[NSW] 1979 ESR Automatic Ticketing

[Jonathan Lau <jonlau@ozemail.com.au>]

With the upcoming Airport line opening, does anyone remember anything
about the ESR magnetic ticketing system? In 1979, it was major
technological advance for the NSW Railways (PTC?).

I was only about 5 yrs old at the time, but I still remember the gates,
the ticket machines and being squashed to death on the opening day
trains with the souvenir magnetic ticket in hand!

Does anyone know:

1) Who installed the ESR ticketing system?

2) Why did it fall into "disrepair"?

3) When the system was removed?

As late as 1988/89 you could still buy the magnetic tickets, but the
gates were long out of action. I'm not sure when they removed the ESR
ticket machines at stations.

Jon Lau