Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum
Engines and carriages stored at the Dorrigo Steam Railway & Museum in August 2005
Former name
Hunter Valley Steam Railway & Museum
Established1973
LocationDorrigo
Coordinates30°20′01″S 152°42′27″E / 30.333701°S 152.707458°E / -30.333701; 152.707458
TypeRailway museum
Websitewww.dsrm.org.au

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.[1]

Status

The museum was opened very briefly in 1986, but has been described as "not yet open to the public" ever since.[2]

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.[3] Much of the rolling stock was stored at the former Rhondda Colliery, three kilometres from Cockle Creek while the line was repaired.[4][5] It was renamed the Dorrigo Steam Railway & Museum in 1982.[6]

On 20 December 1984, the section from Glenreagh to Lowanna was reopened with 5069 hauling the first train.[7] 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.[8][9] At this stage the line still needed further work before trains could operate on it regularly. This was completed in October 1986.[10]

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.[11] 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.[12] By 2017, it had the largest collection in the world with 75 locomotives, 19 railmotors and 280 carriages and wagons.[13]

Preservation

Ex-NSWGR Steam Locomotives
No.DescriptionManufacturerYearLocationStatusRef
19040-6-0 passengerBeyer, Peacock & Company1877Dorrigo stored
24142-6-0 goodsDübs & Company1891Dorrigostored
25352-6-0 passengerBeyer, Peacock & Company1883Dorrigo stored
30284-6-0 mixed trafficBeyer, Peacock & Company1904Dorrigo stored [14]
30464-6-4T passengerBeyer, Peacock & Company1908Dorrigo stored [15]
38134-6-2 express passengerCardiff Locomotive Workshops1946Dorrigoparts only
50692-8-0 passengerBeyer, Peacock & Company1903Dorrigo stored
51322-8-0 goodsClyde Engineering1909Dorrigo stored
53532-8-0 goodsClyde Engineering1913Dorrigo stored
ROD 202-8-0North British Locomotive Company1918Dorrigo static display
ROD 242-8-0Gorton Locomotive Works1918Dorrigo static display
59202-8-2 goodsBaldwin Locomotive Works1953Dorrigostored
60394-8-4+4-8-4 goodsBeyer, Peacock & Company1956Dorrigostored
60424-8-4+4-8-4 goodsBeyer, Peacock & Company1956Forbesstored [16]
Ex-Private Steam Locomotives
No.DescriptionManufacturerYearIn Service RailwayLocationStatusRef
Juno0-4-0STAndrew Barclay Sons & Co1922Commonwealth Steel CoDorrigo stored
30-6-0STKitson & Company1878J & A BrownDorrigo stored
32-6-0TAndrew Barclay Sons & Co1911Blue Circle Southern CementDorrigo stored
40-4-0THK Porter1915Commonwealth Steel CoDorrigo stored
50-6-0TAndrew Barclay Sons & Co1916Blue Circle Southern CementDorrigo stored
Corby0-4-0TPeckett & Sons1943Tubemakers of AustraliaDorrigo stored
Marian0-4-0TAndrew Barclay Sons & Co1948John LysaghtDorrigo stored
Badger0-6-0TAustralian Iron & Steel1943Australian Iron & SteelDorrigo stored
SMR 140-8-2TAvonside Engine Company1909South Maitland RailwayDorrigo stored
N/A0-4-0Appleby1900Hexham EngineeringDorrigo stored
SMR 172-8-2TBeyer, Peacock & Company1915South Maitland RailwaysDorrigo stored[17]
SMR 202-8-2TBeyer, Peacock & Company1915South Maitland RailwaysDorrigo stored[17]
SMR 232-8-2TBeyer, Peacock & Company1915South Maitland RailwaysDorrigo stored[17]
SMR 262-8-2TBeyer, Peacock & Company1915South Maitland RailwaysDorrigo stored[17]
SMR 272-8-2TBeyer, Peacock & Company1915South Maitland RailwaysDorrigo stored[17]
SMR 282-8-2TBeyer, Peacock & Company1915South Maitland RailwaysDorrigo stored[17]
SMR 312-8-2TBeyer, Peacock & Company1915South Maitland RailwaysDorrigo stored[17]

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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Historic engines to go". Maitland Mercury. 11 July 2013.
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