Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum

The Dorrigo Steam Railway & 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]

Dorrigo Steam Railway & Museum
Engines and carriages stored at the Dorrigo Steam Railway & Museum in August 2005
LocationDorrigo
Coordinates30.333701°S 152.707458°E / -30.333701; 152.707458
TypeRailway museum
Websitewww.dsrm.org.au

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 Dorrigo Steam Railway & Museum Limited 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.

On 20 December 1984 the section from Glenreagh to Lowanna was reopened with 5069 hauling the first train.[4] 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.[5] At this stage the line still needed further work before trains could operate on it regularly. This was completed in October 1986.[6]

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.[7] 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.[8]

Preservation
Ex-NSWGR Steam Locomotives
No.DescriptionManufacturerYearLocationStatusRef
19040-6-0 passengerBeyer, Peacock and Company1877Dorrigo stored
24142-6-0 goodsDübs and Company1891Dorrigostored
25352-6-0 passengerBeyer, Peacock and Company1883Dorrigo stored
30284-6-0 mixed trafficBeyer, Peacock and Company1904Dorrigo stored [9]
30464-6-4T passengerBeyer, Peacock and Company1908Dorrigo stored [10]
38134-6-2 express passengerCardiff Locomotive Workshops1946Dorrigoparts only
50692-8-0 passengerBeyer, Peacock and Company1903Dorrigo stored
51322-8-0 goodsClyde Engineering1909Dorrigo stored
53532-8-0 goodsClyde Engineering1913Dorrigo stored
59202-8-2 goodsBaldwin Locomotive Works1953Dorrigostored
60394-8-4+4-8-4 goodsBeyer, Peacock and Company1956Dorrigostored
60424-8-4+4-8-4 goodsBeyer, Peacock and Company1956Forbesstored
Ex-Private Steam Locomotives
No.DescriptionManufacturerYearIn Service RailwayLocationStatusRef
Juno0-4-0STAndrew Barclay Sons & Co.1922Commonwealth Steel Co. Ltd.Dorrigo stored
30-6-0STKitson and Company1878J. & A. BrownDorrigo stored
32-6-0TAndrew Barclay Sons & Co.1911Blue Circle Southern CementDorrigo stored
40-4-0TH. K. Porter, Inc1915Commonwealth Steel CoDorrigo stored
50-6-0TAndrew Barclay Sons & Co.1916Blue Circle Southern CementDorrigo stored
Corby0-4-0TPeckett and Sons1943Tubemakers of Australia LtdDorrigo stored
Marian0-4-0TAndrew Barclay Sons & Co.1948John Lysaght (Aust.) LimitedDorrigo stored
Badger0-6-0TAustralian Iron & Steel1943Australian Iron & SteelDorrigo stored
SMR 140-8-2TAvonside Engine Company1909South Maitland Railway/Peko-WallsendDorrigo stored
N/A0-4-0Appleby1900Hexham EngineeringDorrigo stored
SMR 172-8-2TBeyer, Peacock and Company1915South Maitland RailwaysDorrigo stored[11]
SMR 202-8-2TBeyer, Peacock and Company1915South Maitland RailwaysDorrigo stored[11]
SMR 232-8-2TBeyer, Peacock and Company1915South Maitland RailwaysDorrigo stored[11]
SMR 262-8-2TBeyer, Peacock and Company1915South Maitland RailwaysDorrigo stored[11]
SMR 272-8-2TBeyer, Peacock and Company1915South Maitland RailwaysDorrigo stored[11]
SMR 282-8-2TBeyer, Peacock and Company1915South Maitland RailwaysDorrigo stored[11]
SMR 312-8-2TBeyer, Peacock and Company1915South Maitland RailwaysDorrigo stored[11]

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. "Dorrigo Reopens" Railway Digest March 1985 page 82
  5. "Dorrigo Re-opened" Railway Digest July 1986
  6. "Dorrigo's Army" Railway Digest November 1986 Page 336
  7. "Dorrigo court case dismissed" Railway Digest July 1991 Page 229
  8. "Dorrigo Line Breakthrough" Railway Digest March 1999 Page 15
  9. 3028T australiansteam.com
  10. 3046 australiansteam.com
  11. "Historic engines to go". Maitland Mercury. 11 July 2013.
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