The South Maitland Railway was an extensive network of privately owned colliery and passenger railway lines which served the South Maitland coalfields in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia and were the second last system in Australia to use steam haulage, having used steam locomotives until 1983.
The last section was mothballed in March 2020 after operations at the Austar coal mine in Pelton were suspended.China's Yancoal puts Austar mine at Cessnock on care and maintenance Newcastle Herald 24 January 2020News Railway Digest April 2020 page 12 On 2 March 2022, remaining assets were sold to Aurizon; these included the sidings at East Greta and the remaining line from East Greta Junction to the former site of Bellbird Junction.
Aboriginal heritage The location of the South Maitland railway corridor was a songline and travel route for the original inhabitants.
Lines worked by the SMR
The first section of the line was opened to East Greta in 1893. This line was built by the East Greta Coal Mining Company to service their East Greta Colliery. This colliery was joined in 1896 by the East Greta No.2 Colliery which was located towards Maitland.
In 1901, the railway line was extended from East Greta to Stanford Merthyr Colliery which was also owned by the East Greta Company. This line initially also served Pelaw Main Colliery (owned by J & A Brown) & Heddon Greta Colliery. Haulage from Pelaw Main only lasted a short period as, after the 1905 opening of the nearby J & A Brown owned Richmond Vale Railway, the coal from this colliery was hauled over the RVR line to Hexham. Several small collieries were later opened along the Stanford Merthyr branch.
In 1901, the Australian Agricultural Company and the Aberdare Collieries of NSW Ltd commenced construction of the Aberdare Railway to Cessnock, this line branched off the Stanford Merthyr line at a point that was named Aberdare Junction. This line was opened in stages, the section to Weston being opened on 29 December 1902, with the final section to Cessnock being completed in February 1904.
A passenger service ran over this line terminating at Cessnock station. Several collieries were soon opened adjoining this line, being Hebburn Colliery (later Hebburn No.1) at Weston by the AA Co. in 1901, Abermain Colliery (later Abermain No.1) at Abermain by the Abermain Coal Co. in 1903, Neath Colliery at Neath by the Wickham & Bullock Island Coal Co in 1906 and Aberdare Colliery at Caledonia by Caledonian Collieries Ltd in 1905.
With the expansion of traffic the single track main line was duplicated in sections, the first being from East Greta Junction to East Greta in August 1903, followed by East Greta to Aberdare Junction in September 1906. Duplication to Cessnock was completed in February 1912. The Stanford Merthyr branch from Aberdare Junction to Standford Merthyr remained single track.
In 1906, an end-on junction was made at Cessnock station for a short branch to Aberdare Extended Colliery. In 1911, a branch line was constructed off the Aberdare Railway main line at Bellbird Junction (near Cessnock) to Bellbird Colliery by the Hetton Coal Co, which entered into an agreement with the East Greta Co for coal haulage. In 1916, this branch was extended to Pelton Colliery which was being developed by the Newcastle Wallsend Coal Co. In 1913, Caledonian Collieries constructed a branch line off the Aberdare railway main line to Aberdare South Colliery, and this was followed in 1914 by a separate branch to Aberdare Central Colliery.
In 1917, a second branch line was constructed from Bellbird Junction by the Wickham & Bullock Island Coal Co to their new Cessnock Colliery (later Cessnock No.2). In the 1920s, they extended this line to Kalingo Colliery (later Cessnock No.1). Several branch lines were built off the Kalingo extension to service collieries owned by other companies.
Lines worked by the coal companies In 1912, the Abermain Coal Co. constructed a branch line to Abermain No.2 Colliery at Kearsley. This branch line and the existing Abermain No.1 Colliery sidings were then worked by the Abermain Co. using their own locomotives to the exchange sidings at Abermain where the East Greta Co. (& later SMR) would then work the trains to and from East Greta Junction. In 1923, Abermain Seaham Collieries Ltd opened Abermain No.3 Colliery on this branch.
When opened by the AA Co., Hebburn No.1 Colliery was worked by locomotives owned by the AA Co. which shunted the trains to and from a set of exchange sidings that were adjacent to Weston station. In 1918, the Hebburn Limited (the successors to the AA Co.) constructed a branch line from the exchange sidings to Hebburn No.2 Colliery, and this line was also worked by Hebburn Ltd using their own locomotives. In 1924, the Hebburn branch was further extended to Elrington Colliery which was jointly owned by Hebburn Ltd and BHP. This extension was also worked by the Hebburn locomotives to the exchange sidings at Weston.
Passenger services
In June 1902, a passenger service commenced between East Greta Junction and Stanford Merthyr. Intermediate stations were at East Greta and Heddon Greta, and, with the construction of the Aberdare Railway to Cessnock, a station named Aberdare Junction was opened at the junction of the Aberdare & Stanford Railways. Stations were also initially opened at Weston, Abermain, Caledonia and Cessnock, with further stations latter opening at B Siding, North Kurri Kurri and Neath. Passengers had to make their own way between East Greta Junction and West Maitland stations and this was the source of many complaints. During 1903, the service was extended to West Maitland. The connection to the government passenger service was further improved in 1905 when a platform was constructed at West Maitland for the use of East Greta trains.
These trains were operated by the East Greta Coal Mining Co, initially using a number of second hand ex New South Wales Government Railways (NSWGR) 4 and 6 wheel passenger carriages. In the following years, additional similar carriages were obtained with the total of these ex NSWGR railway carriages reaching 20. From 1908 to 1925, 16 new bogie end platform carriages similar to the carriages running on the NSWGR were also obtained. A carriage shed was constructed at East Greta Junction to house the passenger carriages when not in use. With the opening of the line to Cessnock, passenger services were also operated from Cessnock to Maitland. Stations on this line were located at Aberdare Junction, Bee Siding, North Kurri Kurri, Weston, Abermain, Neath, Caledonia and Cessnock.
Between 1929 and 1930, a lengthy industrial dispute known as the 'lockout' occurred which effectively shut all of the collieries on the South Maitland Coalfield. The railway was soon involved in this dispute with both coal and passenger services being stopped during the dispute. During the dispute, the majority of SMR's passenger carriages were destroyed on 1 March 1930 when the carriage shed at East Greta Junction was burnt down. Negotiations were then entered into with the Department of Railways, New South Wales, for the government railways to take over the passenger service, which occurred on 13 April 1930. In February 1940, a direct Sydney to Cessnock express service was introduced.The Cessnock Express Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 589 November 1986 pages 243-255
The NSWGR operated services lasted until 1961 when SMR took over the majority of the services when they introduced three railcars built by Tulloch Limited.South Maitland takes Over Cessnock Passenger Service Railway Transportation October 1961 page 111 The services run by SMR lasted until 1967, when the SMR railcar services were withdrawn, with only the few through services run by the NSWGR to and from Broadmeadow remaining.South Maitland Withdraws Passenger Service Railway Transportation February 1967 page 7 These ceased in May 1972 when all passenger services ended.The Last Cessnock Express Railway Digest August 1972 page 18
Locomotives East Greta Coal Mining Co / South Maitland Railways Locomotive Type Builder Builder's No. Built Entered service Withdrawn Notes 1 4-4-0T Manning Wardle 39 1862 1895 1911 ex New South Wales Government Railways 6N - scrapped 1911 1 (2nd) 0-8-2T Avonside Engine Company 1596 1911 1911 1937 Sold 1937 Bulli Colliery 2 0-4-0ST Avonside Engine Company 1415 1900 1901 1934 Sold J & A Brown - Preserved Dorrigo Steam Railway & Museum 3 0-6-0ST Avonside Engine Company 1436 1902 1902 1928 Sold Sydney and Suburban Metal Co 4 0-6-0 Kitson & Company 2118 1877 1902 1922 - 5 0-6-0 Kitson & Company 2299 1879 1903 1918 New England - Scrapped 1927 6 0-8-0ST Avonside Engine Company 1464 1903 1904 1930 Sold 1930 7 0-6-0 Kitson & Company 2029 1879 1904 1922 Murrumbidgee - Scrapped 1927 8 0-6-0ST Avonside Engine Company 1487 1904 1905 1928 Sold Gunnedah Colliery 9 0-8-0ST Avonside Engine Company 1481 1904 1905 1935 Sold Mount Kembla Coal Co 10 0-6-0 Vale & Lacy, SydneyVale & Lacy 10 1873 1906 1911 ex New South Wales Government Railways 21N 10 (2nd) 2-8-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 5520 1911 1912 Jan 1987 Preserved Hunter Valley Training Company 11 4-4-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 1629 1877 1907 1935 ex New South Wales Government Railways CC class No.84 - scrapped 1935 12 4-4-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 1628 1877 1907 1935 ex New South Wales Government Railways CC class No.83 - scrapped 1935 13 0-8-2T Avonside Engine Company 1541 1908 1908 1930 Sold BHP Newcastle 1944 14 0-8-2T Avonside Engine Company 1559 1909 1909 1930 Sold Hetton Bellbird Coal Co. 1936 - Preserved Dorrigo Steam Railway & Museum 15 4-6-4T Beyer, Peacock & Company 5603 1912 1912 1965 Scrapped October 1973 16 4-6-4T Beyer, Peacock & Company 5638 1912 1912 1946 Scrapped October 1973 17 2-8-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 5790 1914 1914 Dec 1983 Preserved Hunter Valley Railway Trust 18 2-8-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 5909 1915 1915 Dec 1984 Preserved Hunter Valley Training Company 19 2-8-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 5910 1915 1915 Nov 1981 Preserved Richmond Vale Railway Museum 20 2-8-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 5998 1920 1920 Feb 1985 Preserved Hunter Valley Railway Trust 21 4-4-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 3335 1891 1919 1935 ex New South Wales Government Railways M51 - Sold NSW Public Works Department 1940 22 2-8-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 6055 1921 1921 Sep 1987 Preserved Richmond Vale Railway Museum 23 2-8-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 6056 1921 1921 Jul 1980 Preserved Hunter Valley Railway Trust 24 2-8-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 6125 1922 1922 Sep 1987 Preserved Richmond Vale Railway Museum 25 2-8-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 6126 1923 1923 Sep 1987 Preserved Richmond Vale Railway Museum 26 2-8-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 6127 1923 1923 Jul 1983 Preserved Hunter Valley Railway Trust 27 2-8-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 6137 1923 1923 Mar 1987 Preserved Hunter Valley Railway Trust 28 2-8-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 6138 1923 1923 Dec 1983 Preserved Hunter Valley Railway Trust 29 4-6-4T Beyer, Peacock & Company 6139 1923 1923 1965 Scrapped October 1973 30 2-8-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 6294 1926 1926 Sep 1987 Preserved Richmond Vale Railway Museum 31 2-8-2T Beyer, Peacock & Company 5295 1926 1926 Jun 1984 Preserved Hunter Valley Railway Trust
Upon the formation of South Maitland Railways in 1918 the new company took over the existing locomotive fleet of the East Greta Coal Mining Co. In 1935, with the withdrawal of all the other classes except the three passenger locomotives, the fourteen 2-8-2T wheel arrangement 10 Class became the main motive power, assisted on the shorter runs by the three ex passenger locos (15,16 & 29).