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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Dorrigo Steam Railway And Museum
The Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum in Dorrigo, New South Wales, Australia is a large, privately owned collection of railway vehicles and equipment from the railways of New South Wales, covering both Government and private railways. The collection dates from 1878 until 1985.

Status

The museum was opened very briefly in 1986, but has been described as "not yet open to the public" ever since.

History

The museum's origins stem from the formation of the Hunter Valley Steam Railway & Museum in 1973 which was formed following the closure of the Glenreagh to Dorrigo branch line the previous year with the aim of restoring the 69 kilometres as a tourist railway. Much of the rolling stock was stored at the former Rhondda Colliery, three kilometres from Cockle Creek while the line was repaired. It was renamed the Dorrigo Steam Railway & Museum in 1982.

On 20 December 1984, the section from Glenreagh to Lowanna was reopened with 5069 hauling the first train. On 5 April 1986 the line was opened through to Dorrigo, with a steam hauled service hauled by 3028 and 5069, operating the first service over the final 13 kilometres from Megan through to the terminus with 300 members on board. At this stage the line still needed further work before trains could operate on it regularly. This was completed in October 1986.

However, before operations could begin, a faction within the museum's membership commenced legal action over the ownership of the collection and the line fell back into a state of disrepair. The dispute was finally resolved in February 1999 with the Glenreagh to Ulong section of the line sold to the Glenreagh Mountain Railway and the Ulong to Dorrigo section sold to the Dorrigo Steam Railway & Museum. By 2017, it had the largest collection in the world with 75 locomotives, 19 railmotors and 280 carriages and wagons.

Preservation

Ex-NSWGR Steam Locomotives
No. Description Manufacturer Year Location Status Ref
1904 0-6-0 passenger Beyer, Peacock & Company 1877 Dorrigo stored
2414 2-6-0 goods Dübs & Company 1891 Dorrigo stored
2535 2-6-0 passenger Beyer, Peacock & Company 1883 Dorrigo stored
3028 4-6-0 mixed traffic Beyer, Peacock & Company 1904 Dorrigo stored
3046 4-6-4T passenger Beyer, Peacock & Company 1908 Dorrigo stored
3813 4-6-2 express passenger Cardiff Locomotive Workshops 1946 Dorrigo parts only
5069 2-8-0 passenger Beyer, Peacock & Company 1903 Dorrigo stored
5132 2-8-0 goods Clyde Engineering 1909 Dorrigo stored
5353 2-8-0 goods Clyde Engineering 1913 Dorrigo stored
ROD 20 2-8-0 North British Locomotive Company 1918 Dorrigo static display
ROD 24 2-8-0 Gorton Locomotive Works 1918 Dorrigo static display
5920 2-8-2 goods Baldwin Locomotive Works 1953 Dorrigo stored
6039 4-8-4+4-8-4 goods Beyer, Peacock & Company 1956 Dorrigo stored
6042 4-8-4+4-8-4 goods Beyer, Peacock & Company 1956 Forbes stored
Ex-Private Steam Locomotives
No. Description Manufacturer Year In Service Railway Location Status Ref
Juno 0-4-0ST Andrew Barclay Sons & Co 1922 Commonwealth Steel Co Dorrigo stored
3 0-6-0ST Kitson & Company 1878 J & A Brown Dorrigo stored
3 2-6-0T Andrew Barclay Sons & Co 1911 Blue Circle Southern Cement Dorrigo stored
4 0-4-0T HK Porter 1915 Commonwealth Steel Co Dorrigo stored
5 0-6-0T Andrew Barclay Sons & Co 1916 Blue Circle Southern Cement Dorrigo stored
Corby 0-4-0T Peckett & Sons 1943 Tubemakers of Australia Dorrigo stored
Marian 0-4-0T Andrew Barclay Sons & Co 1948 John Lysaght Dorrigo stored
Badger 0-6-0T Australian Iron & Steel 1943 Australian Iron & Steel Dorrigo stored
SMR 14 0-8-2T Avonside Engine Company 1909 South Maitland Railway Dorrigo stored
N/A 0-4-0 Appleby 1900 Hexham Engineering Dorrigo stored
SMR 17 2-8-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 1915 South Maitland Railways Dorrigo stored
SMR 20 2-8-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 1915 South Maitland Railways Dorrigo stored
SMR 23 2-8-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 1915 South Maitland Railways Dorrigo stored
SMR 26 2-8-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 1915 South Maitland Railways Dorrigo stored
SMR 27 2-8-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 1915 South Maitland Railways Dorrigo stored
SMR 28 2-8-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 1915 South Maitland Railways Dorrigo stored
SMR 31 2-8-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 1915 South Maitland Railways Dorrigo stored

Other locomotives

References

  1. ^ Exhibit List No 39 Dorrigo Steam & Railway Museum 17 April 2013
  2. ^ "Welcome to our web site". Dorrigo Steam Railway & Museum.
  3. ^ Gunton, George (1996). Travellers in Time: Living History in Australia. Oceans Enterprises. p. 109. ISBN 0 958665 70 2.
  4. ^ An Operating Museum for the Hunter Valley Railway Digest August 1973 page 11
  5. ^ Hunter Valley Steam Railway & Museum Continental Railway Journal issue 25 March 1976 page 404
  6. ^ Dorrigo Steam Railway & Museum Continental Railway Journal issue 55 September 1983 page 181
  7. ^ Dorrigo Reopens Railway Digest March 1985 page 82
  8. ^ Dorrigo Re-opened Railway Digest July 1986
  9. ^ Dorrigo Steam Railway & Museum Continental Railway Journal issue 68 December 1986 page 228
  10. ^ Dorrigo's Army Railway Digest November 1986 page 336
  11. ^ Dorrigo court case dismissed Railway Digest July 1991 page 229
  12. ^ Dorrigo Line Breakthrough Railway Digest March 1999 page 15
  13. ^ A day out at the Dorrigo Steam Railway & Museum Railway Digest August 2017 pages 46-50
  14. ^ 3028T australiansteam.com
  15. ^ 3046 australiansteam.com
  16. ^ Landlocked giant left to rust in peace Track & Signal November 2019 pages 86/87
  17. ^ "Historic engines to go". Maitland Mercury. 11 July 2013.
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