Sydney Trains C Set

The C set were a class of electric multiple unit operated by Sydney Trains. They were built in 1986-87 by A Goninan & Co., and were ordered due to delays in the design work of the Tangara project. The carriage design is based on the K sets, but also incorporates some of the features of the Tangaras. They were retired between 2020 and 2021.

Design
The C set is a stainless steel double deck train designed for suburban operation. The motor and brake systems on C sets are very similar to those of T sets, as they were ordered due to delays in their delivery. They partially served as a platform to test features of the T sets.

C sets are powered by Mitsubishi Electric DC motors, controlled by gate turn-off thyristors. Regenerative and electro-pneumatic braking systems are used, with Westinghouse as a backup system. Following their success, these features were later installed on the Tangara T Sets and later V Set cars.

Like other silver sets, they were delivered without destination boards, instead using marker light codes. The installation of destination boards meant the top marker light was removed, but the bottom left one still remains.

These carriages were also the first on the suburban network to feature fixed seating (originally lined with fabric, but has since been replaced with vinyl). This proved to be unpopular with passengers due to half the seats facing backwards.

Passenger doors originally needed to be manually opened by pushing a button on the door, to improve air conditioning efficiency. As passengers could not get used to this new procedure, the buttons have since been removed and plated over. C9 is the only set that still has remnants of the push buttons. The doors also originally had safety features such as door open/close chimes as well as screens above the doors to show when the door was open. Both of these features have since been removed, however door open indicator lights were fitted together with traction interlocking in the 2005.

The C set is distinguished externally by a fibreglass molding mounted on the front of the motor carriage. This fibreglass molding was originally white with orange and red stripes on the lower portion, known as the candy livery of the State Rail Authority. Car C3596 was the only motor car to have its Candy stripes on its front repainted to Cityrail blue and yellow prior to its "Citydecker" refurbishment in 1998. The chopper cars are amongst the heaviest in the suburban fleet, with the motor cars weighing 52 tonnes.

The trains run in 4 car sets with the C-T-T-C configuration used by older trains. (C = Control power, T=Non-control trailer) Each set has one pantograph in each trailer car, which collects 1500V DC from the overhead wires. The 1500V DC directly powers the motors in the adjacent motor car, as well as the alternator in the trailer car. The alternator generates 120V DC for battery charging, 240V AC for lights and 415V AC for air conditioning. There is no power connection between each pair of cars in a set, meaning that if power is interrupted to one pantograph (e.g. gap in wires), then the air-con will turn off.

C set Prototype
In 1985 a 2 car prototype was made and tested at Pendle Hill. The set was unmarked and had many cosmetic similarities with the K set. Notable differences include the roof hatches, the internal motors and operation, and absence of seats on both decks. The carriages would enter service on the first C set as C3584 and T4250 alongside C3581 and T4247.

In Service
The chopper cars were originally known as the K sets and for a while when they entered service originally, they ran together with the earlier force-ventilated cars (then known as R set). This however caused problems as force-ventilated cars were fitted with camshaft control and this caused some "jerking" while the train was accelerating.

When the Sydney Trains fleet was reorganised in the 1990s, the R set designation was given to the older non air-conditioned six-car sets, while the force-ventilated cars were given the K set designation. In turn, the chopper cars were re-marshalled into six-car sets and was given the C set target. From 2001, the C sets were once again operating as 4 and 8 car sets. In late 2006, a 6 car C Set was in operation. This is due to car T4262 being seriously damaged by an arson attack at Villawood in October 2006, before returning to service.

As of October 2005, all C Sets are operating on Sector 2 and maintained at Flemington Maintenance Depot (as indicated by the blue target plate). Although, on occasion, some C Sets have run "off sector", such as the T1 line on some occasions. On 23 July 2014, a C Set ran the T4 Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra Line running off peak services to Cronulla, Hurstville and Waterfall.

Towards the end of 2017, grab poles on the interior and exterior were painted yellow for greater visibility and compliance with accessibility standards.

C sets operated on the following lines for most of their life:



Retirement
C sets were phased out from late 2020 as the Series 2 Waratah B sets came into service. The first set, C4, was retired in September 2020. One carriage of C10, C3594, suffered a slipped pinion and the motor-trailer pair was swapped with a pair from C4. More sets were retired over the following months as faults developed and B sets arrived. The retired cars were slowly stripped of parts to provide spares for the remaining cars and other silver sets. The first carriages were hauled to Chullora for scrapping on 8 February 2021.

The final day of scheduled C set operations was 26 February 2021. The final C set service on that day was run by C7/10, on run 90-W from the City to Liverpool via Bankstown, then returning empty to Flemington Maintenance Centre. This C set was covering for an A set due to delays earlier in the day from a broken down track maintenance vehicle at Circular Quay. One week later, on 6 March 2021, a farewell tour organised by SETS (Sydney Electric Train Society) ran. Sets C1/5 ran Strathfield - Mt Victoria - Strathfield - Hawkesbury River - Strathfield, being the first and last time a C set has visited the Blue Mountains. C1/5 were retained as a spare for a few months while the rest of the B sets arrived. These sets covered for broken down trains on several occasions, including on the final week of April, when C5 ran on the Olympic Park Line.

Two cars from C11 were removed and sold to the Fire & Rescue service training academy at Orchard Hills for training purposes. The Sydney Electric Trains Society (SETS) has preserved 4 C set carriages. These are C3584, T4266, T4274 and C3608 which are from sets C5 and C9.

On 13 May 2021, the remaining sets (C6, C7, C8, C10 and C12) were transferred to Chullora for scrapping.