About the SETS Fleet

Following concerns about the continued availability of operable heritage electric rolling stock from the major N.S.W. rail authorities, the Sydney Electric Train Society embarked on a policy of acquiring its own rollingstock for operational preservation in late 1997.

SETS first acquired Electric Locomotive 4615 from FreightCorp in 1998. Rail preservation groups were given the first opportunity to select and purchase surplus locomotives ahead of their main disposal process.

Shortly afterwards SETS acquired a number of Single Deck Suburban and Interurban Cars under a State Rail Authority of N.S.W. (SRA) disposal program. Again preservation groups were given first selection of the cars available for disposal and some very co-operative negotiations ensured that all groups were able to secure the cars they each desired.

Subsequently a number of additional cars were acquired from two further SRA disposal processes by SETS and individual members. The individually owned cars may in time participate in the SETS Fleet and could be formally acquired by the Society in the future.

During 2003, SETS was privileged to be able to acquire electric locomotive 8606 from Pacific National, as part of their disposal process for surplus locomotives, which included the entire electric locomotive fleet formerly operated by FreightCorp.

Most recently the society tendered an expression of interest in obtaining electric cars included in RailCorp's Disposal of non-core moveable heritage rollingstock in 2008. SETS was successful in obtaining three historically significant suburban cars.

In most cases SETS has seized one time opportunities to acquire particular historic cars, locomotives or last remaining examples of their type, preventing the loss forever of these fine examples of our transport heritage.

On the following pages we present a history of each of the vehicles in the SETS' Fleet and also detail their present operational or works status.

• Electric Locomotives
  • 4615 - 1956 Metropolitan-Vickers & Beyer-Peacock NSW 46-class
  • 4627 - 1957 Metropolitan-Vickers & Beyer-Peacock NSW 46-class
  • 8501 - 1979 Commonwealth Engineering & Mitsubishi Electric NSW 85-class
  • 8606 - 1983 Commonwealth Engineering & Mitsubishi Electric NSW 86-class
  • 8649 - 1985 Commonwealth Engineering & Mitsubishi Electric NSW 86-class
  
  
• Double-Deck Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) Passenger Cars
  • Double-Deck Suburban S-set cars - 1964-1980 Tulloch, Commonwealth Engineering (Comeng), Goninan and Mitsubishi Electric
  • Double-Deck Suburban C-set (Chopper) cars - 1986-1987 Goninan and Mitsubishi Electric ::under construction::
  
  
• Single-Deck Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) Passenger Cars
  • Single Deck Suburban cars - 1924-58 Leeds Forge, Clyde, Tulloch, Commonwealth Engineering and Metropolitan Vickers
  • Single Deck Interurban cars - 1958 Commonwealth Engineering and Metropolitan Vickers
  
  
• Sydney Monorail Set
  • Our external Harbourlink web-site. - 1987 Von Roll Mk3. (SETS holds the only complete 7-car Sydney monorail set)

Our locomotives are presently housed at Lithgow and Werris Creek. Our suburban cars are accommodated at Chullora and Bilpin. Our six interurban cars are stored at Lithgow and Rothbury.

We welcome volunteers wanting to help with works and operation of our cars and locomotives. If you have specific skills we could use or if you would just like to be involved please contact us. We are sure to have a job to suit your level of skill or interest.