The riveted steel body of this carriage tells the story of a new era in Australian rail travel. Built in 1924 by the Leeds Forge Company in Sheffield, England, known as the City of Steel, it was part of a fleet of 50 electric carriages that marked a turning point for Sydney’s suburban network. Shipped in pieces, these carriages were assembled at Eveleigh Railway Workshops and Clyde Engineering, becoming Australia’s first all-steel train cars.
This very carriage played a role in history on March 1, 1926, when it was part of the first-ever electric passenger train service in Sydney, running a six-car set from Sydney to Oatley. On that day, only a single electric train operated, a glimpse into the future of rail transport.
Affixed to the carriage is the C3102 plate from Leeds Forge Co. Ltd, Leeds, England, a mark of its British-built heritage. After decades of service, it retired into preservation in December 1989.
Decades later, this carriage was still in service, running well into the 1990s. Now, standing in the Eveleigh Paint Shop, its once-modern steel exterior carries the weight of time, a survivor of the transition from steam to electric power and a testament to nearly a century of railway evolution.