This locomotive was built by Kitson & Company at Hunslet neer Leeds in 1878 for J & A Brown.
Brown required motive power to operate on the private railway linking the ship loading staiths on the Hunter River at Hexham with the collieries at Minmi.
The route to Minmi was a short, flat and straight trip of several kilometres across the Hexham swap, this route pre-dating the later extension across the Sugarloaf Range to Pelaw Main and Richmond Main collieries. Brown observed the New South Wales Government Railways (NSWGR) fleet of steam locomotives in freight haulage including 0-6-0 tender locomotives together with the shorted-range 0-6-0ST engines. He was interested in acquiring a NSWGR 0-6-0ST built by Kitson (works no 1620) in 1870 but this was not available for purchase. (Interestingly he purchased 1620 in 1891 and it is also preserved.)
As at that time he could not buy 1620 he ordered a new locomotive from Kitson which was works number 2236 and became No 3 with J & A Brown.
The locomotive was initially employed haul coal and return empties between the collieries at Minmi and Hunter but was later employed as a shunter at Hunter when the more demanding extension across the Sugarloaf Range to Pelaw Main and Richmond Main was operated.
The locomotive was withdrawn from service in 1966 and then stored outside the engine shed at Hexham.
In 1973 Coal & Allied Limited (successors to J & A Brown) requested tenders to purchase the redundant stock of steam locomotives. No 3 was acquired for the Hunter Valley Steam Railway & Museum which later became the Dorrigo Steam Railway & Museum.
It was stored at Rhondda Colliery for some years before being rail hauled to Glenreagh in late 1983 and onwards to Dorrigo around 1986. It has since been stored in the ‘potato siding’ in Dorrigo Station yard in company with other locomotives delivered by rail.
Back to Preserved Outside Britain – By Country
Back to Preserved Outside Britain – By Builder
Back to Preserved Outside Britain – Australia
served Outside Britain – By Country
Preserved British Steam Locomotives 