Historic Photos of Trains

Today's historic photo of the day: Exactly forty years ago today, a 44 class Alco diesel locomotive in 'yellow end' or 'reverse' colour scheme hauls a train of de-motored Budd and Tulloch railcars bound for Nowra into Wollongong, NSW, October 1 1984. The Budd railcars were built in the 1960s to operate the South Coast Daylight express between Sydney and Nowra. The Tulloch railcars were built in the early 1970s to run the Riverina Express between Sydney and south-western NSW. Neither type was particularly successful, and by the early 1980s they were de-motored and converted into locomotive hauled carriages, and that is how we see them in this shot. When this photo was taken, electrification of the line to Wollongong was still a little more than a year away, and all trains were diesel hauled. Today, this line is served by regular electric interurban trains between Sydney and Wollongong, Port Kembla and Kiama. All trains beyond Kiama to Nowra run as shuttles from Kiama, and there are no longer any through passenger trains between Sydney and Nowra.