New South Wales Sputnik suburban carriage stock

The New South Wales Sputnik suburban carriage stock is a type of electric multiple unit that was operated by the New South Wales Government Railways and its successors between 1957 and 1993 and served on the Sydney suburban network.

In their later years, they, alongside the Standard and Tulloch trains, were nicknamed "Red Rattlers", the expression coming from Melbourne in reference to the wooden Tait trains.^[1][2]

Between 1956 and 1960, 40 power cars and 40 trailer cars were built by Commonwealth Engineering for the New South Wales Government Railways. They were ostensibly built to provide rolling stock for the newly electrified Parramatta to Penrith section of the Main Western line, they operated across the Sydney suburban network.^[3] 80 carriages were built by 1960.

Following the delivery of the Tulloch double deck trailers from 1964, these replaced the original trailers in the Sputnik sets. Originally, only cars such as the Sputnik power cars were allowed to haul two double deck carriages per four car set due to them having four traction motors per car and resulting in more tractive power, as opposed to two, but the older two motored cars proved to also be capable.

The displaced trailer carriages had their power door equipment disconnected, were fitted with manually operated door equipment and pooled with the Standard and Tulloch stock. These were renumbered upwards by 50, e.g. T4701 became T4751.^[4][5][3]

After having originally being targeted S1-S9, The Sputnik sets were retargeted as W1-W9 when the double deck suburban cars that fell under the former designation were introduced in 1972.^[6] Originally painted Tuscan red, from 1973 they were repainted in the Public Transport Commission blue and white livery before the livery was replaced with Indian red in 1976. The interiors were originally painted brown and cream with the later repaints being in two-tone green.^[3]

In the early 1990s, two sets were repainted in special liveries. These were W1 (C3705, T4816, T4807, C3707, C3740, T4812, T4830, and C3710) in a "Sesqui Train" livery, and W2 (C3725, T4810, T4828, C3719, C3714, T4825, T4820, and C3701) in a livery dubbed the "Zoo Train Mk2" as a promotion of Taronga Zoo.^[6]

Overhauls of the stock continued up until 1988, with some receiving sliding aluminium Beclawat windows to alleviate rust problems. Most of the trailer cars remained in service until the end of single deck operation in January 1992.^[4] The last power cars were withdrawn in November 1993 and large portion of carriages were scrapped across the network alongside the Standard and Tulloch cars that had been retired the year before.^[3] Several have been preserved.^[7]

The Sputnik cars were broadly similar to the Tulloch built carriages, built earlier in the 1950s, they differed in having twin motors on both bogies as opposed to two on the bogie below the pantograph like older power carriages. This meant they were electrically incompatible with the previously built suburban cars, but were compatible with the interurban cars also built by Comeng around the same period. Like previous built stock their tractive equipment was provided by Metropolitan-Vickers.

These cars were additionally fitted with power operated doors, as well as being of spot welded construction rather than riveted like previously built suburban carriages, and the crew compartment door set further back with a larger cab in the power cars.^[6] They only received a sun shade over the driver's window.

To make up for the archaic technology of air-conditioning at the time, a row of ventilators was placed on the roof. As the carriages had powered doors, vent slits were put into the doors to make up for the inability to be opened manually as well as extra ventilators on the roof next to the doors.

They operated as eight carriage sets and were targeted as S sets and were the first trains to have their target plates distinguish the type, in contrast to the previously built sets of which the target plates correspond to the depot they were located to. With the S standing for "Safety Doors", gaining the nickname Sputniks after the Russian satellite that was launched at the same time as their entry into service.^[4][5][3] While they were targeted differently, they were still kept at the same four depots as the other single deck suburban carriages.

Over 11 carriages remain with some having been converted into housing and similar structures. Other cars are stored at Chullora and others are privately owned.^[8] Only three remain for heritage all of which are in the care of Historic Electric Traction, who have made efforts to restore heritage set W3 to the mainline for charter train services. This set comprises Sputnik Power cars C3708 and C3702 as well as Tulloch double deck trailers T4801 and T4814. This set has yet to take any heritage tours.^[9]

On 8 May 2019, C3704 (Commonwealth Engineering (4 motor) Power Car) was removed from the Australian Technology Park and relocated to Taree to a private buyer.^[13] It was previously owned by 3801 Limited (now East Coast Heritage Rail) and was used as a site office.^[13]