XPT by Commonwealth Engineering - 1980s promo.

[Socimi]

Original 1980s promotional film by Commonwealth Engineering about the Australian XPT.

 

 

 

 

Still one of the best-looking med/hi-speed DMU on the planet.

 

 

Edited June 23, 2017 by Socimi

[velotrain]

The info I found shows it as a diesel engine hauled train, not DMU.

 

http://www.nswtrainlink.info/your_journey/on_board/fleet/xpt

[railsquid]

It's an adaptation of the British HST: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterCity_125 which is basically a semi-fixed rake of coaches sandwiched between two power cars.

[marknewton]

Back when I worked for CountryLink, NSWTrainlink's predecessor, XPTs were always regarded as having distributed power. Both power cars would be lit up and running, the trailing car in MU with the leading car.

 

The only exception was when the West ran as a short consist, with only one power car and four or five trailers. The power car would be turned at Dubbo for the up journey, and the Meeks Road shunter would go into town light engine to haul the empty cars back to the depot. So you'd see the unusual sight of a 48 class loco on an XPT set. I don't have any photos of this working handy, but here's a recent view of the Meeks Road 48 visiting our maintenance centre at Mortdale.

 

 

Neither type owes the railway anything - they've both racked up amazing mileages and they're as tough as old boots. And yes, I've run them both, so I'm biased. :)

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

Edited June 24, 2017 by marknewton

[marknewton]

Great videos, Socimi, thanks for posting them.

 

The "passengers" in the third segment were employees from the CME's office at Wilson Street and the rollingstock design section at Transport House. There's a couple there I recognise. And Barry, the guard shown working the train, was the senior salary guard at the time.

 

How things have changed...

 

All the best,

 

Mark.

[miyakoji]

Back when I worked for CountryLink, NSWTrainlink's predecessor, XPTs were always regarded as having distributed power. Both power cars would be lit up and running, the trailing car in MU with the leading car.

 

The only exception was when the West ran as a short consist, with only one power car and four or five trailers. The power car would be turned at Dubbo for the up journey, and the Meeks Road shunter would go into town light engine to haul the empty cars back to the depot. So you'd see the unusual sight of a 48 class loco on an XPT set. I don't have any photos of this working handy, but here's a recent view of the Meeks Road 48 visiting our maintenance centre at Mortdale.

Is that assembly on the roof for exhaust only, or is that an air cleaner at the far end?

[Takahama Trainwatcher]

_{A couple of anecdotes as regards the XPTs, having travelled on them plenty of times up and down the NSW north coast:}

 

_{1. One year, on the night before Australia Day, the XPT hit a fallen tree somewhere near Grafton. This delayed it by perhaps some 4 hours, so it finally made it to Coffs Harbour in the wee hours of the morning. An 82 class locomotive had been tacked on to the front, the XPT's nose being quite badly damaged. (The train lost more time on the way to Sydney, and, as a result, I missed out on seeing the Red Arrows aerobatic team perform in Sydney).}

 

_{2. My grandmother was an extensive traveller and a tough woman (she had worked as a bus conductor and crane driver). She complained that the XPT was the only train (of many) that ever gave her travel (motion) sickness. Every time she rode it she took the travel sickness pill first. I wonder whether it was its suspension (I would describe it as spongey or bouncy from my experience) or the poor track that, when taken faster in the XPT, was the cause of this.}

Edited July 4, 2017 by Takahama Trainwatcher

[marknewton]

Is that assembly on the roof for exhaust only, or is that an air cleaner at the far end?

It's an exhaust scrubber. A couple of 48s were fitted with them so they could haul work/maintenance trains on the underground lines in Sydney. From my experience they weren't very effective.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.