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South Maitland Railway Pty Ltd No. 25 10-class 2-8-2T |
This old scanned photo shows SMR 25 leading SMR 24 at the official Richmond Vale Railway opening day in 1991.
'Marjorie' is alongside with a rake of 4-wheel hoppers on a demonstration coal train.
This locomotive was built by Beyer Peacock & Co as their builder's number 6126 of 1923, becoming No.25 of the South Maitland Railway Pty Ltd's very successful "10-class" 2-8-2T locomotives. (a) No.25 was one of a number of repeat orders by the SMR for additional 10-class locomotives; this class eventually numbered 14 examples. (c)
SMR 25 was one of the 10-class locos that had been transferred to Coal & Allied's Hexham shed for coal train duties between Stockrington Colliery and the Hexham Washery, where they replaced the ex- J & A Brown 2-8-2T locomotives No.9 & No.10. This duty was the final remnant of the once extensive Richmond Vale Railway system, however it too succumbed to closure in 1987.
Fortunately the four 10-class locomotives retired at Hexham were obtained for preservation by the Richmond Vale Railway Museum, together with approximately 50 of the 4-wheel non-air coal hoppers and several brake vans, and transferred to their Richmond Main Colliery site. (c) SMR 25 arrived at the Richmond Vale Railway Museum on 6 July 1989 and first steamed at Richmond Main on 18 November 1990. (b) Here SMR 25 operated in an attractive lined green livery and was a regular performer on the "Link Line" museum services to the neighboring Pelaw Main Colliery site. (c) SMR 25 was withdrawn for ten year boiler inspection in September 1999 and remains stored awaiting boiler lift & mechanical repairs. (b)
References
| a | McNicol, S. 'Coals to Maitland', Railmac Publications, 1982. |
| b | Emails from J. Mullier received on 29 August 2010 & 7 October 2010 |
| c | Personal comment or observation. |
Page updated: 4 November 2010
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