V21, the eldest of 51 4-car electric multiple unit "V set" trains, descends the 1 in 33 gradient between Katoomba and Leura with an all-stations intercity service from Lithgow to Sydney's Central station as W530.

Clocking over 46 years since it rolled off the production line with Comeng in Granville, NSW, in October 1977. The double deck V set electric multiple units still remains as the "new intercity train" of the Blue Mountains line some 48 years later, first introduced in 1975 to Mount Victoria and 1978 to Lithgow.

Their replacement, the 'Mariyung' D set, is expected to enter service from 2024. The clock is ticking to see if the Blue Mountains will reach 50 years since its last new train.

The carriage pictured, DTM8036, was initially coded as a DCM, before modification work to allow for disability seating. During the CityRail 1990's "Citydecker" refurbishments, it also received fog lights, crew cab air-conditioning and a destination indicator, which became defunct in 2000, but is the result of the protruding headlight, unique to 13 in the fleet at the time.

Saturday 14th October 2023

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V47, with motorcar DJM8131 in the lead, heads up the 1 in 80 gradient between Mount Victoria and Blackheath known as "Soliders Bank", along the edge of the Megalong Valley with NSW TrainLink Intercity service W576 from Mount Victoria to Sydney's Central Station.

There were 8 different orders of the V Set electric multiple-unit trains from 1968 to 1988, with the first four for camshaft resistance control and the final four for GTO–4-quadrant chopper control. The lead motor car was part of the 7th order in 1987 as well as the accompanying trailer car. However, the second trailer car and rear motor car were from the 4th and 5th orders in 1982 with slight differences, albeit the entire consist is a consistent "chopper".

In the foreground was the site of a large landslide that was 40 metres long, 20m wide and 60m deep following torrential rain in early-July 2023. The line was closed for approximately a month to allow for the repair, with 40,000 tonnes of rock brought into the site to rebuild the cliff face.

Thanks to the landslide, it has opened up this gap in the line without trees, holding sunlight until it sets.

Friday 17th November 2023

Tags:   Blackheath New South Wales Australia

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DIM8040, one of two V set motor cars left in service that had the modification work for a destination board and recessed headlight, heads away from Penrith as W534 from Springwood to Sydney Terminal.

Tuesday 19th November 2019

Tags:   Sydney New South Wales Australia

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Following its overhaul at Maintrain, V23 heads away from Glenfield as 923- returning from Campbelltown on a trial run.

This is the 2nd last V set that will receive a CCO (with V25 in next) before the introduction of their replacements, the new intercity D set trains.

Friday 28th August 2020

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V5 races into Koolewong with a DOWN Newcastle service - 7/6/2013

Tags:   RailCorp CityRail V5 V Set Interurban Suburban

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