History
The museum's origins stem from the formation of the Hunter Valley Steam Railway & Museum in 1973 which was formed following the closure of the Glenreagh to Dorrigo branch line the previous year with the aim of restoring the 69 kilometres (43 mi) as a tourist railway. [3] Much of the rolling stock was stored at the former Rhondda Colliery, three kilometres (1.9 mi) from Cockle Creek while the line was repaired. [4] [5] It was renamed the Dorrigo Steam Railway & Museum in 1982. [6]
On 20 December 1984, the section from Glenreagh to Lowanna was reopened with 5069 hauling the first train. [7] On 5 April 1986 the line was opened through to Dorrigo, with a steam hauled service hauled by 3028 and 5069, operating the first service over the final 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) from Megan through to the terminus with 300 members on board. [8] [9] At this stage the line still needed further work before trains could operate on it regularly. This was completed in October 1986. [10]
However, before operations could begin, a faction within the museum's membership commenced legal action over the ownership of the collection and the line fell back into a state of disrepair. [11] The dispute was finally resolved in February 1999 with the Glenreagh to Ulong section of the line sold to the Glenreagh Mountain Railway and the Ulong to Dorrigo section sold to the Dorrigo Steam Railway & Museum. [12] By 2017, it had the largest collection in the world with 75 locomotives, 19 railmotors and 280 carriages and wagons. [13]
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