Last V set witness report.

[Richard Youl]

I got a ride from Paramatta but it was very unpleasant as all 8 cars were at crush load, I was in a driving trailer car which meant only running noise and no motor/gear noise at all. 

Some of those idiots who damaged those trains [many V sets had windows kicked out in recent weeks] ended up traveling with us, they had absolutely no chance of causing issues as it was too hard for them to move around and do their thing, but one of them did attempt to pull a map and warning stickers off the cars, before a railway worker threatened to ring security to have them thrown  off the train. The train had police officers onboard so they can deal with an incident if it occurred and catch the offenders on the spot.

Once the train arrived at Sydney Terminal, platform 2 and 3 had been filled with so many people that it must be in the thousands, not to mention the many hundreds if not thousand more on platform 1 and dotted around the network. I don't think we ever had anything like that before. 

As for what cars to preserve, Transport Heritage NSW is in discussion with Sydney Trains regarding the cars that would be best for preservation and they'll make an announcement once they make a decision. The plan is for a running 4 car set with another car saved as a display piece.

Richard.

[TP]

Reading accounts of Sydney tramway closures during the 1950s, I see that they often attracted last day vandalism. It seems to be an inter-generational rite of passage.

On social media today there was a photo of three teenage girls slashing open a V set seat. Their faces were looking into the camera and one was wearing the uniform of a fast food outlet. This (and fire resistance)  is the reason we get horrible, hard public transport seats nowadays. The wonderful reversible, leather, inner-sprung comfort of NSW Railways seats have now passed into history with the end of the V sets.

Tony P

[TP]

Some final trip vision. The crowds are something you typically only see at an opening of something new. The public esteem with which the V sets were regarded in NSW can't be understated. It's the end of one of the greatest modern rail experiences in Australia. Riding a V set was like commuting in a Rolls Royce and in later years I even used them for suburban travel because I was on lines where I could. Somebody who travelled on this last trip said every time they passed a new D set everybody on board booed!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsN1bthMPG8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3v5XqlnxEs

Tony P

[TP]

Creation of the V sets. Comeng film, late 1960s to 1970.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF1POIdapCg

Tony P