Thirteen RODs were purchased by the mining firm of J&A Brown in Hunter Valley, New South Wales, from the War Department during the 1920s. Three of these have survived and are the property of two museums.
J&A Brown operated the Richmond Vale Railway from a connection with the New South Wales Government Railways at Hexham, to the Pelaw Main and Richmond Main collieries.
20 & 24 (ROD numbers 1984 and 2003) are currently owned by the Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum Limited. This museum was opened briefly in 1986 but has remained closed to the public since then.
1984 was built by the North British Locomotive Co in 1918 whilst 2003 was built by the GCR at Gorton in the same year.
1984 had spent some time on loan to the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway and the London North Western Railway during the period November 1919 to August 1921 before being sold to J & A Brown in 1925.
1984 is believed to have been last steamed in 1967 when the network was cut back. 2003 survived until June 1973.
The third survivor, number 23 (ROD 2004 built by GCR at Gorton in 1918) (sometimes known as 21), was initially located at Freeman’s Waterhole in New South Wales, as a part of a mining display. It has since been relocated to Richmond Vale Railway Museum, where it is currently in a dismantled state after a stalled restoration attempt.
In September 2017 the Richmond Vale Railway Museum was very badly damaged by a fire which was started about a mile away when a stolen car was set on fire. Although three quarter of the rolling stock at the museum were destroyed locomotive 2004 remained undamaged.
Preserved British Steam Locomotives 