Rail Motor Society facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Rail Motor Society

Established	1984
Location	5 Webbers Creek Road, Paterson, New South Wales, Australia
Type	Railway museum
Nearest car park	On site and in adjoining streets

The Rail Motor Society is a special place in Paterson, New South Wales. It's like a big home for old trains and railway equipment. These trains are called "rail motors" because they can move by themselves. The Society collects and takes care of these cool vehicles. They come from the old New South Wales Government Railways and were built between 1923 and 1972.

The 621/721 railcar is a special part of the collection.

The Society started in 1984. It's a group run by the community and doesn't aim to make a profit. They are registered as a charity. Their main goal is to find, fix, and run old New South Wales rail motors. They only focus on trains that can move by themselves, like diesel trains. The Society is allowed to run these trains in many parts of Australia. This includes New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, and South Australia.

History of the Rail Motor Society

The idea for the Society began in Newcastle. A small group of people wanted to save some special trains. These trains, called CPH rail motors, were going to be stopped from running in 1983. So, the Society was formed in 1984.

Four other heritage groups helped them get started. These groups bought rail motors when they were sold. They all shared these trains to create the Society's first collection. A good spot for their base was found in Paterson. It was an old goods yard near the Paterson railway station. The first trains arrived there on New Year's Eve in 1984.

The Rail Motor Society is run completely by volunteers. These amazing people give their time to keep the trains running. The Society gets money for its work from special train rides and donations. This money helps them fix up old trains and build new things.

The Society has many important trains. These trains are listed on the NSW State Heritage Register. One of them is CPH 3, which is the oldest rail motor still around in New South Wales. They also have HPC 402, which is the only working 400 class rail motor. Other trains, like the 620/720 class rail cars NPF 621 and NTC 721, are also very important. The Society looks after them for another heritage group. These trains were built in 1961. They were used in the Newcastle area for their whole working life.

In 1986, CPH 1 was fixed up and started running again. It was painted in a cool cream and green color. CPH 7 joined it in 1987. These two trains have traveled all over New South Wales. CPH 3 also joined them in 2011.

HPC 402 was used by the State Rail Authority for many years. It helped test radio systems across New South Wales. It traveled about 200,000 kilometers! It came back to the Society in 2000. Since then, it has continued to be used for important tasks. It helps test railway radio systems and inspect tracks. For example, it helped test new radio systems for Sydney Trains. It also helped train drivers on new railway lines in 2013.

7344 locomotive at Sydney Central in 1991.

In 2018, the Society also became the caretaker of a special shunting locomotive, 7344. This train is a 73 Class locomotive. It arrived at Paterson in December 2018. The Society has painted 7344 back to its original Indian Red color.

Some other trains are currently being fixed up. These include the 42-Foot Rail Motor Trailer CTC 51. Also, 600/700 Class vehicles 602 and 707 are starting their restoration journey. In June 2023, the Society bought another 620 Class rail car, 629/729. They plan to get it running again for main line service.

Depot and Museum Facilities

The Society's main base is called the Depot and Museum. It's located in the old Goods Yard next to Paterson Railway Station. This area is about one hectare in size. It's located about 213 kilometers north of Sydney. It's also 20 kilometers north of Maitland.

The site is home to all the Society's rail motors. It has a big shed with three tracks for storing trains. There are also places to fix the trains. The old station Master's cottage is also there. This cottage has a small museum inside. It shows off many cool railway items. Members of the Society can relax in two old carriages. These carriages are TAM 503 and BR 1395. Another old training car, FZ 663, is used as a meal room and for training.

In 2017, the Depot got bigger and better. A 30-meter long workshop was added to the shed. This new workshop helps protect the trains from the weather. A grant from NSW Heritage helped pay for this work. In 2020, the Depot site grew even more. It now includes an old railway siding next to its eastern side.

Important Heritage Listing

Many of the Society's own trains are very important. Eleven out of their fourteen vehicles are listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. This happened on August 17, 2001.

The trains on this special list include:

• 42-Foot Rail Motors: CPH No.1, No.3, No.7, No.14, and No.19
• 42-Foot Rail Motor Trailer: CTC No.51
• 400 Class: HPC 402
• 500 Class Rail Motor Trailer: FT 501
• 600 Class Rail Motors: WFP 602 and FPH 606
• 700 Class Rail Motor Trailer: CT 707

Other trains they look after are also on the heritage list. These are the 620 Class 2-car diesel unit (621/721) and the locomotive 7344.

Friends and Partners

The Rail Motor Society works with many other groups. These groups also care about railway history. Some of their partners include:

• Australian Railway Historical Society (NSW Division)
• Australian Railway Monument
• Canberra Railway Museum
• Cooma Monaro Railway
• East Coast Heritage Rail
• Finley Pioneer Railway Station
• Goulburn Rail Heritage Centre
• Historic Electric Traction
• Oberon Tarana Heritage Railway
• Lachlan Valley Railway
• Lithgow State Mine Railway
• Regional Heritage Transport Association – Junee
• Royal Australian Historical Society
• Tenterfield Railway Station Preservation Society
• Transport Heritage NSW
• Wagga Wagga Rail Heritage
• Zig Zag Railway

Our Collection of Trains

The Rail Motor Society has a fantastic collection of preserved trains. Here's a look at some of them: