MILESTONE: Tangara Trains turn 30 (1988)

Source: State Rail. 1987. "It's Coming...Sydney's 21st Century train will be here for Christmas!" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, December 16: 39. 

This year, Sydney's Tangara Trains turn 30.

Introduced into service on Sydney's rail network in 1988, they are the third generation of electric trains to enter into service.

At present, there are 447 carriages in service, more than any other model on the network. The fleet servicing the Illawarra and Eastern Suburbs Rail Line (T4) are virtually Tangara's.

The Wran Government announced in 1984 that they would purchase 450 new carriages to operate on the rail network. At the time, Barrie Unsworth was Transport Minister. Designs for the train were finalised the following year. Capacity would be approximately 2 200, compared with 2 050 on existing double decker trains.

Source: State Rail. 1988. "A ticket to the 21st Century" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, January 11: 6. 

Tangara (Aboriginal word for "to go") promised 21st-century features and a number of firsts for Sydney Trains including:

• Electronic Final Destination Indicators (eventually installed on S set trains).
• Security Cameras
• Air conditioning
• Vandal Resistant features e.g. fixed seating which was not popular with commuters. 
• Better Seating and legroom
• Bigger Windows
• Reduced Noise inside and outside.
• Smoother Acceleration and Breaking.

Above: Advertisement promoting the Tangara. Date unknown.

Some Tangara's were configured for intercity services providing toilets, reversible seating and luggage racks. However, when Tangara's were confined to suburban services in recent years, toilets were removed. 

The Tangara made its first appearance on December 20, 1987, at Central Station. By now, Unsworth was Premier.  

Source: Russell, M. 1987. "Transport on track for next century". The Daily Telegraph, December 21: 5. 

On January 28, 1988 it made its first trip from Rockdale to Oatley. 

Source: Nicholson, N. 1988. "Voters' express: tickets, please". The Daily Telegraph, January 29: 5.

It must be noted that Rockdale was in Unsworth's electorate of the same name and the most marginal seat for Labor in NSW. Oatley was in the margnial seat of Georges River held by Housing Minister Frank Walker. It was a good political ploy with a State Election weeks away. 

Source: Anon. 1988. "Commuters give train thumbs-up". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, February 2: 5. 

Sadly for Unsworth, Tangara's would not operate on timetabled services until just after the 1988 State Election which saw the end of 12 years of Labor Government in NSW. According to The Daily Telegraph, they commenced operating on timetabled services on April 12, 1988. 

Source: Clark, S. 1988. "Tangara proves it's on the right track". The Daily Telegraph, July 20: page unknown. 

The rollout of Tangara carriages continued until 1995. 

Additional Entry on Tangara Trains

Added October 2022

1988: The arrival of Tangara Trains - More advertisements

NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Donald Trump and Sydney's proposed casino (1986) - NEW FINDINGS

Last year, I shared some material relating to a proposal by Donald Trump to construct a casino resort complex on the eastern side of Cockle Bay at Darling Harbour.

This week, NSW Cabinet papers from 1987 were made to the public. In addition, The Australian last month had revealed information relating to how the Unsworth Government (1986-1988) handled his proposal to build a casino resort and will provide a short summary of the material.

Above: Donald Trump's Casino Resort proposal for Darling Harbour (1986).

We now have a model of what Trump's resort would have looked like which was published in The Australian on Friday. As I mentioned, Harry Seidler was commissioned as the architect by Trump. The hotel tower reminds me of Shell House in Melbourne.

Sydney was being promised something special. It would look quite dated by today's standards and perhaps a redevelopment might have been in order.

Last year, I referred to a report from The Sydney Morning Herald from May 1987. Trump had tried to evade police checks required for operators of casinos in NSW. Cabinet Minutes show that while the concept had "public appeal", a NSW Police Board Report had suggested that Trump had links to the Mafia. Financial viability was also identified as a concern by CIBC Australia.

While the Darling Harbour Redevelopment Authority and the Casino Operations Board were satisified with the Trump proposal, it (along with three other proposed schemes) were rejected by Cabinet.

1986: Donald Trump and Sydney's proposed casino

Darling Park could have been home to Donald Trump's Hotel and Casino Resort. Photo was taken by the Author.

Donald Trump has been elected in the past week as the President of the United States, succeeding Barack Obama.

And it just happened in this past week, I came across a 1990 clipping from The Daily Telegraph where the man himself revealed plans to build one of his famous casino resorts here in Sydney, and that led me to finding out a little more his plans.

His unsuccessful quest to build a casino in Sydney dates back to 1986 when Barrie Unsworth was the Premier of NSW.

The proposed location was not where The Star casino is located. It was planned for Darling Harbour on the current site of the Darling Park office complex and Cockle Bay Wharf.

On November 10, 1986, Trump's intentions to seek a casino licence were reported in The Sydney Morning Herald. 

The hotel and casino complex would be designed by architect Harry Seidler, who would be flown to view his casino's in Atlantic City, New Jersey to guide him in creating the design.

Trump's position was:

Sydney's a wonderful city. and if properly done, this could be a tremendous success for Sydney and everyone involved.  It's a great concept, if it's well executed.

He did face competition with up to a fifteen tenders involved and was shortlisted as one of five tenders in December 1986. In May 1987, Trump had been eliminated with Genting and Civil & Civic the only contractor remaining. They also would eventually be dropped.

Like the scrutiny with James Packer & Crown Resorts in terms of police and government checks with his project at Barangaroo, Trump appeared to try to advert these checks as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald in May 1987. Think about his reluctance to give details as part of his presidential campaign relating to his business dealings.

Source: McLean, P. 1990. "Trump bid on cards for casino". The Daily Telegraph, January 10, 7. 

Trump continued his campaign for several years and it bubbled back to the surface in 1990. He told The Sun Herald on April 22, he said Sydney would have one of the world's greatest casino's. Another interesting comparison with James Packer who wants Sydney to have the world's greatest casino. He did feel that the State Government wasn't interested.

We probably lost an opportunity from the same ineptness from our politicians that Trump seems to believe is plaguing politicians in his home country. If you look at the history of his "empire" of three casinos, they were doomed to fail. His third casino Trump Taj Mahal opened in 1990 in  Atlantic City. Upon opening it was the world's biggest casino. Struggling to pay debts, the casinos were floated on the American Stock Market as Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts in June 1995.

Financial problems continued to plague the Casino's with Trump in charge and the company declared bankruptcy in 2004. It is believed that Trump moved away from the company in 2006 and still battled with threats of bankruptcy for the next decade. It was not helped by the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-09

Two of his Atlantic City casino's no longer exist Trump Plaza closed in 2014, Trump Taj Mahal closed this year. However, his third casino in Atlantic City - Trump Marina was sold and is now a second incarnation of the Golden Nugget Atlantic City Brand.

So if Sydney did have a Trump Hotel & Casino, it would still be around.

It's obvious that the State Government would not want a casino to close. It might have meant a change in management at worst to keep it going.

Sydney is a major international city and a popular tourist destination for international tourists. Atlantic City has had competition from Las Vegas and closer to home in the United States, the rise of gambling in New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland and preference for air travel.

As for location, it would have been located as mentioned on the current site of the Darling Park complex and Cockle Bay Wharf.

But even if Trump Sydney was turning over a profit, it may have had to subsidise the operations in Atlantic City and service the debt. It may have not even been enough to save them.

Had Trump been put in a position to sell, it would probably have been too late for Crown to buy the casino with preparations for his Barangaroo Casino Resort well advanced in 2014.

Then again its only predictions.