This set will feature the Indian Red with 1 yellow band livery which superseded the 2 yellow band scheme.
This livery could be seen from the mid 1960s through to the early 1970s. Set 142 was allocated to the North Coast Daylight

This sets will feature the Candy livery as introduced in late 1982.  By this stage marshalling of sets had been
withdrawn and, as such, these cars are representative of the era,  The Candy Early set features
standard windows and the RS Buffet car fitted with external window grommets.

This sets will feature the Candy livery as seen in the mid 1980s.  By this stage marshalling of sets had been
withdrawn and, as such, these cars are representative of the era, The Candy Late Set features the ABS Dining
Car with external window grommets and Beclawat windows fitted to the sitting cars.

In August 1949 the first of an order of eight RUB sets were delivered to the New South Wales Government Railways.  Each set in the build was configured as two SBS first class cars, three SFS second class cars, an OFS/OBS (First /Second class) Hostess car, an RS buffet car and a PHS power van.  The sets were numbered from 140 to 147 and were  delivered in the Venetian Red and Russet livery.  Generally the RUBs operated as 8 car sets, although at times of reduced demand cars 2, 4 and /or 5 could be omitted.

Following delivery the sets were initially allocated as follows:

• Sets 140 and 141 to the Riverina Express - 140 in 1949 and 141 in 1950.
• Sets 142 and 143 to the Northern Tablelands Express in 1951.
• Set 144 to the Central West Express until Set 145 entered service then these two sets were allocated to the Northern Tablelands Express
  and sets 142 and 143 became the Central West Express.
• Sets 146 and 147 to the North Coast Daylight Express in 1953.

During 1954 the passenger car livery was changed to all over Indian Red with two buff lines, one 1” wide above the windows and the other 2” wide below the windows.  This livery remained until the early to mid 1960s when, in the interest of economy, instructions issued that the painting of the above window line was no longer to be done.  Later, this instruction was varied to include deletion of the below window lining as well, and in 1964 one RUB set appeared in this livery, however this livery was short lived and painting of the single buff line was reinstated.  Later, the above window line was also reinstated.  In early 1970 the decision was made to change the description SECOND class to ECONOMY.  Part of this policy also removed the need to identify on the car side the  passenger class applicable to the carriage.  In late 1982 the Candy scheme was introduced and over time this livery was applied, with a couple of exceptions, across the RUB car fleet.

During the 1950s through to the early 1970s set consists were modified to suit passenger needs as well as the sets being reallocated due to other rollingstock being delivered and replacing RUB rostered services.  A number of publication have documented this history of the RUB set allocations and for people interested in this facet of the RUB set story further reading is  recommended.  By the mid 1970s the use of Set marshalling of the cars was dispensed with and the individual cars could then be remarshalled with other stock as required. Various publications suggest the last of the set allocations were:

• Sets 140 and 141 - Brisbane Limited
• Sets 142 - North Coast Daylight
• Set 143 - Spare
• Sets 144 and 145 - Gold Coast Motorail
• Sets 146 and 147 - Intercapital Daylight

In July 1982 the North Coast Mail was upgraded with air-conditioned sitting cars as well as sleeping and dining facilities, the new service named the North Coast Overnight.  Initially this service worked to Murwillumbah before being shortened to Grafton City in 1985.  The service was withdrawn in late 1988.  Timetable changes to services to Armidale in late 1985 resulted in the Northern Tablelands XPT working three services per week and an air-conditioned sitting car consist working on alternate days to a different timetable.  This working remained until February 1990.  Also in February 1990 the locomotive hauled Brisbane Limited and Pacific Coast Motorail trains were replaced by XPT sets.  The release of the sitting cars from these workings resulted in them being transferred to Southern line services to Moss Vale, Goulburn and Canberra, as well as the overnight Sydney/Melbourne Express.  In June 1990 a loco hauled weekend service to Grafton was introduced, using a mixture of air-conditioned sitting cars.  In August 1991 the Intercapital Daylight and its then mixture of air-conditioned NSW and Victorian owned cars was withdrawn.  In July 1994 a Goulburn to Sydney service formed the last State Rail air-conditioned loco hauled sitting car working and in the following month these cars, plus other stored obsolete stock, was put up for auction.

Over their 45 year history a number of external modifications have been applied to the cars.   These include:

• Around 1960 the original bogies under the RS buffet cars were replaced with 2BS bogies. 
• During the 1970s replacement of the passenger car 2AN bogies with 2BS/2CA commenced and this continued into the 1980s. 
• On the PHS power vans most had the original guards ducket look out replaced with small fixed mirrors, although PHS 2290 was photographed in 1985 still with the original feature. 
• In the mid 1960s most of the PHS vans were fitted with larger replacement generator sets which entailed reconfiguration of the guards compartment and alterations to the windows and louvred car side openings.
• During the 1970s a number of the passenger type cars were fitted with a modified electrical box and electrical conduit along the side of the underframe. 
• In 1973 the first two RS buffet conversions to ABS Dining cars were completed and the cars rostered on the Gold Coast MotoRail.  In 1975/76 a further four cars were converted for use on the Brisbane Limited and the North Coast Daylight.
• In the mid 1980s, and to candy liveried cars, beclawat windows with an opening window at the top of the frame were fitted to a number of sitting cars.  These were provided so that windows could be opened if the air-conditioning failed.
• At various times over the years the car interiors were upgraded.  In some upgrades the internal layout was also reconfigured, this resulting in changes to the window appearance externally to the cars so modified.