Australian Railway Historical Society (ACT Division)

Set 52 Passenger Cars Set 52 passenger cars are centre-aisle cars built in the early 1900s to meet Sydney suburban system rolling stock needs. Later they were modified for inter-urban travel. The Society has five cars which originally made up the suburban set 52 - four of them are regularly used for Michelago Tourist Railway picnic trains, while the fifth is a static display carriage at Yass Railway Museum. All were retired from the NSW rail system in 1974 and were acquired the following year by the Society which then used four of them between 1976 and 1990 for vintage train trips. In the early 1990s, the four operational carriages were overhauled and safety gates were installed on the end-platforms. Today the four car set has returned to service on local picnic trains, usually between Canberra and Bungendore. The Society's set 52 cars are: HFO 1111, a terminal car with guard's accommodation. It was built by Ritchie Bros., Auburn, in 1905 as a second class sitting car. It could accommodate 60 passengers in flip-over type seating. Electrication made the car set redundant in 1926 but a conversion at Eveleigh Carriage Works in 1936 saw it change to its current "tourist"-style car format with fixed seating and the addition of toilets, for inter-urban journeys. HFO 1276 was built in 1908 and converted in 1935 to its current "tourist"-style car format. The carriage was further modified in 1953, when seating was reduced to 28 and a large guard compartment took the place of seating in one half of the car. After this carriage came to the Society in 1975, the Society converted the guard's compartment into a refreshment and souvenir sales area. BI 1127 was built in 1905 and converted in 1936 to its current "tourist"-style car format. BI 1175 was built in 1905 and converted in 1936 to its current "tourist"-style car format. CBI 1259 is also a centre-aisle car from "set 52". The carriage was built in 1908 and converted in 1936 to its current "tourist"-style car format. The car was moved to Yass on 3 July 2001 for display at Yass Railway Museum.

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