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South Maitland Railway Pty Ltd No. 10 Class Leader of the SMR 10-class |
This photo (courtesy of Mark Newton) shows SMR10 at the former SMR workshop at East Greta, in April 1995.
This locomotive was built by Beyer Peacock & Co as their builder's number 5520 of 1912 and was allocated No. 10 on the South Maitland Railway Pty Ltd's roster. (a) The design was apparently judged very successful as the South Maitland Railways placed several repeat orders for additional "10-class" locomotives up to 1926, with the class finally numbering 14 examples. (e)
The majority of the 10-class locomotives became surplus to requirements following cessation of steam haulage on the South Maitland Railway system in 1983, although four of the class remained in operation at Hexham until closure of the Stockrington Colliery line in 1987. Fortunately the 10-class locomotives and the South Maitland Railway running shed were classified by the National Trust and the entire class passed into preservation. (e)
SMR 10 was retained at the former South Maitland Railway Pty Ltd's workshops and running shed at East Greta following the cessation of SMR steam operations in 1987 and the subsequent transfer of the other 10-class locomotives to the Rothbury Riot Railway. SMR 10 was occasionally steamed at East Great for special events (such as the Hunter Valley Steam Fest) during this period.
SMR
10 was reported in 2004 as dismantled for overhaul at the Rothbury Riot Railway at Branxton in the Hunter Valley. (c) It returned to steam in September 2005. (d)SMR 10 (together with SMR 18) had been stored at the Rothbury Riot Railway, Branxton on behalf of the Hunter Valley Training Company in recent years however I understand they were returned to their former South Maitland Railway workshops site at East Greta in October 2010. (e)
SMR10 double heads 3801 through Warabrook heading to
Newcastle taken Friday 16 September 2005; photo by Paul Bird.
References
| a | McNicol, S. 'Coals to Maitland', Railmac Publications, 1982. |
| b | Continental Railway Journal' No.136 Winter 2003/04, published by Continental Railway Circle, page 102 |
| c | 'Light Railways - Australia's Magazine of Industrial & Narrow Gauge Railways', Number 175, February 2004. Published by Light Railway Research Society of Australia Inc. |
| d | Email from Paul Bird on 20 November 2008. |
| e | Personal comment or observation. |
Page updated: 2 November 2010