C7396

Of all the vintage electric red set cars, C7396 had the closest “brush with death” of any!

 

7396 began life as two motor car C3396 in the late 1920’s. It led a considerably eventless life until 1971 when it was chosen for an overhaul in to a four motor car, getting its new number along with four 200hp AEI149 motors. These were in lieu of the original two 360hp Metro Vickers ones it was born with.

 

This gave 7396 four feet on the race track whereas many of its cousins retained two. The car became an important part of an upgrading and modernisation process that kicked Sydney’s red sets out of the 1960’s and into the 1980s. It allowed the red sets to keep “soldiering on” alongside much newer, faster and more capable double deck trains.

Whilst in the process 7396 would lose that distinctive “2 motor” scream that the red set cars had become famous for, it gained in its place a seriousness, reliability, ride and sound that only a “7000” red set car can dish up.

In 1984, C7396 was chosen to be part of the “contract overhauls” programme. It was sent to a private contractor (Goninans) to undertake a total rewire and internal overhaul which also saw the control equipment replaced with brand new “Mitsubishi” switchgear underneath. Thankfully though, the windows were already in good enough condition such that the car did not have them replaced with the modern Beclawat type. It even somehow retained its original “knife switch” style LV switchboard behind the driver in the cab, in an environment where even C3102 (the oldest steel car still in existence) had long lost its heritage panel.

 

Escaping the “death knell” of January 1992 and largely because of its superior condition, Car C7396 found itself one of only two non “Tulloch” single deck cars still in peak hour service at Punchbowl depot as part of a group of six “M” sets (double deck trailers, single deck motors).

 

7396 was chosen to be included on the list of preserved cars at a meeting held at Mortdale on 27^th October 1992 between John Pett, Michael Kerry, Keith Audet, Paul Matthews and Scott Ferris. The primary reason for the choice was its good working condition and large guards’ compartment. There was a strong desire to include a 7000 series (four motor) car in the heritage fleet both for operational and heritage reasons.

Back in June 1992 however, C7396 suffered wheel flats on the No. 1 end wheelset and was removed from traffic, requiring a turn on the wheel lathe. The subsequent delivery of a Tangara then saw it no longer required. Punchbowl staff removed the brake stand and master controller and sealed the brake pipes. This was a common procedure on cars about to be moved to the scrapper.

 

The following day through the grape vine, some enthusiasts got wind of what had happened to this car (in particular Ed Sutton from SETS). He approached Wayne Pollard (the manager at Punchbowl.) Wayne was quite annoyed that other staff under his watch had removed 7396 from service, seemingly without his knowledge because in his opinion “it was a good car”.

 

By the time Wayne arrived, 7396  had literally been attached to the scrappers’ train in Punchbowl Yard. The locomotive had already arrived to take it (plus another six cars) to the scrapper at Redfern. Under Wayne’s immediate direction, the car was removed and shoved up the very back of the sheds.

 

In early September 1992, car C7484 suffered from a shunting accident in Punchbowl yard. The damage was too extensive to warrant repairs and so the car was quietly scrapped. However Punchbowl was now missing a car off an 8 car “M” set and had no spare to replace it. By this time however C7396 had been already marked off in the railways’ computer system as being “condemned”.

 

Immediately Wayne got to work. He had 7484’s brake stand and master controller swapped to 7396 by the shed crew. He then forwarded the car to DELEC for wheel lathe treatment. Within 24 hours it was back, tested and placed back in service to replace C7484.  “Head office” were none the wiser.

 

However  its miracle return would be short lived. Three weeks later and around the same time as the meeting at Mortdale with Michael Kerry, the discrepancy was discovered in the SRA computer system revealing that a condemned car was still in service.

 

To avoid further embarrassment, Michael suggested to Wayne that the car should be taken out of service again and “hidden away”. Fortunately by this time another Tangara had been delivered and so the “M” set it replaced was taken out of traffic with seven cars sent to the scrapper. C7396 was again placed up the back of the sheds.

 

In October 1994, once Punchbowl was closed, the car was moved to Redfern with others including T4554, C7485 and the 4 car W set  (this too having a similar story to tell which we won’t go in to here.) By this time of course, the scrapping contract had been completed. 7396 remained stored at Redfern undercover but unsecured for the following five years. It received significant graffiti, vandalism damage, broken glass and damaged seats however remained mechanically intact.

The restoration of C7396 was the second project undertaken by HET (Historic Electric Traction) in 2000 for then “SRA Heritage”. The work included a full interior and exterior repaint, major repairs to seats, restoration of damaged wiring and equipment in the cab and a complete switch group overhaul, assembly and test. This time, with volunteer labour and parts recovered from other scrapped cars it only cost the Railways $5000. A long way short of what it cost way back in 1985!

 

It re entered service as part of the “75^th Anniversary of Electric Trains” in March 2001. It then ran a few other trips as part of F1, the last of that era being the “Wedding tour” on 16^th March 2002.

 

C7396 then returned to what was to become the “time capsule” at Redfern, to emerge a whopping 12 years later on 13^th March, 2015 to become part of the F1 Project.

 

Car 7396 would not exist today had it not been for the passion and care of a small band of dedicated enthusiasts, coupled with ordinary railway men working in their daily posts who were very uncomfortable with the idea that public assets in good condition should just be allowed to be scrapped without giving back someof what had been put in to them from the public purse.

Little did they know that small investment would see this particular asset standing tall and proud on a working Red Rattler set more than 25 years later, and putting a lot of smiles on a lot of happy faces in the 21^st Century. Many of which had never ridden a “red rattler” before, let alone seen one.

 

Thanks Punchbowl Maintenance Centre. Your effort paid off.