Hi.

I am new to this forum, so please don't grill me with your criticism.
However, I am open to corrections.

I have some questions regarding the Sydney Trains network.

1. How does one figure out which type of train, and which set is operating particular services?
I am on a quest to travel on as many S and K Sets as I can, confined to the Northern Line.
I have read forum posts where people are very knowledgable about the "run number", set type and particular set in question.
In particular, I am yet to, and am trying to get a trip on S111. I have a whole evening tomorrow (Friday 13th September) to do so.
I have figured out the way to find out when S Sets are running, by using TripView's service information, and picking out the non air conditioned services.

2. Late on Friday and Saturday nights, why does a C set stop on Platform 3 at Rhodes and turn back around towards Strathfield?

3. Why do C Sets operate occasional Northern Line and North Shore/Western Line services?

4. Do L and R sets still operate on the network? (L's on Carlingford)

5. Do V sets ever run on the South Coast line?

6. A few years ago, train drivers used to sound the horn when leaving stations.
Recently, it occurred to me that the drivers no longer do that. Why?

Thankyou.

Hi.

I am new to this forum, so please don't grill me with your criticism.
However, I am open to corrections.

I have some questions regarding the Sydney Trains network.

Welcome. Fire away.

1. How does one figure out which type of train, and which set is operating particular services?

I am on a quest to travel on as many S and K Sets as I can, confined to the Northern Line.
I have read forum posts where people are very knowledgable about the "run number", set type and particular set in question.
In particular, I am yet to, and am trying to get a trip on S111. I have a whole evening tomorrow (Friday 13th September) to do so.
I have figured out the way to find out when S Sets are running, by using TripView's service information, and picking out the non air conditioned services.

The internal operating timetable, called the Standard Working Timetable, which lists all scheduled services operating across the network, includes scheduled set types and run numbers. Finding specific set numbers are much trickier. Although set types are scheduled, this isn't always the case.

2. Late on Friday and Saturday nights, why does a C set stop on Platform 3 at Rhodes and turn back around towards Strathfield?

If it's the train I think it is, it's scheduled as an 8S and does a points clean at Nth Strathfield.

3. Why do C Sets operate occasional Northern Line and North Shore/Western Line services?

They generally don't. I think the only reason they would would be for operational requirements in service delivery.

4. Do L and R sets still operate on the network? (L's on Carlingford)

Yes and no. The carriages are still in service (excluding those scrapped/awaiting scrapping), howver they have all been re-marshalled into 4-car S Sets. Thus they are integrated with the other S Set trains. A 4-car S Set now usually operates on the Carlingford Line (though on occasional days you'll get a 4C).

5. Do V sets ever run on the South Coast line?

They don't these days. Any one-off special events withstanding. All H Sets and T Sets for the South Coast now.

6. A few years ago, train drivers used to sound the horn when leaving stations.

Recently, it occurred to me that the drivers no longer do that. Why?

To reduce noise pollution, the decision was made to no longer have it as a requirement when departing a station. Now it is up to the driver's discretion when to use it.

Thankyou.

No worries. Hope this helps.

I can't quite figure out how to quote and reply yet, so I'll just ask,

where might I find the "Standard Working Timetable"?
Thanks so much for your response!!

The Standard Working Timetable or SWTT is a Railcorp/Sydney Trains/NSW Trains/NSW Trainlink employee document so I don't think it is available publically.

The Standard Working Timetable or SWTT is a Railcorp/Sydney Trains/NSW Trains/NSW Trainlink employee document so I don't think it is available publically.

They are, I believe, also marked "for internal use only" (or wording to that effect).

As I wrote, it's an internal document. It's not available for general consumption.

There's that draft copy of the new SWTT available if you're interested.

http://images.smh.com.au/file/2013/05/16/4277920/timetable.pdf

They generally don't. I think the only reason they would would be for operational requirements in service delivery.

And what on earth does "operational requirements in service delivery" mean?

And what on earth does "operational requirements in service delivery" mean?

Not working in the rail industry, I am purely guessing based on see-say (it's like hear-say, except I haven't heard, I've seen) - When a set goes into maintenance, a replacement has to be sourced. Generally it's a spare. Sometimes this'll be a C, or a K, or even an S.

It can be anything, anywhere, anytime.

And what on earth does "operational requirements in service delivery" mean?

It means that the set type listed in the SWTT can be swapped out for any replacement the depot considers appropriate, as and when required, when the service is operated.

Thanks for clearing that up, guys.

So, to rephrase... "Short notice replacement, for example if the scheduled set was faulty"

I am guessing that Aurora8 is a Sydney Trains employee and has simply used the internal "official" wording (which would be specially crafted by management to avoid the use of the words "faulty" or "failed")

1. How does one figure out which type of train, and which set is operating particular services?

In TripView, tap the top bar five times (the one that says "Updated at ..."), then tap a train bubble on the map. This will give you more information instead of just telling you what line the train is on. The second last letter will tell you what train it is.

Eg. H.4 will mean a 4-car H set, T.8 will mean 8-car T-Set, S.8 will mean a 8-car S-Set etc...

You probably need to try this a couple times as it doesn't work the first go.

Hi.

I am new to this forum, so please don't grill me with your criticism.
However, I am open to corrections.

I have some questions regarding the Sydney Trains network.

Hey mate. Welcome to RP.

In response to Q4, 5 and 6 ...

4 - L sets were disbanded last year, when the L and R sets were being placed into S set formations. The final L sets to operate were:

South Coast -
L1 - 3823-4010-3751
L2 - 3757-4005-3763
L3 - 3755-4001-3747

L1 and L2 were transferred to Sector 3 in November 2011 and formed R36 - 3751-4010-3823-3757-4005-3763. A month or so later, it was transferred to Sector 2 to be R18 or R20. L3 went on to be L13 to operate on the Carlingford and Olympic Park lines.

L's on the Carlingford line were disbanded during May (I stand to be corrected) last year. The last L sets to be were:

L11 - 3938-4026-3939
L12 - 3829-4009-3035
L13 - 3755-4001-3747


5 - No. V sets were taken off the line around about the same time as the L set disbanding in November/December 2011. However a few V sets have managed to make their way down the Coast for any special reason. Similar to the S sets in March, when they were taken off the Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra Line, a few sets have been spotted, though other than that, none go down there anymore.

[Off-Topic briefly] There was one afternoon service by an S set that went to Helensburgh though, from memory it was sets S7 and S25 (3071-4138-4031-3041-3044-4721-4112-3063) that was replaced by a T in January under the timetable change for the Eastern Surburbs and Illawarra Line. [/Back on-topic]

6 - Aurora8 summed it up perfectly. To reduce level of noise when departing stations. It 'stopped' in July 2010 as far as I know (do stand be corrected there). Though from time to time, you still have a driver blowing his horn.

I hope this helps. Aurora8 summed it up greatly in his earlier post.

I have read forum posts where people are very knowledgable about the "run number", set type and particular set in question.
In particular, I am yet to, and am trying to get a trip on S111. I have a whole evening tomorrow (Friday 13th September) to do so.

You use to, be able to tell quite a fair bit about a train by its run number.

EG - Run 172H

Was a Sector 3a run (Hornsby - Epping via Central)
Rostered 8 car K set
On its down leg from Central back to Hornsby.

For sector 3, it was quite commonly;

100 - 120 8T North Shore/Western
120 - 139 8S North Shore/Western
140 - 149 6R North Shore/Western
150 - 159 8K North Shore/Western
160 - 179 8K North Main/ECRL (J legs)
Then there was Oscars in the 290's and the very very occasional C set (mostly from when the 52/75 standby train was a C set) and the extremely occasional Mill.

Sector 2;

30 - 39 8T (Anywhere on Sector 2, train usually originates and finishes empty at Mortdale Sheds)
40 - 59 8C (Mix of 8C and 8S)
60 - 79 6R
90 - 99 4S/4C (Olympic Park/Cumberland/Carlingford)
700 - 720 8M

Sector 1;

1 - 19 8T
20 - 29 8S


This has all changed now since the introduction of the A sets, and the movements of the S sets and replacement of the R sets. Some still stands. Until the next timetable change - where everything will be different.

Thanks for clearing that up, guys.

So, to rephrase... "Short notice replacement, for example if the scheduled set was faulty"

Subject to substitution at minimal notice if deemed required by depot managers, yes.

Official wording is a b*tch, but they're also great to regurgitate.

As I wrote, it's an internal document. It's not available for general consumption.

Working timetables, STNs etc are not made available to the public, but at the same time they are not "commercial-in-confidence", i.e. they do not contain corporate secrets that warrant their restriction to Sydney/NSW Trains/TfNSW employees. All members of the rail industry more or less have access to them irrespective of their employer. There are also cases on record where middle managers with an axe to grind attempted to punish employees for releasing the documents to the public, based purely on the "for the information of employees and not for publication" header, only to find that it was not actually an "offence" to do so.