the sentiment will be the same in Australia as they attract new riders who get used to being able to work on their commute and cut time at the office or have a picnic with the family on the train on the way to Lithgow.
Our V sets are a much beloved train and widely regarded as the best electric commuter train we’ve ever had. Yes, they are old and haven’t many upgrades over the years but they are comfortable and reliable. Set V21 contains the oldest electric motor car in the NSW fleet at 47 years old (DCM8032) and is slated for preservation upon retirement.
There are also two types of motor cars in the V set fleet, the older Camshaft type and the “newer” chopper type.
Thanks for doing a video on them.
I always liked the whine on the camshaft sets, especially when the pitch rose at speed. It added to the experience of these and was very subtle from inside.
I started work as an engineer at Comeng, Granville and was honoured to work with the great engineers there - at the tail end of their careers - who designed these trains.
did you also work with our Tuen Mun light rail car in Hong Kong around 1985-1988?
I used to manufacture the seats/armrests here in Sydeny. They're not wood but rather moulded plastic and foam.
Was more cost-effective to re-engineer and manufacture in Sydney than get them done overseas. Especially now ComEng is defunct.
I just remember it was a pain to get the dye quantity right in the chemical mixture to get the colour matching and consistent haha
The seats on these are much more comfortable than those on the newer long distance trains.
And that's probably about the only thing they got on new trains
@@Simon-Andersen And the fact that the new trains don't have reversible seats. But other than that, yes the new trains will be significantly better.
Best seats in NSW trains still...
@@Simon-Andersen comes to Sydney, hates on classic trains cause no wifi
9:11
just a heads up, the D-sets have been highly controversial from railfans just not wanting the V-sets to be gone, to large union disputes about the design intended to phase out guards (a rather important safety feature that's been standard on every train since the single deck days) along with defective equipment such as brakes, AC and doors
I can tell there are lots of fans of the V-sets in the comments 😅 I think just about the seats are the only thing the v-set does better than the new trains. I can't see why driver only operation can't work in Sydney when it can elsewhere in the world, but that's a whole other issue that has very little to do with the train itself
@@Simon-Andersen Does "elsewhere in the world" have the large number of unattended stations that NSW's Intercity lines do? If they did away with train guards, who helps disabled passengers on and off trains at these stations? The driver leaves the train cab? I think not.
@@ktipuss You sound sceptical but that's exactly what happens in my home city Copenhagen. The far majority of s-tog stations are unattended. When a passenger requires assitence the driver just deploys the ramp at the door next to the cab, passenger boards and the train gets on its way. Definitely possible
@@ktipussWhy would it be a safety issue if the driver left the cab, they can just lock the cab and put the train in a park brake like they do in Melbourne when a driver helps a wheelchair passenger board or alight
The Ds are garbage, and were well known to be delivered full of faults before they were ordered, but the hard-right so-called "Liberals" hate generating jobs in unionised industries.
You said that there was no overhead storage, but actually, in the area with the luggage rack there, there is some limited overhead storage too.
Ah I must have missed that! Thanks for clarifying. There's only limited overhead storage then 😅
The seating in the area over the bogies had luggage racks, and there was limited (unsafe, IMO) storage in the end vestibule areas. I think the reason for no luggage space in the upper or lower decks may have been due the NSW loading gauge not really being suited to Double Deck trains, so the designer at Tulloch, Roy Leembruggen, designed the 48xx series Tulloch trailers to fit through the City Circle tunnels, so naturally when Comeng went into the business of building what became the V sets, they too were restricted by tunnel clearances, these being on the Blue Mountains and on the Central Coast line to Gosford, remembering that electrification to Newcastle didn't happen until June 1984, with Wyong having been a stepping stone for a while just beforehand. South Coast electrification didn't happen until the mid 80s, with Dapto by the early 90s, and Kiama some time later.
@@Simon-AndersenWhen the V sets were first built the single seats on the upper and lower decks did not exist. They were luggage areas originally. There are also two secret luggage storage areas. Behind the first row of seats in every carriage is a space on eith side for one suitcase and if you fold over two seats back to back you can place a suitcase in the gap🤔😊🇦🇺
@6:08 you can even see the overhead storage right as he says there isn't any.
So great to have you in Australia mate, us Sydneysiders are all fons of the old V Sets, very iconic! The Purple seats 💜 they used to be this pastel green years ago 😂
Great route to take too, I took that same route recently even further to Lithgow, and ironically you can see the currently stranded D Set replacements for these V Sets which aren't in service yet.
To those worrying about the toilets, you're right to worry haha that's a good one, I've spent 2+ hours in one of those toilets when unwell 🤢
Thanks again for another Australian video!
I think I might become too lenient with my toilet standards after being in the Balkans and central Asia 😅 I get there is a lot of love for the v-set in the enthusiast circle especially for the seats, but it's gonna be great getting just about every other modern amenity on the long trips out to places like Lithgow :D
I personally find the seats on the V Sets to be extremely comfortable, because they are extremely heavily padded and you can really sink into them. However, the ride overall can be pretty bad, because some of the carriages have pretty bad suspension and you can get a lot of jostling on your way on rougher sections of track.
Yeah exactly, the seats are good and comfortable, but that's about the only redeeming quality about them. The new trains will bring a lot of improvements in every other aspect.
@@Simon-Andersenthe new trains which are D sets aren't very liked due to a lack of reversable seating and less padding due to seats.
D sets have those awful ironing board seats, they will be horrible
The Xplorer runs from Central to Armidale, Moree, Broken Hill, Griffith and Canberra, the XPT runs from Central to Melbourne, Dubbo, Grafton, Casino and Brisbane, V sets run on the CCN line to Newcastle Interchange and the BMT line to Lithgow, the Endeavours run on the SCO line between Kiama and Bomaderry, SHL line between Campbelltown and Goulburn, BMT line between Lithgow and Bathurst and also the HUN line between Scone, Dungog, Muswellbrook, Telarah and Newcastle Interchange
Technically the Hunter Line is serviced in part by its own unique sets called the Hunter Railcars, which are based on the Endeavors but mechanically simpler and slower, with only one engine per car.
@@lachlanmcgowan5712 These are shown in official circles as "J sets." I can't remember what an Endanger is called, apart from what I've called them for over 30 years, but neither is fantastic. The Endangers used to have fixed bucket seats, but at at some stage got G set style seats, making the journey from Sydney to Lithgow much better!
@@tobys_transport_videosEndeavours are N sets
@@JRBRailstuff Thanks! I remember this now, and laughing at the absurd comparison I made a the time. I'd rather a V/Line N set than a current day NSW N set!
The V sets were built in 4 car sets, the "recycled carriages" you saw were because it was two 4-car sets combined to create an 8-car for greater capacity.
I believe the carriage is of the two-unit Citydecker/The River refurbishment, with the cab repurposed as a luggage compartment. A four car set will have the driving trailer ends yellow, and in eight car sets will have four yellow ends, two at the ends and two in the middle. The grey fibreglass end is done if the intermediate cars are also driving trailers, in order to make their presence (whether coupled cab to cab or cab to end) slightly less intrusive
A few services also ran as 2 car sets; there was an early morning Wyong (or Morisset?) to St Mary's 2 car V set until about 2005 or so.
They were built when a set could and would be pulled apart and mixed up at any opportunity. They'd run as 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10 car sets.
They'd pull a 4 car set in half and attach both halves of it to other 4 car sets to make 6 car sets, which was a really common configuration (as a 6 car V set is the same length as an 8 car suburban, so they fit nicely on most platforms - especially when they occasionally diverted an Illawarra line service to Martin Place).
And back in the 80s and early 90s they'd attach a 4 car set to one of the aforementioned 6 car sets, to run a handful of 10 car sets that'd run express peak hour services from Newcastle to Sydney. There's a reason Platform 1 at Gosford is unusually long. When they decided to stop doing stuff like that, they filled in the southern end of Platforms 9&10 at Sydney Terminal to widen out the pedestrian concourse. Only Platforms 1, 8 and 10 could accommodate a 10 car V set, and if they used Platform 1, they'd block the engine release road for Platform 2. This was before they moved Platforms 1-3 outside the paid area.
They had a small number of driving trailers (2?) that could be used to either make a 6 car set not look so weird, or that could be used to run 'The River', a daily peak hour service from Wyong to Parramatta/Blacktown via the North Strathfield triangle. I think they occasionally ran it as a 3 car set (M-T-M) when the driving trailers were unavailable & they couldn't run the usual 2 car set (M-D). Or maybe I'm thinking of the L sets. Not sure.
These V SETS were designed for passenger comfort, these days that is the last consideration, the currently delayed D sets come with from my observation a fixed non reversing seat, which will probably be as comfortable as sitting on rock, maybe ok for those who travel less than 40 minutes on a suburban train, but not for 2 plus hours, I find traveling backwards causes me to feel sick, but these days no one cares. Over the last thirty years we have gone from standard reversible seats to fixed seating then back to reversible seats on various suburban & country trains, & now back once again to fixed seats.
The only thing comfortable about the v-set is the seat cushioning. They lack every other modern amenity, reversible seating would be nice, but I don't actually know for how big a percentage of travelers riding backwards is an issue
Australians don't like traveling backwards, we've almost always had the choice of sitting the correct way except for some of the newer awful trains
@@CaptainsChannel58 I completely agree, I am one of them, but I also know from experience, working in the rail rolling stock maintenance area, a test run on an updated mainline carriage back in the 1980's which had been converted from compartment to open saloon was greeted with many passengers passing comment of being able to sit in the direction of travel, something that the designers of train interiors have no knowledge of, we seem to wind up with the British/European concept of fixed seats facing the wrong direction of travel, maybe okay for a time period of ten to fifteen minutes but not two to three hours. it was the same when the Tangara's first entered service, the complaints about that type of seating wasn't well received by those who had approved it, the later G set configuration was the result of the complaints, even today when passengers find these reversible seats on the converted G to T sets think the whole fleet is being converted, of course these days most passengers are just happy to find a seat.
@@afs5609 I took a group of overseas students to and from Newcastle on a weekend H service recently, and they were HUGE fans of the reversible seats.
@@Simon-Andersenerhaps upgrades to disabled accessibility, charging ports and announcements would be enough
Thank you!. Some of these need to be retained with gentle upgrades. They are really lovely trains.
They for sure have character and have served very well. Let's hope a museum or heritage railway can preserve one
The V sets are the best trains in Sydney. I catch them frequently on trips up to the Blue Mountains. Much more comfortable and a much more pleasant ride then any of the newer intercity trains. While the newer trains are more accessible (which I fully support) they have no where near the comfort or class of the V sets. A lot of the newer intercity trains don't have flipable seats, feel very rigid, and the trains feel very corprate and city like. Half the journey intercity is the view, I'd rather be able to actually watch it in comfort then just watch my phone charge. The Blue Mountains is known for it's older quaint style so older quaint trains fit it better. If I'm taking a two hour trip up to Lithgow I would rather be able to flip my seat around and actually enjoy the view in a pleasant looking train. I hear so many people who frequently catch trains in Sydney like me specifically aim to catch the V sets over any other intercity train, heck, a lot even catch them in between stops in Sydney because they're more comfortable.
I'd support the V sets being replaced with more accessible trains if they actually still built comfortable classy ones. But until then, I'd rather catch a V set then any OSCAR or newer one.
In the ‘70s there was this huge departure board which was replaced with video screens. This edifice can be seen at the Powerhouse Museum.
Did they move the Powerhouse Museum yet?
@@YishaiBarr I’m from Melbourne, I don’t know.
@@YishaiBarr No; common sense is prevailing with any luck, although some displays have disappeared.
Great to see you Down Under. The V sets are widely (at least among rail enthusiasts) regarded as great trains. Cheers!
They definitely work, but they for sure lack many of the modern amenities that new trains bring, new trains will likely be a downgrade in actual seat comfort unfortunately.
@@Simon-Andersen And I suspect that most passengers would prefer a comfortable seat above most other features.
Exactly, seat comfort on a two+ hour journey is paramount!
The V-sets are the most comfortable train for the everyday local commuter. It really absorbs the bumps so well and its a quiet train. The V-sets will be missed.
Should have ridden them in the 80s when they still had double glazed windows. They were eerily quiet and you had to swallow sometimes to be sure you hadn't lost your hearing.
@@jamesfrench7299 Wow. In that time I was born when the Tangara was built.
@@jamesfrench7299why did they remove double glaze windows
@@geoffreycaterpillar702 I don't know the reason, I presume it was a cheaper replacement and the golden two way mirror outer glass layer became NLA.
They often trapped moisture between the layers and we had a situation of mixed window types which looked unsightly. They then replaced them all during refirbs.
I drove them for 10 years before transferring back to Sydney Trains. Long in the tooth but can be a joy to drive. Had an empty one from Newcastle to Sydney, managed the trip in 2 hours 5 minutes, would've been sub 2 hours if it wasn't for signals at epping and strathfield.
"very basic seats"?!? These are the best train seats we have!! A hundred fimes better than any of the newer trains on the network!
Great video… keep up the great work 🫵👍
At 3.33 narration you should replace "Sydney & Brisbane" with "Melbourne & Brisbane" as you are already in Sydney! Nice simple video, very enjoyable.
Ah you're right! Happens when youre somewhere you're not familiar with. Thanks for watching :-)
@@Simon-Andersen Good quality video Simon, are you using GoPro9 or GoPro10?
Loving the script! "everything from power banks to Powerade"
Central Station should bring back Fast food outlets, Hungary Jack's for convenience for passengers.
V set trains are great. I love them..
The seats were refurbished a while ago..
I miss that Hungry Jack's. Pity about that fire. Should have kept the place cleaner & not flame-grilled the station!
I think the punters are fat enough....
@@PCLoadLetter Something very odd going on involving the US based franchise holder, a company called Delaware North. They run stuff like all the junk food franchises at airports including Sydney, and run casinos.
As someone who has a long term back injury, travelling between Newcastle & Sydney is much more tolerable on this train than the newer ones which make me almost a cripple by journeys end
Penrith to Blacktown on an import is enough to make you get off and wait for the V behind!
The only comfortable seat on the new urbans are the driver's seat, stuff the passengers.
I don't think the seats on the new trains look bad, but I guess we'll see :D
Of course seats for both drivers and passengers should be comfortable. Those responsible for the seats on the V sets understood that and got it right. If, for some strange reason known to neither of us, there had to be a choice between comfort for passengers and drivers, the driver would win hands down.
G on Comeng's name is pronounce like e.g. Georgia, George, etc, as it's name stands for "Community Engineering" or "Commonwealth Engineering".
The name is Commonwealth Engineering. Not sure where you got community engineering from.
The name is Commonwealth Engineering not community
7:24 very brave touching the seat with your hands lol. Those bathrooms are a nightmare in terms of cleanliness.
Nonetheless, great video!
V-sets have a design in-service top speed of 160km/h. It is only a policy decision that limits the speed to 120km/h.
Two words I loathe are that and contract.
These old beasts were most definitely built to last. They’re ol’ reliable. Very good Australian-made quality that are actually fit for purpose.
I love V sets. It will be sad to see them go. They are dated, but like many others have said, I think they are more comfortable than the newer trains.
So much better than the uncomfortable, painfully bright and poorly thought out Oscar’s
None of the original 1970 built sets still exist. Therefore, none of them currently in service are over 50 years old.
I should probably have made bigger point of mentioning that in the video! Thanks for clarifying
The interiors were very different apart from the seats. The window sills were huge. People today with their devices would have liked them.
These trains are the best, so quiet and great to ride in.
Nice to see these again. I remember travelling on one to Katoomba on my first visit to Australia in 1982. Great views from the upper deck, and nice and comfortable. Classic designs don't grow old or lose their inherent functionality. Good also to see an XPT still in service now that the HSTs have almost disappeared from the UK network.
Making the mundane look marvelous! Good work dude! :)
Thanks a ton!
Comeng don't break. Also, the G is pronounced as it's a shortened version of Commonwealth Engineering.
Cool video and an awesome train Simon, They look similair to American Trains with all that ribbed metal sheet metal, Australia is really an amazing and beautiful Country, Mind also that brandnew Sydney Tram under the canopy at 0:53, What a beast! (Yes I'm also a Tram Geek from The Netherlands) :D
Thanks Marco!
You should come visit some time to Down Under Australia 🇦🇺
Those trams ended up with "cracks", more like huge tears, around the wheel arches. Definitely "Cranked And Faulty". And the worker hating so-called "Liberals" bought more from CAF despite the problems in the north of England.
I often catch these trains between Newcastle and Katoomba with a change at Central in order to visit family when I don't want to spend a bomb on petrol money by driving. I quite like the journey, especially when it's quiet. Only costs about $7 one way off-peak, which is pretty incredible for a four and a half hour journey!
No complains about fares!
Thanks for the ride. I’ve lived in Blackheath and know the ride well. Always thrilling when you get down to Penrith and can go faster with fewer stops. Come back again some time and have a look at the heritage listed Mount Victoria station, and ride through the fascinating ten tunnels on the descent to Lithgow!
Those new trains have been sitting idle for at least 3years. They didn't fit the tunnels in the mountains
Did a public servant oversee the job, eh?
@@ceeemm1901 No, worker hating extreme right "Liberals" ordered them over European designed, locally built options. Not fitting didn't matter, and they woudl have happily ended electric service at Mt Victoria. They just reduced the legal safe passing clearance in the tunnels, after ding some gouging if the tunnel walls.
they Sydney to Brisbane service actually terminates at Casino if you catch the day service. You get bussed into Roma Street Station via Lismore, Bryon Bay, Surface, Logan and finally Brisbane. The night service runs directly into Roma Street as QR has slots for it to run over all the bridges during off peak commuter time.
Wonder if Queensland Rail will be able to let daytime trains from Sydney come all the way to Roma St after they finish the Cross River Tunnel?
We should keep them, their replacements are sterile uncomfortable crap. They were able to breathe new life into these Vsets when they were re-upholstered in Purple. These trains are magnificent and comfortable.
The V-sets are peak electric train in Australia. I rode them on their first day to Newcastle. I rode them on their last day to Newcastle. And hundreds of times in between Sydney, Newcastle, Broadmeadow, the 'gong and a couple of times to Kiama and Katoomba. They will be sorely missed.
I see a lot of people have great love for them and their great character. Its also gonna be great to see Sydney/NSW move forward and get some new trains that are more adequate for the times.
Need to replace these useless trains these modern days. They are just waste of time for commuters - driving via M1 is more enjoyable and efficient.
@@BG-ir1ii The Krap from Korean will be no faster, and they will be far less comfortable.
@@Simon-Andersen These are 100% adequate.
the scenery in the mountains was awesome!
DTC/DTD cars are my favourite cars to travel in whenever I get the chance to ride a v-set.
I recently moved to Sydney and have been taking the trains pretty often. I noticed they're still running old trains in their fleet so it was great to see this video pop up!
Misleading title.
None of the Series 1 of the V sets that were built at the beginning of the 1970s are in service anymore, they were scrapped almost 20 years ago.
All the sets still in frequent service are series 3 to series 8 that were built during the 1980s. More like 35-40 years old, so approaching the end of their lives but not older than the 45 years of frequent service which rolling stock are expected to have.
Lets give them some heavy maintenance, and keep them in use to improve service frequency! Once per hour is pathetic for world famous tourist sits like the Blue Mountains.
Can’t wait to go one one when I’m down that way next month.
Also on the non electrified sections, NSW also has the Hunter DMUs, used on the hunter valley commuter line between Newcastle and Maitland/Scone/Muswellbrook/Dungog
Here we are 8 months later and the NIFs enter service tomorrow
Guess i have to go back to Australia soon :P
V sets are my favourite train. And fun fact, I'm writing this post while sitting on one. But I'm biased. I grew up with these trains. But here's some non biased feedback. My brother-in law was recently visiting from Canada. We caught a V set in to Sydney and caught an H set back. When we got on the train for the return journey, he said "Oh, how come we don't get one of those luxurious trains going home?". I found this an odd thing for him to say, because I assumed overseas visitors would consider the V sets to be old and crusty without the rose coloured glasses. Seems I was wrong.
I think the main issue here is that the H sets really are inner suburban trains being used on a wrong kind of service, where the V-sets actually had a bit of comfort in mind. Seems like with the new D-sets there is being made an attempt at getting something similar to whats offered on similar lenght services in many european countries
The V - Set train you see is Series 3 entered service 1982
Hopefully I can go on a V set before they are retired, they now mostly run Blue Mountains, so I am expecting to go somewhere and back on the V sets. Just a few weeks ago, I went on a Hunter Railcar, not an explorer or endeavour (as they require booked seats only which I will probably not get. I am expecting that I can just go on a V set one last time before they go and retire. I do not think they are going to preserve it, but most trains gets preserved, used as a emergency or used in a heritage expo.
I’ve travelled many times on these trains many times over the years, mainly out to Lithgow or up to Newcastle. Despite being old they are very comfortable to ride on, just without modern amenities. There have been many problems with the replacement D sets. I’ve heard stories ranging from union disputes, to the trains being too wide for some stations.
Like if you enjoyed a comfortable v-set ride from the central coast to Sydney.
My Dad once had someone who was involved in the design of the V sets tell him the reason they are so smooth is that they actually weighed them down with concrete under each carriage. I didn't speak to him myself so this is second hand knowledge. But it's amazing if true.
Using a public power outlet to charge your device? Perfect way to compromise it. Great video by the way. You missed Glenbrook Gorge though.
A good switch-mode supply can handle 85 to about 280 volts. Or do you mean USB? I wonder if they USBs on the Krap from Korean are protected against bogans putting 5 cent coins in them.
Nice vid. I lived in Blackheath for 12 years.Fantastic place .That weather reminded me of it a lot, haha. Snow in the winter sometimes. But in front of a wood fire and a book, nothing compared. Miles and miles of hiking paths and falling rock climbers Great meditation centre too. Thanks.
Had a great time hiking around! Will have to visit more of the area next time i'm back in this part of the world.
Can I buy one? 3 hours for Newcastle to Sydney is pathetic enough already but each time new trains come out the seats are getting smaller and harder !
I remember riding the whole way to the mountains in the door area crammed with mountain bikes every weekend
I went on one from Cardiff to Sydney with my class from gths to go to the sea life aquarium in darling harbour
Thank you. I never new parts of Austrailia were so green and lush.
This was filmed during a pretty wet summer, our trees get much greener when there's a lot of rain
Wait until you find out we have snow
I live in the upper Blue Mountains, sometimes it snows here in Winter. Snowfalls in Australia do surprise some foreigners. Cheers.
What happens when you rely on the entertainment industry to learn stuff.
Well, we don't go so far inland where there is no green, and it was probably filmed where everywhere isn't burning 10x more than what you would get from a battle scene in a movie/tv show.
Oh and the mountains are pretty cool too.
I was actually in the Blue Mountains a couple of days ago (but unfortunately I didn’t know the V set existed) so that’s why next time if I ever go to Sydney I’m gonna film a whole bunch of V set trains (mainly because I’m from Melbourne and I Love old trains)
50 years old and still comfy af, caught one to school every day for 6 years in the early 2000's. also you got the purple seated treains, the green seated trains have comfier seats and are more common. or were back then
My dad used to call them the blue tongue train due to the decorative blue on grey livery of the fronts the earlier batches carried.
They originally had the two way gold mirrored windows like the XPT still has and double glazing which made them super quiet in the saloon. They felt like a luxury car in rails. More sound comes through due to them phasing in the single layer windows.
They were fantastic in their day.
I didn't realise the windows were changed to single layer. I only knew they weren't gold anymore.
@@OldAussieAds some would trap condensation, some so severe inches of water would pool in them.
@@jamesfrench7299 I vaguely remember the water. I also remember that while they gave you privacy at day (they looked like gold aviator glasses from the outside), at night time it was reversed.
@@OldAussieAds yes!! It was great for people watching in the day but you were a zoo exhibit by night!
The term I heard was Blue Goose. And yeah, the orange windows were awful. I got no radio reception on my walkman through the orange windows & heaven help if I heard the chopper whine through my headphones! They really needed to be replaced on the XPT too, as soon as mobile phones became a thing. The orange windows block mobile phone signals. If you don't know to put your phone in airplane mode, it keeps trying, over and over, rarely succeeds at making a connection to a base station, and thus those windows will drain your phone battery flat.
The new metro extension through the central city area of Sydney opens soon. Hopefully one day you will come back to ride on it. The new stations look really amazing, and the driverless technology reminds me a lot of Copenhagen's metro. I'm glad you came to experience our country ☺
One day I'll be back :D I had a ride on the extension open in the north, seems like a great mode of transit for Sydney!
Note that the Sydney Metro isn't a competitor to Sydney Trains. They're both under Transport for NSW, a government agency.
Dude this is a complete 4th wall break for me. Seeing a mainstream channel cover the train route that all blue mountains goers travel to Sydney and around each town, a romantic yet seemingly isolated hidden train ride for me atleast is shown to the world. Insane
Central Station only has 12 platforms now available in the area your train departed from.
Ah I guess some of them have been removed then 😅 I was just going off some map, that might have been outdated. Thanks for cleaning it up :D
@@Simon-Andersen I don't know how the platforms for the new Metro will be configured, it looks like they will be underground. I presume the Metro will have at least two platforms.
The only problem with them is no interconnection between the carriages
They've already purchased the V set replacements...they are exactly the same sort of train just much more modern. They have had some sort of teething problems which are being sorted out as we speak. To see them one merely needs to go to the yards in Chullora/Enfield and they are there.....very flashy..
I used to work on these @ ugl doing refreshes ( referb) also travelled on these Newcastle line ! Will be sadly missed 😢when eventually retired! Great video thank you ! 😊
May be the most comfortable and least expensive train journey per km ….. in the world!
No need to buy a ticket. Just tap a contactless credit/debit card at the gate (or reader at smaller stations without gates). Cheaper than ticket.
There was a lot in this video I found extremely funny because you won the lottery. First of all.... the fact your bmt train was on time is a miracle in itself. The second is that your train was clean, not covered in gum, snot or graffiti or the seats was blackened by who the heck knows anymore...and I was amazed to see that your seat actually flipped over and didn't just keel over the second you moved it or just locked up for no reason, better yet.... you could move it with one hand too! And you are now the bravest person in aus for walking into that train bathroom, most people pass out fron just looking at the door of that ice cave. Especially because the ride on those trains are bumpy and aiming is like threading a needle at the best of times I'm surprised you could leave with your shoes still on.
And you're lucky some grumpy old guy didn't yell at you in the quiet carriage for no reason. Complaining that your foot steps were too loud or something. Getting a train in aus is an experience and this video ain't it chief.
Hahaha! I guess i got really lucky! My video on the XPT sounds much more like the real aussie train experience then :P
@@Simon-Andersen that was the average interstate train experience yes...
You should do a video on the city circle service. That one goes over the harbour Bridge.
I used to love the beautiful colour seats and flooring. The seats were fairly comfortable and the windows large and picturesque! Last time I was on one was when I was living in Australia in '94 or so before I moved to the UK then the US.
It looks great!
I travel regularly between Central and Newcastle Interchange (approx 2hr 40min) and will adjust my plans just to get one of these Intercity trains. The only downside is the very small toilet, including the door....virtually impossible to enter while wearing any type of backpack.
Ugh what a bugman take: ‘these loyal Australian made trains don’t have power outlets, lucky they’re being replaced’.
Still love travelling on these units. I was in Sydney last week and travelled to Newcastle (Hamilton) and back. Still very comfortable and quiet. The new units which are around the Broadmeadows sidings, appear to have high back less comfortable seating. Why do we do this?
Great video, they are work horse trains the V’s and will be missed. They were great as an express to the city from Hornsby as you always had A/C compared to the red rattlers on the north shore line.
Gutted cab cars were unpowered (trailers), they were used on 2 and 6 car trains in the past. DCT9042 is from the second batch, built in 1977.
IIRC, they used to run 2-car sets in the mountains in off-peak periods in the 1970's?
Most of the V sets in use today are variants made in the 1980s that use a chopper system similar to those used in Tangaras and the scrapped C sets.
For some reason, the OSCARs were never capable of travelling to the Blue Mountains. But now that the D sets are coming in, they'll transfer them to Sydney Trains.
The Oscars were too wide for the blue mountains line until the clearance upgrades were done for the D sets. They do rarely head up the mountains now to cover a V set
@@aidenteszke9000Yeah it's funny that people make fun of the D set for being too wide, when really it's just any modern sydney train design being slightly wider than the comeng design.
@staryoshi06 Sydney Trains have three basic widths - wide, medium, and narrow.
The V sets are narrow & unusually long, which means that they couldn't operate in tunnels that were curvy. A few on Cowan Bank were bypassed or demolished ages ago. All other country rollingstock is narrow.
The Red Rattlers were wide. Only suburban platforms were ever cut back to let them run. The Tangaras are technically wide, but only when their doors are open.
The S set (and similar) were medium, as are Tangaras when their doors are closed. They could run just about anywhere, but when traveling empty to Newcastle for heavy maintenance, before the G and H sets were a thing, they had to slow to a crawl past station platforms.
I've never bothered to look into whether the newer suburbans are considered wide when their doors are open, but the doors seem more slimline than the Tangaras, so maybe not. Either way, there's a reason why platform heights in Sydney generally don't match train floor level.
@@PCLoadLetter I appreciate your replies, really informative!
One point of interest is that there are several stations outside of the suburban network have platforms that can't accommodate an 8 car train (and one station on Central Coast route is so short you can only enter\exit from the last carriage). 8 car trains are actually 2 x 4 car trains joined together so you can't walk the full length of the train. If you're in the front 4 cars of an 8 car train and you want to exit at the next stop, you're not getting off if the platform is short and only takes 4 cars.
Selective door opening isn't really a thing. People just know not to go to the front of the train when they're going to a station with a shorter platform. Works fine at Sydney Terminal as nobody really likes to walk the entire length of the train anyway. People tend to congregate in the rear half of the train as it is.
Once or twice I was travelling from Sutherland to North Wollongong on the 6:57am Port Kembla train, circa 1997, and I'd have my bike with me. Normally it's 4 cars so there's no issue (including the day G7 derailed at Waterfall in 2003). But for a while they made it 8 cars, possibly just to transfer a T set from Mortdale to Wollongong. Anyway, the driver would sometimes pull up so the rear of the train was on the platform (as is normally the case) meaning the front car would overhang. But occasionally the driver wouldn't think & just pulled up at the end of the platform meaning the rear car would overhang, right where the guard is. And right where I was with my pushbike. The guard tried to shoo me through the car, but when I stuck the end of my bike out the door, he said hold on, phoned the driver, and told him he'd have to make a second stop. Phew!
The v-sets have dedicated space for bikes :) and they work with bikes with front mudguards, unlike the new ones.
These trains have surprised me to no end. The manual doors might be a bit of a confusion for people who haven’t gone on The Blue Mountain Line (aka me) but other than that, these trains are amazing (we’re never talking about the new ones)
I did this exact same trip a couple of months back. I don't think i could find the same joy in it without the V Sets :(
Designed 50 years ago, but the majority of cars are 35-40 years old.
Designed in 1968!
The body was
I spent many years commuting on these, on that line. These are great, comfortable trains, that have served well. Better than the newer rubbish. The modern colour scheme leaves a bit to be desired though. Luckily they will be replaced soon???? Your video gets a thumbs down for that comment alone
I will never understand the sentiment for old trains. Sure the seats have plenty of padding and they work, they probably were great for their time and have served well as you point out. But it's 2024 the accessibility leaves lots to be desired, lacks modern amenities like screens, proper toilets, wifi, lightning, announcements etc. I'd much rather railways actually evolve into the future than keeping stuff like this around forever
@@Simon-Andersen i think the issue is that these have been often replaced with trains designed for suburban running in some cases, and these are nowhere near as comfortable when taking a 2-3h train trip as the older V set. It is definitely true that a modern replacement is needed, also, the upcoming replacements are korean imports and lack many features that sydneysiders expect, including but not limited to seats that reverse. They also had modify platforms and tunnels to fit the new sets.
Also none of the trains in the NSW fleet, except perhaps the state rail fleet (which are managed completely separately) have wifi.
Yes the additional ammenities are nicez but if you cant get yhe basics right, what do the extras like screens mean, especially when we have phone apps that have realtime data from the rail opperations system, and basically obsolete those on train screens anyway in most cases.
That isnt to say i dont want a good replacement for the intercity sets, but what was acquired to replace them have had real compromises made
@@varno That sounds about right. I think i had a breif trip on a OSCAR that also does longer runs? They are definitely just a "glorified" surburban train and i likely wouldn't find them adequete either. I guess time will tell when the D-sets enter service, but from the renders they seem to have just about every feature that id expect from something running these 2-3 hour inter-urban style services, albiet the seats looks to be on the harder end (but thats also seems to be a general trend everywhere else :/ )
I don’t think people who never used a V-set regularly will ever understand that those “amenities” like fancy screens and the like were never needed on lines like the blue mountains. Every station has character, and you know when yours is coming up from the scenery changes. Oh, and all the guards I ever came across doing regular Lithgow runs announced stations clearly. I’m not liking the hospital waiting room purple theme, nor the cheap-out single glazing. The olive green and golden gaytime interiors were high fashion in the day 😂. I wonder how many of the classic old fittings like the vestibule doors, cold water fountains with cups, and ashtrays under the windows survived the refits?
@@Simon-Andersenyou'll never understand because you are under the false impression that 'newer is better', a sad impression that many younger people have these days. I hope you enjoy your ironing board seats on the new D sets for a 2+ hour trip
LOL, the D sets, how long do you think they have been sitting around in storage because of problems....glad I don't rely on public transport in Australia any longer.
You missed out by not going to Mt Victoria , It has beautiful old station buildings.
InterCity trains are like Christmas Pudding good in nostalgia once in while ride....
But give me Christmas Pudding everyday, no thanks