Richmond Vale Railway Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1979 |
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| Location | Leggett's Drive, Richmond Vale, New South Wales, Australia |
| Type | Railway museum |
| Nearest car park | On site |
The Richmond Vale Railway Museum is a special place in New South Wales, Australia. It's where you can explore old trains and learn about the history of coal mining. The museum is located at the historic Richmond Main Colliery, south of Kurri Kurri.
This museum is run by volunteers who are passionate about preserving the old Richmond Vale railway line. They also want to keep alive the history of coal mining in the Hunter Valley region. The museum started in 1979 to save these important parts of history.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
After the Richmond Main Power Station closed in 1976, the local council, Cessnock City Council, took over the old Richmond Main Colliery site. This included about 40 acres of land around the buildings.
Then, in 1979, a new group called the Richmond Vale Preservation Co-operative Society was formed. This group took on the big job of looking after the railway. Another group worked separately to develop the Richmond Main Park and Mining Museum.
What You Can See and Do
The museum is open on the first three Sundays of every month. It's also open every Sunday during school holidays. When you visit, you can explore many interesting things:
- Richmond Vale Office: See where the railway's daily business was handled.
- Museum Display: Discover exhibits that tell the story of the railway and mining.
- Mining Equipment: Check out the big machines used for digging coal.
- Railway Locomotives and Rolling Stock: Get up close to many different trains and wagons.
- Old Passenger Line: Walk or ride along parts of the former railway line. This line once connected Richmond Main Colliery to Pelaw Main Colliery.
Saving Old Trains
The museum works hard to save and restore many types of old trains. They have a collection of steam locomotives, which are trains powered by steam. They also have diesel locomotives, which are powered by diesel engines.
Steam Locomotives
The museum has several historic steam locomotives. Many of these engines once worked for companies like J & A Brown or the South Maitland Railway. Some are being repaired, while others are on display. For example, Marjorie is a steam engine that is currently working!
Diesel Locomotives
The museum also has a collection of diesel locomotives. These include engines that once worked for companies like BHP or the New South Wales Government Railways. Some of these diesel engines are still operational, meaning they can run on the tracks.
The Cadillac Rail Motor
One very unique item is a 1923 Cadillac car. This car was changed in 1937 to run on railway tracks! It was used to carry company officials around the Richmond Vale Railway system until 1949. This special rail motor is now being restored at the museum.
The 2017 Fire
On September 13, 2017, a fire sadly caused a lot of damage at the museum. Many important items were lost or damaged:
- Three passenger cars made of stainless steel.
- Most of their coal wagons, both restored and unrestored.
- Almost all of their unrestored general freight wagons.
- About 2.5 kilometers of railway track.
- Damage to a bridge on the line to Pelaw Main.
After the fire, the museum had to close for a while. It reopened for limited train rides on March 4, 2018. The volunteers are still working hard to fix the damaged tracks. Even with the challenges, other parts of the museum are still open for visitors on open days.
