[Suzanne rose]

Red Rattlers Of Sydney​

I remember the Red Rattler Trains of the 60s and 70s in Sydney.

The green seats and the windows you could put up and down and some even had those wooden shutters.

The manual doors that you had to open and close your self.

Not only did you have to open the carriage door you needed to open the door which led into the row of seats.

At times you would see people hanging out of the door.

The floors were filthy , I swear they were never cleaned.

Smoking on trains were the normal thing as were feet on seats

If you missed the train , who knows how long until the next one.

People of today really do have everything done for them.

 

[Wandiwa]

WOW Sydney trains had stripper poles, Perth was too prudish to do that.

 

[Suzanne rose]

WOW Sydney trains had stripper poles, Perth was too prudish to do that.

I remember dancing around them with friends

 

[Suzanne rose]

I remember dancing around them with friends

WOW Sydney trains had stripper poles, Perth was too prudish to do that.

What did you hold onto if standing . That's what those piles were actually for

 

[NotNats]

Red Rattlers Of Sydney​

I remember the Red Rattler Trains of the 60s and 70s in Sydney.

The green seats and the windows you could put up and down and some even had those wooden shutters.

The manual doors that you had to open and close your self.

Not only did you have to open the carriage door you needed to open the door which led into the row of seats.

At times you would see people hanging out of the door.

The floors were filthy , I swear they were never cleaned.

Smoking on trains were the normal thing as were feet on seats

If you missed the train , who knows how long until the next one.

People of today really do have everything done for them.
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I can still remember using these during winter going to and from Lithgow to Central in the middle of winter (last train at night then first train in the morning). Not only was it warmer outside than inside the carriage but the sound of the window rattling and banging was deafening. AHH the 70's, commuters don't know how easy they have it these days.

 

[RTS]

I worked a good walk from Town Hall station in the 70s. Every day after taking a bus, I caught a train into the city. It stopped for ten minutes between two stations before continuing into the underground. The trip to work lasted an hour.

 

[Suzanne rose]

I can still remember using these during winter going to and from Lithgow to Central in the middle of winter (last train at night then first train in the morning). Not only was it warmer outside than inside the carriage but the sound of the window rattling and banging was deafening. AHH the 70's, commuters don't know how easy they have it these days.

Those doors were also really heavy to open and close

 

[Suzanne rose]

Isn't it funny when you look back at how it was for us and compare it to this generation and how easy it is today.
But you know what I would probably prefer the 70s I grew up in

 

[Gunpark]

I just missed out on being killed in one. My Saturday morning cricket match in Moore Park finished early. Instead of going to the pub, I grabbed an earlier than normal tram to Central Station. The train I would normally catch was the one involved in the train smash at Sydenham Station. I would have been in the second or third last carriage, as that is where the steps were at Bexley North station. I can't remember how many were killed, but I think one was our Station Master.

 

[Suzanne rose]

I just missed out on being killed in one. My Saturday morning cricket match in Moore Park finished early. Instead of going to the pub, I grabbed an earlier than normal tram to Central Station. The train I would normally catch was the one involved in the train smash at Sydenham Station. I would have been in the second or third last carriage, as that is where the steps were at Bexley North station. I can't remember how many were killed, but I think one was our Station Master.

Wow someone was looking after you. My son trains at Moore Park , well the Sydney cricket ground and plays grade cricket for St George

I remember going through sydneham and my grandmother telling me about it .
In 1951 she had moved from Leichardt to Peakhurst and caught a train from Riverwood to Central every 2nd Saturday to visit her sister in Leichardt.

5 people killed and 758 injured Two carriages of the East Hills train (the second and sixth) were older wooden bodied carriages and it was claimed this may have contributed to the deaths and injuries, although the Bankstown train, a fully steel carriage train, suffered more damage

 

[Suzanne rose]

Sydneham train crash 1953

 

[Gunpark]

Great to hear your son plays cricket for St George. Dad and I played Baseball for St George many years ago. You are correct about the wooden carriages on that train. They were turned to matchwood. I think someone has looked after me most of my life with some of the things I have done and I am still going at 87.

 

[Suzanne rose]

Great to hear your son plays cricket for St George. Dad and I played Baseball for St George many years ago. You are correct about the wooden carriages on that train. They were turned to matchwood. I think someone has looked after me most of my life with some of the things I have done and I am still going at 87.

Are you still involved with St George Baseball ? With St George cricket a few of the older ex players are still involved. We have met plenty of wonderful people over the years through St George including ex Australian captains and players

 

[Gunpark]

Not for many years, but I still have one red eye and one white eye and am disgusted with St George NRL team. At one time pulling on the red and white was a privilege for a chosen few but it doesn't seem to worry the NRL team. Money seems to rule.

 

[Suzanne rose]

Not for many years, but I still have one red eye and one white eye and am disgusted with St George NRL team. At one time pulling on the red and white was a privilege for a chosen few but it doesn't seem to worry the NRL team. Money seems to rule.

As for NRL we are huge Roosters fans. My son just told me he will be playing grade for Sutherland this year

 

[Gsr]

I remember catching red rattlers to and from my home town every time I had days off when doing my nursing training (until I got my car). I caught the train at 6am to go home, walked for half an hour to the station in summer, caught a taxi in winter. It was so cold on winter mornings, never could warm up no matter how many clothes I wore. The train was so noisy, the wind rattled the windows and always managed to get into the carriage. Every station back then was manned, even the small ones in the country areas. My friend and I travelled from Maitland to Sydney, then overnight from Sydney to Griffith on a red rattler in the 70s. It was in summer, well we froze on the overnight trip going over the great divide, never thought we needed warm clothes. Very few passengers, we went for a walk and found a large newspaper left in a carriage by someone and used it to cover ourselves in an attempt to keep warm. It wasn’t very warm but helped a bit. Luckily we had a carriage to ourselves, must have been a sight cuddled up together with newspaper for a blanket.

 

[oldchook58]

I remember catching red rattlers to and from my home town every time I had days off when doing my nursing training (until I got my car). I caught the train at 6am to go home, walked for half an hour to the station in summer, caught a taxi in winter. It was so cold on winter mornings, never could warm up no matter how many clothes I wore. The train was so noisy, the wind rattled the windows and always managed to get into the carriage. Every station back then was manned, even the small ones in the country areas. My friend and I travelled from Maitland to Sydney, then overnight from Sydney to Griffith on a red rattler in the 70s. It was in summer, well we froze on the overnight trip going over the great divide, never thought we needed warm clothes. Very few passengers, we went for a walk and found a large newspaper left in a carriage by someone and used it to cover ourselves in an attempt to keep warm. It wasn’t very warm but helped a bit. Luckily we had a carriage to ourselves, must have been a sight cuddled up together with newspaper for a blanket.

I used to catch a red rattler from central NSW to Central and back to visit relatives in Sydney. I remember one of the carriages had a bar in it and seating along the bar. Also in the depths of winter they would put in large metal containers filled with something hot to keep the carriages compartments warm, like foot warmers? I know what cold is, it was freezing. And there were large bottles of drinking water stored in cast iron overhead racks. Every waiting room station over the mountains had open fires to keep passengers warm and most of the stations were really well maintained, clean with well kept gardens.

 

[Gsr]

I used to catch a red rattler from central NSW to Central and back to visit relatives in Sydney. I remember one of the carriages had a bar in it and seating along the bar. Also in the depths of winter they would put in large metal containers filled with something hot to keep the carriages compartments warm, like foot warmers? I know what cold is, it was freezing. And there were large bottles of drinking water stored in cast iron overhead racks. Every waiting room station over the mountains had open fires to keep passengers warm and most of the stations were really well maintained, clean with well kept gardens.

I used to love seeing the manned stations, it was a human touch to train travel. Even some of the country stations used to have dining rooms and waiting rooms once, now I doubt any station has a dining room. My girlfriend and I had a lovely meal in the huge dining room that was at central station in Sydney when we went to Griffith by train and had a couple hours wait at central. When my kids were little newcastle station still had a cafeteria and a gift, paper, bit of everything shop. We used to catch the train to Newcastle, have a milkshake and snack, browse the shop, then walk to the beach, go to the movies or just go shopping. we did this every school holidays for years, the kids loved it.

 

[Suzanne rose]

Remember these @oldchook58 @Gsr
I took these photos yesterday at Kiama in the waiting room which was like stepping back in time with wooden bench as well

 

[Gsr]

Remember these @oldchook58 @Gsr
I took these photos yesterday at Kiama in the waiting room which was like stepping back in time with wooden bench as well

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