The Belmont railway line is an abandoned railway line from Adamstown to Belmont in Newcastle, New South Wales. It was a private railway line owned by the New Redhead Estate and Coal Company, and was used for both coal haulage and passenger services. The line closed in December 1991. It has since been converted into the Fernleigh Track, a cycleway rail trail along the route of the former line.
History The Redhead Coal Mining Company In 1881, the Redhead Coal Mining Company Limited obtained rights over of coal bearing lands lying near the headland of that name, and by 1883 had expended some £25,000 in sinking a shaft, installing machinery, and other improvements. In order to transport the coal to Newcastle, the company was desirous of constructing a railway long, junctioning with the Government line, then under construction, at Adamstown. The necessary act was passed on 14 April 1885, and five years was allowed for the completion of the line. However, trouble developed in that it was found that the population reserve adjoining Newcastle encroached on the company's property, and that several other portions had been taken up by different persons. This led to court proceedings and it was not until 1887 that the position had become sufficiently stabilised to warrant the Company proceeding with the construction of the line. As by this time the company's five-year period prescribed by the act had nearly expired, an amending act was obtained on 5 June 1888, granting a further five-year. On 21 December of that year, another amending act was passed authorising, amongst other things, deviations in the route, a branch to the South Burwood Coal Company's colliery, and an extension of the rights of construction to the northern shores of Lake Macquarie, through or near the village of Belmont.
The railway, as authorised in the amended act, was to leave the Great Northern Railway at Adamstown and continue in a southerly direction, passing under Charlestown by a tunnel, continue through the company's Burwood Estate (where a coal mine was being opened up) and terminate in the company's Redhead Estate, a distance of , also for a branch line to be constructed leaving the abovementioned railway at a point from Adamstown, known later as Dudley Junction, and running in a south-east direction to the South Burwood Coal Company's Estate, a distance of from the Junction.
Coal transport by rail begins Work was commenced early in 1889 and the main line had been completed as far as Burwood (later No.3) Colliery, , by the end of 1891. Coal was sent from this mine over the new line early in 1892. Work on the extension to the Redhead Company's Ocean Colliery, and on the branch to the South Burwood Colliery was carried on apace both being open to traffic on 23 November 1892.
An agreement was satisfactorily arranged between the Redhead Company and the Railway Commissioners, whereby the latter were to operate both lines for the company, owing to the Company having neither locomotives nor rolling stock. Both the Burwood and South Burwood Collieries worked successfully, but, after about six months operation the Ocean Colliery at Redhead was closed, the traffic on the line ceasing early in June 1893.
In 1894 the South Burwood Colliery was closed, leaving the Burwood Pit the only one working.
Early in 1896, a new company, the Dudley Coal Mining Company, took over the South Burwood mine and renamed it the Dudley Colliery. This Company re-opened the mine in May 1896, and coal was again transported from the mine from that year. About the same period, the Scottish Australian Mining Company took over the Burwood Colliery, and also opened a new colliery at Redhead, which was named the Durham Colliery.
Passenger services begin With the re-opening of the colliery at Dudley in 1896, the Redhead Coal Company approached the Railway Commissioners with a request that a passenger service be operated on the line between Adamstown and Dudley for the convenience of employees at both the Burwood and Dudley Collieries. The Commissioners agreed, and in January 1897 a through twice daily train service was commenced between Newcastle and Dudley, calling at Hamilton, Adamstown, Kahibah, and Burwood Colliery en route.
For the convenience of employees and others who used this train service, small raised platforms were erected at Kahibah, Burwood and Dudley, and all trains stopped regularly at these places to pick up and set down passengers. The Kahibah platform was situated from Adamstown, Burwood platform (which served the Burwood Colliery and later as a transfer station to persons travelling to and from the Redhead line) was from Adamstown, and Dudley was about short of the colliery. Dudley platform was opened on 14 January 1900, all the other platforms were opened with the commencement of the passenger service. The trains left Newcastle daily (Sundays excepted) at 5.55 a.m., and 1.55 p.m., returning from Dudley on the same days at 3.20, and 11.20 p.m., the time of journey between Newcastle and Dudley being 40 minutes. These trains were worked usually by an E17 class engine hauling either six or eight 4-wheel and 6-wheel old time carriages, and a brake-van.
The Redhead Branch During 1898 and 1899, the Scottish Australian Mining Company was opening out its new Durham Mine at Redhead, and among other things a siding was built from this colliery to the abandoned Redhead line, in length. However nothing eventuated until 29 January 1900, when, under the new name of "Lambton B", the Colliery was opened and shortly afterwards coal was transported from the mine over the Redhead line to Dudley Junction. The junction points of the Lambton B siding were situated from Dudley Junction.
To handle the coal traffic on the Redhead line, an agreement was made between the Scottish Australian Mining Company and the Redhead Company for the former to work the traffic between Dudley Junction and Lambton B Colliery. This having been ratified by both companies, the Scottish Australian Company transferred an 0-6-0 tank engine "Newcastle" by name, from its colliery near Merewether Beach, to work the traffic late in 1899.
Scottish Mining Co. passenger service For the convenience of employees at Lambton B Colliery the Scottish Mining Company decided to operate a passenger service on the line between Lambton B and Dudley Junction connecting at the latter place with Dudley trains to and from Newcastle. This service commenced with the opening of the mine on 29 January 1900, and was worked by the engine "Newcastle" hauling a tram-car, which at first was hired from, and in January 1901 purchased outright from, the Tramways branch of the Railway Commissioners. This car was a 70-passenger steam-trailer, having buffers and drawhooks to replace the usual link and pin couplers, and carried the number 149B. The service between Lambton B and Dudley Junction was worked by the Scottish Australian Mining Company's engine and car.
On account of the passenger accommodation provided on the line being of the tram-car variety arranged for ground loading, no platforms were provided on the Dudley Junction-Lambton B section. A run round loop was provided at Dudley Junction, and persons wishing to travel on the Redhead branch left the Dudley trains at Burwood platform and walked across to the Lambton B engine and car, and vice versa. Further, as the siding arrangements at Lambton B were not suitable for reversing, each trip was extended to the old Ocean Colliery where there was a run round loop, and where the car was stabled when not in use, the locomotive being stabled in the Lambton B yard.
Burwood Extended Colliery On 27 August 1903, a Company known as the Ocean Coal Company re-opened the old Ocean Colliery, and on 17 October 1904 renamed it the Burwood Extended Colliery. Coal was raised from this Colliery early in 1904, which increased the traffic on the Redhead line, so that the Redhead Company made a new agreement with the Railway Commissioners and the Scottish Australian Company, wherein the Railway Commissioners were to work all the coal traffic on the line, while the company was to work the passenger traffic between Dudley Junction and Burwood Extended Colliery at Redhead. This new arrangement was brought into force on 28 March 1904, from which date the engine "Newcastle" ceased to haul the coal trains to Dudley Junction, work being done by the Government engines. To meet the increased passenger traffic on the Redhead line, the Scottish Australian Mining Company purchased an additional tram-car from the Government tramways in November 1904. This car was similar in all respects to the original car, but carried the number 107B. When the engine "Newcastle" was not employed hauling the tram-cars, it was used for shunting in the Lambton B yard, shunting at Burwood Extended being done by the Government engines.
New Redhead Estate and Coal Mining Company In 1905 the Railway and all property owned by the Redhead Coal Mining Company was sold to a new Company, known as the New Redhead Estate and Coal Mining Company, and during that year an act was passed transferring all the rights of the old to the new Company.
To meet the needs of the local people at Dudley and Redhead slight alterations were made so the train service to Dudley, early in 1906 viz:- The 5.50 p.m. train from Newcastle to Dudley would run every day, the 8.40 a.m. train Dudley to Newcastle would start at 8.10 a.m. and run every day. Connecting with these alterations the Scottish Australian Company ran additional trams leaving Burwood Extended Colliery at 7.55 a.m. and 6.00 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays, and on Saturdays the 8.25 a.m. tram from Burwood Extended was altered to 7.55 a.m. These alterations gave the Dudley residents a three times a day service with connections to Redhead.
In August 1904, a crossing loop was put in at from Adamstown and named Redhead loop, it was renamed Fernleigh loop on 12 January 1925, and sidings were put into the Burwood No.3 (late Burwood), Dudley and Burwood Extended Collieries as required. Signal boxes were opened at Dudley Junction, and Lambton 3 Junction on 3 June 1910 and 4 February 1909 respectively.
Through passenger trains to Redhead begin At a meeting of the Scottish Australian Company and the New Redhead Company in June 1910, it was decided to ask the Railway Commissioners to work the passenger traffic on the Redhead line. The Commissioners agreed and commencing with the summer timetable of 1910, a through service of passenger trains was introduced between Newcastle and Burwood Extended Colliery at Redhead. The trains, which were run similarly to the Dudley trains, left Newcastle daily (Sundays excepted) at 6.05 a.m., and 2.05 p.m., returning from Burwood Extended at 5.15 and 11.15 p.m. Each train called en route at Hamilton, Adamstown, Kahibah, Lambton B and terminated at Burwood Extended, but instead of the carriages being left at Burwood Extended they were shunted into Lambton B yard ready for the return trip.
With the introduction of through trains on the Redhead line, the two tram-cars belonging to the Scottish Australian Company were sold to the Abermain Coal Company and transferred to Abermain during November 1910, the locomotive "Newcastle" lay derelict until 1914 in the Lambton B yard, when it was sold to Tullochs Phoenix Works at Rhodes near Sydney.
Passenger services to Belmont
As early as 1905, agitation had been started by the local residents to have the Burwood Extended tram service extended to Belmont and Lake Macquarie. The Minister for Works, at the time, had a survey made for a tramline to be built from Burwood Extended Colliery to Belmont.