New South Wales Bradfield suburban carriage stock

The New South Wales Bradfield suburban carriage stock were a type of electric multiple unit operated by the New South Wales Government Railways and its successors between 1921 and 1975.

New South Wales Bradfield carriage stock
Preserved C3045 at the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum in March 2010
In service	1921-1975
Manufacturer	Clyde Engineering Ritchie Brothers Meadowbank Manufacturing Company Eveleigh Carriage Workshops
Constructed	1921-22
Number built	193
Fleet numbers	C3000-C3100, T4101–T4284, D4001-D4009
Operator(s)	New South Wales Government Railways Public Transport Commission
Depot(s)	Flemington Hornsby Mortdale Punchbowl
Line(s) served	All Sydney suburban
Specifications
Car length	18.75 metres (61 ft 6 ^1⁄4 in)
Width	3,180 mm (10 ft 5 ^1⁄4 in)
Height	3,930 mm (12 ft 10 ^3⁄4 in)
Electric system(s)	1,500 V DC catenary
Current collection method	Single-pan diamond pantograph
Braking system(s)	Westinghouse air
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge

History

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

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

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

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

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

The last Bradfield motor car was withdrawn in 1975 with two preserved.[5][6]

The last trailers and driving trailers were retired in the late 70s

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

(Table is for power cars)

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

Preservation

The Sydney Electric Train Society acquired motor car C3082 from RailCorp in 2008. C3082 was nominated for preservation in 1992 as it was the last operational example of such a carriage in near original and serviceable condition. It entered service on 27 February 1921 and was converted for electric operation during April 1928.[6]

Motor car C3045 can be found at the New South Wales Rail Museum in Thirlmere.[3][5]

Two trailer carriages are in existence, T4279 which is owned by Railcorp but in the custody of Historic Electric Traction and an unnumbered carriage at Rothbury

D4004 is the only surviving driving trailer and is currently stored at Rothbury

Surviving Bradfield carriages

Number	Location	Owner	Status	References
C3045	Thirlmere	Transport Heritage NSW	Static Display	[7]
C3082	Bilpin	Sydney Electric Train Society	Stored	[8]
T4279	Eveleigh	Historic Electric Traction	Stored	[9]
Unnumbered	North Rothbury	Rothbury Riot	Stored
D4004	North Rothbury	Rothbury Riot	Stored

Gallery

• 
  A Bradfield car on the first electric train to cross the Harbour Bridge
• 
  A Bradfield stock train crossing the Harbour Bridge in 1932

References

1. Kerry, Michael (1990). Sydney's Wooden Electrics. Sydney: Transit Australia Publishing. ISBN 0 909459 14 2.
2. Cooke, David (1999). Coaching Stock of the NSW Railways. Matraville: Eveleigh Press. pp. 200–203. ISBN 1 876568 00 3.
3. C3045 Bradfield Suburban Car NSW Environment & Heritage
4. C3082 1921 Ritchie Bros Wooden Bradfield Motor Car Sydney Electric Traction Society
5. "Building Sydney's City Circle Railway". www.visitsydneyaustralia.com.au. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
6. 2003, Matthew Doyle. "SETS Fleet". www.sets.org.au. Retrieved 9 January 2018.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
7. "C 3045 - 'Bradfield' Suburban Car | NSW Environment, Energy and Science". www.environment.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
8. "SETS Fleet - Single-Deck Suburban Cars". www.sets.org.au. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
9. "T 4279 - Suburban Trailer Car, Wooden | NSW Environment, Energy and Science". www.environment.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 25 May 2020.