Oh my!! I used to do this trip every weekday between 1976 and 1984 when commuting between home (Winmalee) and my workplace in Goulburn Street. The train we caught was The Fish but occasionally The Chips if we were running a bit late leaving home. God, this brings back both wonderful and sad memories (Granville). Thank you.
Thank You so much for these uploads Alistair! I'm so jealous of you, always wanted to drive trains for a living but at least now I guess we can have the same view as you guys!!! I love the length of these uploads as well from the intercity services. Cheers mate.
Hello there, I am Luis from Pennsylvania U.S.A. first I thank you, I so enjoyed myself. I am not sure if you are still recording. But I shall view all your videos. Seeing your country as always been a dream of mine. So with a heart felt cheer. I say once again thank you very much. L
If you wanna know where Springwood is, it’s in nsw, the blue mountains, I live near there and it’s a really pretty place, I suggest Katoomba and Leura :)
What a great ride! Took me two weeks to travel it there and back, drifting off to sleep as I watched it laying in bed each night. Now, where to next, Kiama or Newcastle? Decisions, decisions!
Hello from Plymouth, UK. Very impressed with your video. For some reason, despite the Australian sunshine, the colour and the brightness of the signals are far superior to the signals on European cab rides. The kph and station names are much appreciated.
.... especially taking off from Lapstone. Those traction motors sure needed a kick and a half to get going and howled their gusto accordingly. The ammeter must have maxed for a moment, I assume this is a cam drive by the noise and lack of the telltale chopper whine at takeoff.
Love the banter in the cab, especially about shooting vandals with paintball guns..... and the vests of invincibility, that had me cracked up cool video though
The one time I decided to ride the train up to Katoomba and back, it crawled all the way to Penrith, and was 15 minutes late by the time it got there. No explanation was offered.
Good work, very informative Alistair-- I like , in particular the Rostered Shift Working Print. Very similar to what I used to Work on Transperth back in the early 90,s. but our shifts were always within the 8 Hours, 30 min as per Union Rules in those Days
good video pleasant journey along the track side was in Sydney during 5 weeks last month and I have appreciate your train network very easy to use I m from canada
Yes, indeed it is. I was lucky enough to live there for a while. I lived about five minutes walk from the station and would commute by train to and from the University of Western Sydney, Nepean, where I worked. It was worth living there just for the station. Good memories.
@@localcarthief Not really....not when you consider the commuting services. Although I started out travelling on the U-boats, it was the V-sets which really changed the experience in the Mountains after Granville.
Thanks for sharing these videos. I think a lot of people will miss the V sets when they are gone. I had an interesting question to ask, as a driver of the interurban trains were there any times where you ran parallel with a regional train (xpt, xplorer, endeavour)? I noticed a few days back on a weekday at Burwood station in the morning a CCN to Sydney V set passing through Platform 3 at Burwood while a Bathurst Bullet Endeavour was just barely ahead of it passing through Platform 1 (at around 09:17am). Is this something that happened much on your shifts? The V set it self is timetabled to leave Strathfield P5 at 09:15 while the Bullet passes through Strathfield station through platform 2 at around that same time. Does the V set have to allow the Bullet to pass to get onto the up main? or can it run on the suburban up until the junctions you see at about 1:56 on this video and pull into one of the later numbered Sydney Terminal platforms (10 - 14?) while the Bullet goes into Platform 1?
Hi John, glad you enjoyed the videos. It happened rarely to me but it does happen, and yes they're usually given priority. V sets can and do use the suburban lines, either tabled or at the whim of the signaller. Coming into Sydney they can use the Suburban line right up to Redfern.
Glad you enjoyed it Paul! The yellow background sign applies to Locomotive hauled freight and passenger trains, and Track Maintenance vehicles. The blue background sign applies to Electric Multiple Unit trains (basically all electric passenger trains) The white background sign applies to Diesel Multiple Unit trains (passenger, not freight, such as XPT, Endeavour classes)
The coloured speed signs are Yellow: All trains Blue: 3rd generation electric trains e.g V, K, C, S, T and G sets White: 4th generation electric trains and Diesel multiple unit trains e.g XPT, Xplorer, A set, B set and M set. Yellow Max speed 115km/h Blue Max speed 115km/h White Max speed 160km/h
I'm sure there are reasons for not letting train Drivers place a camera on the Train. So why don't they just put cameras on the train as an additional revenue thing? In Queensland, the Tilt trains have forward cams, but even here OHS seems paramount besides the economical potential driver cams actually have and how much safer for all in doing so,(Did I mention there's money in driver cams
Interesting that this time we don't hear the distinctive whistle from the brakes as released I always associate with the V-sets; did they change/update the brake system on any of them such that they didn't make that sound? Sad if true, lol. Also the movement between throttle notches seems particularly loud, or is that simply because of where you have the mic? Did you do trips all the way to Lithgow? The mountains are always lovely on the train, especially further into them. Cheers
Not really sure, must be just the set. Throttle notch noise could be the set itself, there were a few where the notches are notable noisier. Could have been a different camera as well, I went through a couple. Yes, I've driven all the way to Lithgow, it's a nice run. I'll have footage somewhere, it's just a matter of finding it!
@@AlistairHarding Yes, the two issues I've heard of re train driving are shifts and, pardon for mentioning it, people jumping in front of you. I've done shift work way back when young (did a job over summer hols of uni where I was working midnight to 8am at a milk depot) and again office shift work, and I don't miss that, either. I applied in one of the recruitment periods but I suspect they looked at my age and background and thought I must've gone crazy, lol.
This distinctive whistle that you talk of can be found in the newer chopper sets (V28 - V51). Judging from the sounds of the traction motors, this is a camshaft unit which doesn't have the same brakes as the chopper ones.
The slow speeds of those trains there are mystifying, as is the unnecessary extensiveness of all that 4-tracking. After d e c a d e s ' worth of unsuccessful querying of (abroad) Australasians whether the sun travel from right to left over their homelands there if you will, it's interesting my instinctively bearing the sun's inverted course of travel in mind while watching that beautiful afternoon there. Sydney does indeed seem easy on the eyes whereas Melbourne seldom does, by the way..I wonder whether anybody else sees the same.
@@AlistairHarding to bad they don't hire from other country's , been a train driver in belgium for 12 years now and my dream is to work as train driver in australia
Oh my!!
I used to do this trip every weekday between 1976 and 1984 when commuting between home (Winmalee) and my workplace in Goulburn Street.
The train we caught was The Fish but occasionally The Chips if we were running a bit late leaving home.
God, this brings back both wonderful and sad memories (Granville).
Thank you.
Thank you Alistair for your hard work . Good when station names come up and theres a bit of chatter with driver . Bless you Amen .
Thank You so much for these uploads Alistair! I'm so jealous of you, always wanted to drive trains for a living but at least now I guess we can have the same view as you guys!!! I love the length of these uploads as well from the intercity services. Cheers mate.
Hello there, I am Luis from Pennsylvania U.S.A. first I thank you, I so enjoyed myself. I am not sure if you are still recording. But I shall view all your videos. Seeing your country as always been a dream of mine. So with a heart felt cheer. I say once again thank you very much. L
If you wanna know where Springwood is, it’s in nsw, the blue mountains, I live near there and it’s a really pretty place, I suggest Katoomba and Leura :)
The condition of the infrastructure is so, so much better than Melbourne's...
Train banter is the best kind !
What a great ride! Took me two weeks to travel it there and back, drifting off to sleep as I watched it laying in bed each night. Now, where to next, Kiama or Newcastle? Decisions, decisions!
Hello from Plymouth, UK. Very impressed with your video. For some reason, despite the Australian sunshine, the colour and the brightness of the signals are far superior to the signals on European cab rides. The kph and station names are much appreciated.
Gday from Australia. Plymouth is indeed where the first fleet departed from in 1777, effectively founding australia in 1788
Love the noise on the V sets
.... especially taking off from Lapstone. Those traction motors sure needed a kick and a half to get going and howled their gusto accordingly. The ammeter must have maxed for a moment, I assume this is a cam drive by the noise and lack of the telltale chopper whine at takeoff.
Love the banter in the cab, especially about shooting vandals with paintball guns..... and the vests of invincibility, that had me cracked up cool video though
The one time I decided to ride the train up to Katoomba and back, it crawled all the way to Penrith, and was 15 minutes late by the time it got there. No explanation was offered.
Good work, very informative Alistair-- I like , in particular the Rostered Shift Working Print. Very similar to what I used to Work on Transperth back in the early 90,s. but our shifts were always within the 8 Hours, 30 min as per Union Rules in those Days
good video pleasant journey along the track side
was in Sydney during 5 weeks last month and I have appreciate your train network very easy to use
I m from canada
Gelnbrook station is gorgeous!
Yes, indeed it is. I was lucky enough to live there for a while. I lived about five minutes walk from the station and would commute by train to and from the University of Western Sydney, Nepean, where I worked. It was worth living there just for the station. Good memories.
Also may I add , Dont think any set or locomotive has dominated the mountains like the V-Set. Sad they're going :(
Maybe the 46 class and 86 class and also the nr class did
@@localcarthief Not really....not when you consider the commuting services. Although I started out travelling on the U-boats, it was the V-sets which really changed the experience in the Mountains after Granville.
Redfren brudda my hood, always was and always will be 🖤💛❤️
Thankyou..!!! Still would love to see all the way to Lithgow, but this is pretty awsome.
I'm sure I'd have footage of it somewhere, just got to try and find it.
Thanks for sharing these videos. I think a lot of people will miss the V sets when they are gone.
I had an interesting question to ask, as a driver of the interurban trains were there any times where you ran parallel with a regional train (xpt, xplorer, endeavour)? I noticed a few days back on a weekday at Burwood station in the morning a CCN to Sydney V set passing through Platform 3 at Burwood while a Bathurst Bullet Endeavour was just barely ahead of it passing through Platform 1 (at around 09:17am). Is this something that happened much on your shifts? The V set it self is timetabled to leave Strathfield P5 at 09:15 while the Bullet passes through Strathfield station through platform 2 at around that same time. Does the V set have to allow the Bullet to pass to get onto the up main? or can it run on the suburban up until the junctions you see at about 1:56 on this video and pull into one of the later numbered Sydney Terminal platforms (10 - 14?) while the Bullet goes into Platform 1?
Hi John, glad you enjoyed the videos. It happened rarely to me but it does happen, and yes they're usually given priority. V sets can and do use the suburban lines, either tabled or at the whim of the signaller. Coming into Sydney they can use the Suburban line right up to Redfern.
Please make more such vids.
Have you driven to mossvale/goulburn?
No, unfortunately
Super video
Good video Alistair,if you have more footage of other journeys please post as i am a avid NSW train fan/
Great video. Nice to see the Oz countryside. Why are there three coulored on the speed limit markers?
Glad you enjoyed it Paul!
The yellow background sign applies to Locomotive hauled freight and passenger trains, and Track Maintenance vehicles.
The blue background sign applies to Electric Multiple Unit trains (basically all electric passenger trains)
The white background sign applies to Diesel Multiple Unit trains (passenger, not freight, such as XPT, Endeavour classes)
The coloured speed signs are
Yellow: All trains
Blue: 3rd generation electric trains e.g V, K, C, S, T and G sets
White: 4th generation electric trains and Diesel multiple unit trains e.g XPT, Xplorer, A set, B set and M set.
Yellow Max speed 115km/h
Blue Max speed 115km/h
White Max speed 160km/h
I'm sure there are reasons for not letting train Drivers place a camera on the Train. So why don't they just put cameras on the train as an additional revenue thing? In Queensland, the Tilt trains have forward cams, but even here OHS seems paramount besides the economical potential driver cams actually have and how much safer for all in doing so,(Did I mention there's money in driver cams
49:43 $430k today in sydney for a 4 bedroom? no chance
Nice vid. What’s the maximum permissible speed on the down journey ?
115kph for these trains.
Interesting that this time we don't hear the distinctive whistle from the brakes as released I always associate with the V-sets; did they change/update the brake system on any of them such that they didn't make that sound? Sad if true, lol. Also the movement between throttle notches seems particularly loud, or is that simply because of where you have the mic?
Did you do trips all the way to Lithgow? The mountains are always lovely on the train, especially further into them.
Cheers
Not really sure, must be just the set.
Throttle notch noise could be the set itself, there were a few where the notches are notable noisier. Could have been a different camera as well, I went through a couple.
Yes, I've driven all the way to Lithgow, it's a nice run. I'll have footage somewhere, it's just a matter of finding it!
@@AlistairHarding
For how long were you a driver? Do you ever miss it? Thanks for the replies, too, appreciate you taking the time.
@@steeltrap3800 7 years mate. Miss the job but definitely don't miss the shiftwork!
@@AlistairHarding
Yes, the two issues I've heard of re train driving are shifts and, pardon for mentioning it, people jumping in front of you. I've done shift work way back when young (did a job over summer hols of uni where I was working midnight to 8am at a milk depot) and again office shift work, and I don't miss that, either.
I applied in one of the recruitment periods but I suspect they looked at my age and background and thought I must've gone crazy, lol.
This distinctive whistle that you talk of can be found in the newer chopper sets (V28 - V51). Judging from the sounds of the traction motors, this is a camshaft unit which doesn't have the same brakes as the chopper ones.
Can you do a trip from central to bathurst or central to canberra?
The slow speeds of those trains there are mystifying, as is the unnecessary extensiveness of all that 4-tracking. After d e c a d e s ' worth of unsuccessful querying of (abroad) Australasians whether the sun travel from right to left over their homelands there if you will, it's interesting my instinctively bearing the sun's inverted course of travel in mind while watching that beautiful afternoon there. Sydney does indeed seem easy on the eyes whereas Melbourne seldom does, by the way..I wonder whether anybody else sees the same.
I have lived in both Sydney and Melbourne. I prefer Sydney, but Southern Cross Station in Melbourne knocks spots off of Central Station in Sydney.
Are you keen on the new D sets?
the trip back to central is on 1:19:42
Have you driven a train to central/Kiama?
Yes, many times. One of my other videos here shows a trip from Kiama to Central.
Hi mate
Hey what's the process to become a driver these days?
I don't think it's changed. Wait till they advertise, then apply. You need good levels of comprehension.
@@AlistairHarding to bad they don't hire from other country's , been a train driver in belgium for 12 years now and my dream is to work as train driver in australia
LOL.....ATP revenue service in 2015.........2024 is calling mate. Absolute disaster of a project, which has set us back an absolute fortune.