This website and forums are for those interested in the South Maitland and Richmond Vale Railways, their past and current operations. It is also for those with an interest in other long closed lower Hunter coal lines.

                                    UPDATED - June 11th, 2017

EMAIL - PRHS. Society @ gmail . com (Remove Spaces)

SMR10 in steam at East Greta Junction - Photo: Stephen Carr

Contributions are urgently needed.

Please contact us if you can help.

Maps - Diagrams - Photographs - Information - News

Neath Station 2009 - Brad Peadon

Want to talk to other people with a similar interest in 

old Hunter coal lines?

Please come and join us on our Hunter Diamonds Yahoogroup to talk about all things related to the Hunter coal railways, past and present. Come meet others with a similar interest. Or seach for the 'South Maitland and Richmond Vale Railway SIG Forum' group on Facebook for the latest news and information.

'Coming Soon'

Neath Hotel Page

News sections are finally commenced.

If the South Maitland Railways are not just a bunch of coal lines but a passion.

Then you have found the website and forums for you.

Welcome Aboard!

Neath - Wayne Eade

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~~ FIRST QUAD TRIAL TO PELTON ~~

  On December 8th, 1988 the first  Quad Trial of four Branch Line Locomotives and 38 NHTF Coal Hoppers on the Pelton line took place on Thursday 8th December 1988, with 4706+4702+4893+4815 with Dynometer Car seen here on Down P469 Empty Coal to Pelton seen passing Neath at 8-16am.

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    The above photo shows the return of the Down 1st trial shown at the top,  problems were experienced with the triangle at Pelton so  4702 and 4706 were uncoupled and the 48 class reversed the train to the loader.
   The 47s then ran back and reattached to the 48 class, thus giving the sight of a different 47 in the lead on return.

  
  

  Photos and text thanks to Bob Bell.

Neath - South Minmi Railway

  No, I didn't make a spelling error. It is my way of covering myself from rivit counters complaining that I must to do things 100% 'South Maitland Railway' wise.
  It has been an idea for well over ten years, a semi started project for probably two, the building of Neath as a layout has indeed consumed a lot of my daydreaming time.
  First discovered the joys of Neath in the very late 80s, far to late to have been witness to steam (I did catch it on the Richmond Vale), but not to late to develop a deep interest in its operations past and present.
  Spent a good amount of time at the Neath signalbox, the friendly workers making finding trains a lot easier than is the case today.
  They were fun times, the kind you wish to remember always, and so the idea of Neath come forth.
  Admittedly  it does not have the wonderful busy shunting prospects of other areas along the South Maitland, Weston having been done a few times and others like Abermain, Caledonia and even Bellbird Junction probably having more operational possibility.
  However it is my memory and one I hope to retain long after the local vermin have destroyed whats left.
  What will it ultimately be?
  That's anybodies guess at the moment. Originally intended as a home layout, then a possible exhibition one if it ever met the standard, now it is likely to be much changed from the original plan to become a smaller home layout.
  For now I just potter on collecting rollingstock relevant to the project.

South Minmi Railway Blog (Coming Soon)                        
South Minmi Rollingstock (Coming Soon)

                                        

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Wikipedia - Richmond Vale Railway
Wikipedia - Hexham
Richmond Vale Railway Museum

~~ THE NEATH HOTEL ~~

Regular haunt of local railway history obsessives.

This page will contain photos, news and other items related to the hotel and news on our regular railfan evenings there.

For more information feel free to check back here or contact us at the following forums:
SMR/RVR SIG Facebook Group
SMR/RVR SIG Yahoogroup Forum
Neath Hotel Railfans and Obsessives Facebook Group

We look forward to meeting you.

~~ INSIDE NEATH SIGNALBOX ~~

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  With so much of the former coal lines now little more than some relics and great memories, many fans have turned to modelling the South Maitland and Richmond Vale Railways. 
  One of the more common subjects for modelling over the years has been the yard at Weston. One layout featuring this location was a regular at Australian model railway exhibitions over the years, while two other groups both recently unveiled their versions of the same location to the world, one of these being the Maitland Box group.
  Photos of both these layouts have appeared in AMRM, while shots of the Maitland based one have appeared on our Facebook site.
  If your interested in modelling the SMR or RVR, come join like minded people in our SIG forums.

  If your related modelling project appears on the internet, please let us know so we can provide a link.
  If you know of a new modelling item that may be of interest, also let us know and again we can provide a link.

Modelling Projects:
                               The Neath Station Project - Brad Peadon

                 MrX's 5inch SMR Adventure - David Xuereb (Coming Soon)

                             Weston - Coalfields Model Railway Club

Modelling Items:
                           What is available to run on your layout?

Stockrington Collieries

Swamp Rail Last Steam

STOCKRINGTON #2

The following details were kindly contributed by Peter Neve.

Yes, it was a tour - one week before the end of steam on the Singleton passenger service. The date was 18/07/1971 and the location was Cessnock station.

What makes it of particular interest and unique was that it was the operation of a tender-type locomotive on a passenger train on the branch. It was the lack of a turntable at Cessnock that "prevented" the use of tender locomotives during the period when the NSWGR operated the passenger services over the line. In fact, when the through-running "Cessnock Express" was introduced, the train's loaded weight was slightly over the allowable for the normal 30 class tank engine, so several were modified to operate at 15-lbs psi boiler pressure higher than standard, in order to haul the excess tonnage. This was later found to be a theoretical requirement, as the 30 class were able to handle the heavier theoretical load without problem. Particularly as the theoretical load would have had every seat occupied when the train traversed the ruling grade, and this would certainly not have been the case! If, however, an additional carriage was being conveyed through to Cessnock (instead of being detached with the change of locomotives in the down direction at Waratah), then a 32 class (fitted with a six-wheel tender) would be used. But this meant that the 32 class had to run tender-first light engine back from Cessnock to Maitland, to turn on the 50-ft turntable, then light engine tender-first again back to Cessnock, prior to stabling overnight for the following morning's return passenger working.

Yes, there were periods when tender locomotives operated coal trains over the branch; once back in the 1950s (I think) when floods closed the regular route through Maitland and NSWGR 50 class worked over the Richmond Vale Railway to Weston and the SMR. During a later period, RVR 2-8-0s filled in for 10 class for a while. I don't have photos of either, but I trust that Brian Andrews will find some for his book on the line.

Prior to the big Carriage Shed fire, SMR-hauled passenger trains operated into (West) Maitland station - hence the additional platforms there. The Operating Agreement was not terminated when the NSWGR took over after the fire ... and this also came in handy when SMR introduced its own railcars in, from memory, 1961. It was on the rare occasion of an enthusiasts tour that SMR steam worked into Maitland station in the latter years, such as for an ARHS tour to Weston on 10/08/1968 when I caught SMR.31 being passed by a diesel-hauled goods train.

Enjoy!

Cheers.

Pete.

~~ HAPPY 100th BIRTHDAY SMR10 ~~

On August 5th 2011 a special steam hauled tour from East Greta Junction to Neath was organised. It was the first time the 10 class have returned to the SMR in many years and the popularity of the event was plainly seen.

Tour patrons had lunch in the famous Neath Hotel, before reboarding for the trip home again.

Below is a selection of photographs taken on the day.

An evening celebration by SMR fans was held at the Neath Hotel after then event.