 | |||||
South Maitland Railways From its humble beginnings in the 1890s, the South Maitland Railways (SMR) grew to an extensive private network serving many of the collieries in the Cessnock-Maitland area of the Hunter Valley in NSW. Legend has it that during the peak traffic times of WW2, 48 trains were recorded on the system in 24 hours. During my years photographing the line from 1973 to the finish of steam on the SMR in June 1983, all the trains were hauled by the 10 class, a Beyer Peacock loco based on the saturated Standard Goods design used by the NSWGR up almost the end of steam on that system in 1974. In all, 13 of 10 Class loco were imported from Manchester, England, commencing with the class leader #10 in November 1907. All the 10 class survived scrapping and the various organisations that bought them have plans to run most, if not all of them in the not too distant future. The most active survivor is at present is #18 which can be seen running the Cockatoo Train, a regular tourist passenger train for 3801 Ltd between Unanderra and Robertson, south of Sydney. | |||||
Select Page: [ 1 ] [ 2 ] | |||||
|
.: Photo: Dennis Rittson :.
(August 1979) N? 10 drags some wagons up the steep grade in the yard near Aberdare, to complete the making up of a train for the return journey to East Greta J... |
 |
 |
 |
|
.: Photo: Dennis Rittson :.
(July 1979) N? 10 in the yard at East Greta Junction, the junction of the South Maitland Railways line with the Main North, Near Maitland. The Various work a... |
|
.: Photo: Dennis Rittson :.
(October 1979) Class leader SMR N? 10 and an unknown sister engine plod purposefully up Denman Bank with a load of empties bound for Pelton Colliery one foggy w... |
|
 |
 |
|
.: Photo: Dennis Rittson :.
(July 1979) Time is fast running out for steam on the SMR in this early morning shot. N? 17 and N? 22 leave an impressive vapour trail, as they take a run ac... |
|
.: Photo: Dennis Rittson :.
(July 1978) N? 17, bound for either Bellbird or Pelton, approaches the camera rather cautiously as she picks her way along the rickety track in the deep cutt... |
|
 |
 |
|
.: Photo: Dennis Rittson :.
(October 1979) The sun is yet to rise as N? 17 works away from East Greta Junction with a load of empties bound for loading at Aberdare Colliery, near Cessnock. |
|
.: Photo: Dennis Rittson :.
(August 1979) Shunting is not without its hazards. N? 20 patiently awaits the success of the efforts of the breakdown crew to rerail her after splitting a set ... |
|
 |
 |
|
.: Photo: Dennis Rittson :.
(No Date) N? 20 has just taken on a load of coal at the East Greta Depot loader, before her next duties are determined. |
|
.: Photo: Dennis Rittson :.
(August 1979) Track workers on the up line seem unconcerned at the approach of N? 20 and a sister loco, as the Pelton bound train slows for the approaching lev... |
|
 |
 |
|
.: Photo: Dennis Rittson :.
(September 1977) N?'s 22 & 18 take water at Aberdare Station, having just brought a load of non-air hoppers into the colliery yard. The train they will take back ... |
|
.: Photo: Dennis Rittson :.
(August 1979) The normally sedate pace of steam operations on the SMR is now here to be seen as N?'s 22 and 30 charge? Caledonia Bank in full cry with a fully ... |
|
 |
 |
|
.: Photo: Dennis Rittson :.
(August 1979) The normally sedate pace of steam operations on the SMR is now here to be seen as N?'s 22 and 30 charge? Caledonia Bank in full cry with a fully ... |
|
.: Photo: Dennis Rittson :.
(November 1980) The Cessnock Road overbridge at Weston frames an approaching train on its way to Aberdare. |
|
 |
 |
|
.: Photo: Dennis Rittson :.
(No Date) A predawn shot using High Speed ektachrome. |
|
.: Photo: Dennis Rittson :.
(May 1978) Stormy clouds allow the sunlight to peek through so that N? 26 can pose for the photographers as she slogs her way up Denman Bank near Neath. |
|
 |
 |
|
.: Photo: Dennis Rittson :.
(August 1979) N? 26 and an unidentified sister engine charge through Neath Junction for the long haul up Neath Bank, on their way to Pelton. |
|
.: Photo: Dennis Rittson :.
(July 1978) Loading is almost complete for N?27 and sister engine at the Pelton Colliery. |
|
 |
 |
|
.: Photo: Dennis Rittson :.
(No Date) No information. |
|
.: Photo: Dennis Rittson :.
(July 1979) N? 30 is about 2km out of East Greta Junction as she heads towards Aberdare Colliery with yet another load of empties. |
|
 |
 |
|
.: Photo: Dennis Rittson :.
(August 1979) Neath Bank is the ruling grade facing the empties on the way out to the collieries past Neath Junction. Here, N?s 30 & 22 put on a good show for ... |
Select Page: [ 1 ] [ 2 ] | |||||