1986: Gawler to Adelaide on a Red Hen Train (Super 8 footage)
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- Опубликовано: 25 июл 2024
- The Redhen railcars were a self-propelled railcar built by the South Australian Railways’ Islington Railway Workshops between 1955 and 1971. Redhen railcars were the backbone of Adelaide's metropolitan rail system between the late 1950s and the early 1990s.
The first Redhens were introduced by the South Australian Railways in October 1955 to replace ageing suburban steam locomotive hauled trains in Adelaide. Construction of Redhen vehicles continued until 1971, when the latest examples were built to supersede 1920s-era diesel railcars.
TransAdelaide withdrew the last Redhens from regular service in December 1996, following delivery of a new fleet of 3000 class railcars. A number of Redhens have been preserved and are now operated by heritage and tourist railways.
The Gawler Railway Line
The Gawler railway line (also known as the Gawler Central railway line) was opened in 1857 from Adelaide to Gawler, and extended to Kapunda in 1860. Branches were later built from Gawler to termini in Angaston, Truro, Morgan, Robertstown, Peterborough, Spalding and Gladstone. Between Adelaide and Salisbury, the two broad gauge lines are paralleled by one standard gauge line on the Adelaide to Port Augusta line. A little north of Salisbury the standard gauge line heads north-west, and from Salisbury to Gawler there are two broad gauge tracks, with a single broad gauge track north of Gawler.
South of Gawler, there were branches to the Holden factory at Elizabeth South, the Penfield railway line which serviced the former munitions factory and other Defence facilities in the area now called Edinburgh, and the Port Pirie line which also branched from the Gawler line at Salisbury railway station until it was converted to standard gauge with a new track laid alongside the broad gauge tracks. Prior to 1987, at Dry Creek, the Dry Creek-Port Adelaide railway line branched west, and the Northfield railway line used to branch east. In the mid 2000s, a new station was built at Mawson Lakes.
Source Links:
Train Enthusiast's Video Diary 1986-03-02
• Train Enthusiast's Vi...
Red Hen Rail Cars of the SAR
• Red Hen Rail Cars of t...
SRF495: AAGA OUTER HARBOUR (ADELAIDE) CAB RIDE 1992
• SRF495: AAGA OUTER HAR...
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Came out from Scotland in '83. My first experience riding a red hen in a summer 40 degree day...The doors wide open, the outside air blowing in like a hot hairdryer and me sweating in my shorts and sliding all over the vinyl seats.
Haha. That's a visual. Must have been quite a shock. Thanks for the share John, love hearing all the different stories.
Best ride ever on a Red Hen set was by mistake. Was at Port Adelaide station waiting to return to Adelaide when a train pulled in. I got on, strange nobody else did. Soon the train was heading around the back collecting workers heading home. The guard told me I was on the train, but don't worry, stay on board and it would eventually head to Adelaide. Well that was a full permitted speed non stop. Door open. Felt great when the train arrived at Adelaide and I disembarked, the only passenger.
Very cool Andrew. Thank you for the share, mate.
This was pretty cool. I was 13 in '86. Rode the train about a billion times, from Salisbury to Elizabeth, or Salisbury to "Town". I call Phoenix, Arizona home these days, this made me a little home sick and made me feel old :) Great video.
Wow. That's pretty cool. How did you end up in Phoenix? That's a huge life change.
@@elizabeththatwas It's a looooong story! :)
I'd remembered catching a Redhen from Greenfields station back in the 80s. Really miss the old Redhens.
They were hot in Summer, but lots of fun. Nothing beats speeding down the tracks with the door wide open :-)
Thank you for this. brings back so many memories from my teenage years. firstly when I often used to catch the train into town with friends to spend the day there, wandering around the shops, and visiting the gaming arcades in the days before I had my licence. then later on, catching it from Gawler every morning into town again around 1980 when I worked at a place called Hoopers Gallery in Hindmarsh square. they're long gone now, they used to be a custom picture framing business and also sold artwork/ paintings too. loved the hot days when you could sit near the door and have it open to get the breeze, and all the smells and sounds along the way. loved it.
Great memories Catey - thanks for sharing 🙏
@@elizabeththatwas Your'e welcome. love your work, and the effort you put into running this channel, and sharing all the different video's.
I bought many frames from Hoopers for my artwork way back when. Travelled from Salisbury just to buy the universal metal frames that you could put together yourself.
@@glensgraphix I used to have days where I was given the task of making those kits up. we had a special saw set up. you could set it to cut the lengths you wanted you wanted. then I would pack those with the other bits and run them through a shrink wrapper. was a good job to do. my main job though, was cutting the glass and then assembling the pictures and other items in the frames once they had been made along with the matt boards. enjoyed my time there.
I swear some of those stations look exactly the same today . I moved away from Adelaide so it's great to see the Gawler line again
It's amazing how much land is still there along the Gawler line. Nice to see, actually. Thank you for watching, James. Much appreciated
That's MAD ❤ IT brings back very old memories Thank you😃👍
You're very welcome, mate. Glad you enjoyed it :-)
I rode this line countless times and once knew the timetable and entire route list of stations...
Some great memories from those days
How cool is this footage? Thanks for watching @lunchcutter. Much appreciated :-)
I remember having to jump out of them at my stops because those run-down stations didn't always have enough platform space.
Lol. I think Elizabeth grew faster and bigger than anyone originally expected - and lots of things were overlooked as a result - like long enough platforms...the whole place was pretty desolate for most of its first 5 years.
I rode the Red Hen's from Salisbury to the city on endless occasions. That was amazing seeing all the familiar sights.
Glad you enjoyed it mark. Once again, cheers for watching mate 🙏🍷
I laughed when i saw the kid hanging out the door, also the girl sitting by the open door, just like we used to do. Can you imagine kids doing this today?? Helicopter parents everywhere!!😂😂 I tell my grandchildren about a ride thing we used to have in the playgrounds...a witches hat. Looking back now, probably the most dangerous thing ever for kids to play on. We all survived though 😊
Brings back a lot of memories. I miss those days 💕
A simpler time in many ways. Thanks for watching Julie, much appreciated 🙏
Didn't mind the RedHens, the freedom to keep the door open on a hot day and to be able to leap out just before the train came to a complete stop. I remember the failed attempt to update the RedHens to look like the Jumbo's....The Super Chook, at least they still had freedom doors unlike the Jumbo's AKA STArtrain ! My favourite was the Brills, both 55 and 75class Brills and their magnificent "Bull Horn", oh how I miss that era....all gone now no freedom doors, conductors, station masters and SAR is long long long gone
Yes indeed, riding with the doors open was the best. I don't remember the failed 'Super Chook' attempt but have seen a video on that. Interesting idea. Cheers for watching Mark, and leaving a share. Much appreciated 🍷🙏
@@elizabeththatwas I remember boarding a 'Super Chook' to ride from Adelaide to Broadmeadows in the early 1980s. It was one of the first suburban trains to have a PA system for passenger announcements. Just before we pulled out of Adelaide railway station, a laconic announcement from a male voice on the speaker drawled "Express to Salisbury and North Gawler .......... Hopefully." He didn't sound very confident of it I must say, but the journey passed without incident.
It was a great time riding on the red hens with the doors open on both sides, great times and great memories.
Yes it was! Everything's way too safe these days. No fun at all. Thanks again for watching Andrew. Much appreciated :-)
It's 9.30 am/ 2/ 5/ 24..... I love seeing all these videos, I was born at the Q E H and my family were 10 pound poms 😅, I was lucky 😅, my wife and I have only just moved to QLD Hervey Bay because of family problems and seeing these videos brings back great memories of a time when me and my friends where growing up, even if it's not about Elizabeth South, i still enjoy watching them and id say a lot of other people would be loving the videos and I enjoy reading the comments by some people I know, which makes this even better.
@@andrewward6702 That is great Andrew. Sorry to hear about your family issues. I too moved to Queensland many years ago, in part to distance myself from similar issues. You do what's best for you mate. Glad you're enjoying the channel :-) Just dropped a new video btw. It's part 6 in the History of Elizabeth series. I'm currently editing part 7 : ruclips.net/video/cpvmBZbfj0c/видео.html
5 years of Highschool was spent from Smithfield to Evanston morning and afternoon...I had finished riding the rails to that timetable by the date of this
strangest thing, I just got a whiff of that old Red Hen smell watching this
It never goes away, lol
Always great to see the Glenelg colours on the chimney at 7:25. Look just as they do today (2024). :)
Thanks for watching, much appreciated :-)
Remember this journey well... Red Hens so hot in summer.
Yes. I remember sticking to the vinyl seats in Summer...ouch! 😂
Thanks for posting this. It was actually quite enjoyable. I used to love the Red Hens but when I went to the UK in 1985 and took the train from Euston St London up to Edinburgh Scotland, I found what a modern, well equipped train really was.
You're very welcome Dave. Yes, the old Red Hens were 'basic' at best. But a great piece of nostalgia to look back on. Glad you enjoyed it. Cheers for watching mate 🙏🍷
Everyone north of north tce has a massive nostalgia for the red hen.
Nothing like hurtling down the tracks with the doors open. Jumping out early as the train slows down at the platform. Trying to avoid the ticket collector because you don't have a ticket...haha. Thanks for watching Chris. Much appreciated :-)
@@elizabeththatwas Oh yeh, I know I misjudged the speed once or twice when I jumped off early if you know where I'm going with that :).
Great video. Thank you for sharing 😃😃😃👍👍👍
Thank you! Cheers! You may also enjoy this vid, which is a side by comparison of the same train ride 1986 Vs 2022 ruclips.net/video/a06Ac8NzDUo/видео.html
great filming as usual
Cheers Tony. I can't take credit for the filming, but I did do the editing :-) Thank you watching, mate. Much appreciated :-)
This was the start of the era when the newer trains began replacing the Redhens, they didn't complete the transition until 10 years later in 96.
Nothing like riding with the door open - then jumping out as the train's still moving coming in to the station 😀
Soothing music 👌
Thanks Simon 🙏🙂
Thanks for the memories, felt like I was there catching the train to work, love your work
Thank you very much Gillian, and thank you for watching, much appreciated 🙏🍷
My first trip to Adelaide as a child was on this route from Smithfield hostel in 1964. Wow thank you for the memories
My pleasure Jeff. And what a different world it would have been back then - so many changes
Thank you for posting. Reminded me of a nicer time.... miss those simpler days.
Glad you enjoyed it. My pleasure :-)
Elizabeth to Adelaide and back many times when I was young in mid 70s.Was in a train crash in a red hen in 76,our hen hit a parked goods train,stopped real fast
Wow. That was a train trip to remember. Was anyone hurt?
@elizabeththatwas yes people were hurt,we weren't as bad at back of train,but my sister was born a week later with a big lump on her head from mum hitting the rear facing seats,we flew forward pretty quick,then the seat squab followed us,along with the fire extinguisher and glass ,but we were ok,people up front of train got it harder.I don't think anyone died.
I also wanted to ask if you remember those fast blue trains that didn't stop at stations,bluebirds I called them,short and fast,were they a postal service run?
I remember the smell! I remember my Mum taking me on the train from Elizabeth South (we lived on Harvey Road) all the way into town to see the Pageant or the Lego exhibition at John Martins!
Cool memories Dennis. I lived in Smithfield Plains and can remember buying a ticket with my Dad from the ticket office at the original Smithfield Train Station building. How I wish they had heritage listed that thing. Cheers for watching mate 🙏🍷
i also grew up on Harvey road, i can still remember mum taking me ti town on the steam engines. We'd have cake and a drink in the Adelaide station cafeteria, i can still hearrthe sounds of clinking cups and stuff. as i got older i caught the red hens into town every day to work
I remember having a day trip to Gawler with the family in the early 60s we walked to the main street for are all fish and chip lunch and then back to the station where there was a goods train with what I thought at the time big smelly cows it's incredible what memories are awaken by these wonderful videos thank you
My pleasure Christine. Thanks for sharing with us 🙏❤🍷
When I travelled from Adelaide to Elizabeth back in the early 80s, we called them ''Red Rattlers''. Anyone else?
Ha. Never heard of that, but it's quite fitting. They sure did rattle. It was a noisy ride, but that open air when you opened the doors was sure worth it.
Yep, Thats what I remember them as.
I used to get the train to school from Salisbury every day, and I can still smell the brakes 45 years later :)
Amazing how smells stay with us forever. I was remembering today how I can still smell the carpet in my old family home bedroom. Cheers for watching, much appreciated 🙏🍷
I remembered these as a kid/teen during the 80s and most of the 90s.It's been ages since I did a trip on the Gawler line.I use a J1 BUS TO Elizabeth these days both ways when coming from Cowandilla although the other day I had to use a J2 TO Tea Tree Plaza and 560 onwards.I was stunned on the J1 back to town it for a school day was a packed sardine in spite of the Train coming back for city access but as I figured out most of the people were getting off somewhere betweeen Elizabeth Vale and Golden Grove or TTP there was no place for me so I took a 560 back to TTP AND connected to a 541 onto town(If I had known any better getting a 400 to salisbury then the gawler train would have been wiser even if I needed a tram to get to final destination in the city)
I recall getting a train from Woodville west and getting fish and chips near the Adelaide platform around 1979
Fish and chips on the lawn by the River Torrens - then a ride on the Popeye ❤
@@elizabeththatwas food tasted better .One time in 1979 a Balfour truck came to the house and he let me choose a finger bun! Everything tastes devoid of life unless you make it from scratch.The quality of food has gone downhill.
I was waiting to see the stations at Tubemakers, Kilburn, Islington (I reckon the box under the bridge was the old Islington crossing before they put the Regency Road bridge over the lines), Dudley Park and Ovingham. When the part of the video mentioned ‘looking west’ between Elizabeth station and Elizabeth West that area was DSTO aka Weapons Research. I worked there for a while and DSTO had their own station. There was a gate along the back fence that was opened between 3:30pm and 7pm on weekdays to let the DSTO workers catch the train. Either north or south. I grew up in Kilburn and on a still summer’s night with the window open (no air conditioning) as a kid lying in bed I could here the shunters moving the carriages around at Islington Works. My brother and I caught the train from Islington, north to Elizabeth one Saturday to watch Port Adelaide and Central Districts play football at Elizabeth Oval. The train was so packed that the conductors didn’t even try to sell tickets. We used to travel all around the place in the trains. You could put your pushbike on with you for no charge. No graffiti. no ferals misbehaving because the conductor kept everybody in line.
Thanks for the info David. I imagine the missing stations are due to the cost of Super 8 footage back in the day. Every inch of film shot cost more money - unlike digital. I have a comparison video coming up; same train ride 36 years apart. I have tried matching views etc as best as I can. Interesting how much has and hasn't changed. Thanks for sharing about the train ride to see Port Adelaide and Central Districts play football at Elizabeth Oval - many today would have little idea how popular SANFL was back in the day. Cheers for watching mate, much appreciated 🙏
@@elizabeththatwas Too right about the cost of super 8 film. A four minute reel of film cost $24 back then, that is $6 per minute. For comparison, at that time you could hire a private helicopter and pilot for only $3 per minute!
memories of a day gone, the rattle of the red hen, ar as my mum called them the rattletrap( dont ask me why)
ruising with the door open in the middle of summer and seeing who could jump off while the train pulled into the station and not come a gutser and land flat on your face ,
also getting up n a saturday morning , hit the earliest train possible and go to outer harbour fishing off the wharfs or the tram from the city to
Glenelg ...the simple things were always the best
I must admit to coming a gutser and landing flat on my face at the Adelaide train station one night. Miraculously not even a blood nose - my face just bounced straight off the concrete. I was pretty plastered at the time which may have helped...lol
WOW. That brought back memories. Thankyou
My pleasure Lou-Anne. Thank you for watching, much appreciated 🙏🍷
Great video. For myself, I've lived south of Adelaide my whole life. I can remember in this era my dad would get a bus from outside our home in Seaford to Noarlunga Centre (no Seaford line built back then) and get on the train to Adelaide for work. Reverse that cycle after work to get home. He did this 5 days a week for over 15 years before we moved up to Glenelg, and his promotions came, providing a company car. I vividly recall one hot summer day mum got a call when making dinner from dad who was using a payphone at Brighton Station. The train had failed, and we had to go collect him in our crappy old Sigma wagon. Dad told us the train stopped just short of the station, the and the conductor approached him and the gentleman sitting near him, and apologised to them but explained they'd need to leave the train as it was on fire! Engine issues apparently. It was a red hen.
Wow. Cool story Dylan. Thank you for sharing. In 1996 I moved to Noarlunga Downs - so know that train line well.
@elizabeththatwas The south has changed a lot too. My parents bought land then built in 1978 just off Commercial Rd, Seaford. They were about halfway between Commercial Rd and the Esplanade and could see scrub-land all around as they were one of the first to build after the land there was subdivided.
Evanston station. I remember getting off their once by mistake 😃. Love the older footage ❤️
I used to get off and on there every school day...
Those were the days: sitting next to an open door on a speeding train...
Absolutely ❤
yeah on a hot day that was our air-conditioning
Amazing, so many memories ❤
Glad you enjoyed it Shannon. Cheers for watching, much appreciated 🍷🙏
wow that bought back memories, i rode this line frequently in my youth. kids used to hang on the step on the outside of door and shut the door and ride them. you can still ride a red hen from mount barker to forest range, part of the steam ranger fleet
I remember jumping out of one as she pulled into Adelaide Railway Station. I didn't realise the trick to that was to hit the ground running. I planted my feet as they hit the platform - then my face planted the platform. Never forgot that lesson :-)
@@elizabeththatwas yeah that was a normal thing, I remember once going to Thomas more college catching train to Salisbury from Parafield, as the train was pulling into chidda station as all the school kids were hanging out the open door, one student kicked another out and he slid down station at high speed on his face
I remember the wood yard next to to north adelaide station in the late 60s
Cool - and what about all that open space along that train route. Went on for miles.
So many memories.
Cheers for watching mate, much appreciated - hope you enjoyed it 🍷🙏
That’s so awesome to be honest!!
Glad you enjoyed it Lucien. Cheers for watching mate 🙏🍷
Anyone remember when the Belair line ran past Upper Sturt and beyond?
I do lol
I love trains I've done the Sydney to Adelaide on the Indian express a few times.
Cool.
I used to catch the red hen to Mt Barker, still rememebr having the door open, the ticket collector telling us to close it and a s soon as he was gone sliding it open again. The wind and freedom. Everyone nowadays, shock horror, lock & bolt all the windows and doors wrap everyone in bubble wrap.
The wind and freedom - yes. Best description of a Red Hen 🙏🍷
Life was more peaceful then
It was certainly simpler with less pressure, especially for young people. Glad I didn't grow up with social media or mobile phones. Cheers for watching verboten - much appreciated 🙏
@@elizabeththatwas if there's anything I can do to go back to the 80s...take me there
I doubt it, those Redhens were much noiser than the quiet trains we ride on today.
Really wish Adelaide Metro would bring back some regional services out beyond Belair and Gawler, kinda like Victoria's "VLine"
How great would that be? Long overdue, I'd say. Thank you for watching Lucy. Much appreciated.
I noticed an old railway station sign at 6:14. They look mid 20th century. I remember the Noarlunga line had more modern signs by the early 80’s and the tin shed railway stations were demolished by the 1980’s (Edwardstown)
Also the railways looked very outdated and rundown back in the mid eighties. I think the 90’s was when the infrastructure was modernised.
I think infrastructure in the North and Elizabeth was no longer a Government priority by the 1980's. State Govt. had moved on and Elizabeth was already seen as something of a failed experiment in Town Planning. It was a very quick decline seeing as the SAHT was attending conferences around the country hailing Elizabeth as an example of superior town planning throughout much of the 1960's. Poor Playford would be spinning in his grave today
How much that journey has changed... some parts would be unrecognizable now.
Yes, once the railway line is back in service I'm going to film a 2022 version - should be interesting.
And built right here in SA at Islington work shops. The gap between the rails was perpetually black back then from all the oil that the 2 stroke 6/71 GM powerplants leaked every where
Cheers for the info Roger. That would have been a great bit of info in the vid, I overlooked that so good to know 🙏🍷
I would have been 18 and could well have been on that train or on one of the stations; I was living in Smithfield in 1986
In 1986 I was already 18. 24 I think. But as a child I'd ride to the city with the family from Elizabeth,when the old Holden would break down. Hanging out of the door or window. I had a friend who is stay with in Smithfield. It's grown so much.
I can remember when the ticket office was still operating inside the Smithfield TS - must have been in the 70s as my memory of going in there with my dad to purchase tickets is pretty vague.
@@elizabeththatwas and the tickets were a hardened cardboard
I was 16 then ;)
Me too, Carmel :-)
I was 21
Sad memories I remember getting the train from Albert park.Having hot chips in the city at the platform.
I'd always grab the seat next to the open door facing the breeze on a hot summer's day. I suppose for safety reasons more than anything it would be unimaginable to allow that sort of situation in public transport these days.
Yes, there are many things today that were unimaginable back then, as there are many things we got away with back then that would be unimaginable now. I think we are a lot more managed today than we were not too long ago. Glad I was born early enough to experience a more relaxed time with open spaces and the freedom to take off and not be found for a few hours. Great memories Phil - I think a lot of people here can relate. Thanks for sharing 🙏
Weird to think that if that was a weekday I would have taken that trip on that day twice.
That's a pretty cool thought though - it's quite possible. Cheers for watching Adam, much appreciated. BTW you're not related to Shane Randall by any chance?
@@elizabeththatwas No worries at all, no no relation.
And if you could run fast enough with enough platform space you could still catch your missed train.
3000 railcars came in 1987... it was such a shame red hens were pulled should of kept a combination of each orange red hen and the silver train... very sad
Nice that they've been preserved at the Rail Museum though, and you can still take a ride in one. True Adelaide Icons
greast filming as usual
The old network looked a little 'run down' at that time.
Yes, and yet many of those stations were only around 20 - 25 years old in 1986
Pity you don't have footage of train from Adelaide to Belair.
If I find something I'll post it as part of our "Adelaide That Was" playlist. Cheers for watching 🙏
Skipped a few stops along the way I see on this footage. You don't realise how decrepit the stations and trains were until you see what we had to ride back then. Seeing the Greenfields station and it reminded me the smell of urine and having to stand out in the sun because of the smell was so strong under the shelter on those style of stations. Don't miss that one bit! It was great when the newer series trains came out and they had air conditioning and cloth seats. Seeing some of the footage of the inside of a Red Hen they didn't age well at all.
Yes, footage was shot sparingly back then because of the price of processing Super 8 footage. I had a chuckle actually seeing how brown and dry Greenfields was when this was shot. Seemed like such a strange name for that area. Cheers for watching mate, much appreciated.
If not mistaken, one station missed was Islington or did i just blank out and it was shown ?
funny how they never make things better isn't it?