Once a Red Rattler, this carriage carries the legacy of Sydney’s suburban rail history, its name a tribute to the unmistakable clatter that once echoed through the city. While most of these single-deck electric trains wore their signature red, some, like C7485, were repainted in blue and white, a livery introduced in 1969 on government buses to denote power steering. PTC industrial designers extended this scheme across the entire rail fleet with the approval of Commissioner Phillip Shirley, a British railway executive who brought a touch of British Rail aesthetics to Sydney’s network.
Built in 1950 by Tulloch Limited in Rhodes, this carriage belongs to a lineage of electric cars that served the city’s growing demand for transport. Tulloch, a company that built Sydney’s single-deck suburban fleet from 1926 to 1957, shifted to wartime production during World War II, constructing vessels for the Royal Australian Navy. Their return to rail saw them deliver Sydney’s first double-deck trailer cars in 1964, a precursor to the system’s modern fleet.
Now resting inside the workshop, C7485 is under restoration by HET volunteers, its motors already tested in preparation for its future return to the mainline. A rare survivor of a time when Sydney’s trains rattled, roared, and carried generations of commuters through the heart of the city, it stands as a testament to the craftsmanship and dedication that continue to preserve rail history today
This print is a striking addition for rail heritage enthusiasts, capturing the evolution of Sydney’s electric trains at Eveleigh Paint Shop.