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1042 Maitland Steam & Antique Machinery Association |
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This photo was contributed by my friend Chris Thompson and
shows 1042 plinthed at Maitland on 29 July 2010.
As can be seen, 1042 was now fenced off
from public access and the paint had aged since first 1042 was first plinthed at
Maitland (refer photo below).
Whilst the weather roof
no doubt provided some protection from the elements, alas it also created a
handy bird roost
and 1042 now wore a ‘filthy green streaked with bird lime’
livery!
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Builder |
Henry Vale & Company |
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Builder’s Number & Year |
38 of 1887 |
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Wheel Arrangement |
2-4-0T |
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No. in class |
18 |
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This historic
old locomotive was built by Henry Vale & Company at their Sydney works
under an order for six additional 2-4-0T suburban passenger engines of the F(351) class for the NSW Government Railways (NSWGR). This
order followed the original twelve F(351) class
locomotives supplied by Beyer Peacock & Co, bolstering the class to a
total of 18 machines. It was originally numbered F 365 and received the
number 1042 among the ‘X10’ grouping of miscellaneous and obsolete locomotives
& cranes in the NSWGR's 1924 renumbering scheme. The F(351) class 2-4-0T locomotives followed the design of earlier
machines supplied by Beyer Peacock & Co from 1864 to private railway
companies on the Isle of Wight. The South Australian Railways P-class
locomotives (represented by P 117 at
the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide) were also members of this Beyer Peacock
& Co design family. The F(351) class were removed from Sydney suburban passenger
workings following a fatal accident at Sydenham in 1901, following which they
were relegated to workshop and depot shunting duties. Ten were sold into
industrial service, including F 360 which worked on the Wolgan Valley Railway
to Newnes, but none of those sold in industry survived into preservation.
Sister locomotive 1033, from the initial
Beyer Peacock & Company order, finished its career at Eveleigh Locomotive
Workshops and is now a static exhibit at the NSW Rail Museum, Thirlmere.
No.1036 is remembered as the long-time depot shunter at Junee Roundhouse, where
it was affectionately known as ‘Fanny’. Alas it didn’t survive but its boiler
is carried by preserved 1076. Alex
Grunbach's authoritative book ‘A Compendium of New South Wales Steam
Locomotives’ provides a good history of the F(351)
class and disposal details for those sold into industrial service. Also
included is information about the Sydenham crash of 1901 and subsequent
investigation, which struck the webmaster as interesting reading with some modern
parallels! 1042 ended
its NSWGR working career in January 1973 as the Cardiff Workshops shunter,
Newcastle and was later plinthed outside the works. Following the later closure
of the Cardiff Workshops by the State Rail Authority, 1042 was moved in 1994
to Maitland, repainted and plinthed. The Maitland Visitors centre was later
built at this location and 1042 was repositioned alongside the visitors centre, with a weather roof provided.
Unfortunately, the locomotive deteriorated during its years plinthed at Maitland. During 2010
there was a proposal to restore this locomotive to operation in connection
with the Hunter Valley SteamFest, including a main-line connected locomotive
shed and display centre adjacent to Maitland station. Photos from late 2011
suggest this project was proceeding with 1042 under restoration at a newly
constructed workshop facility somewhat to the west of Maitland station, near
the former South Maitland Railways junction and exchange sidings. Isle of
Wight Central Railway: As previously
mentioned, the F(351) class design followed a family
of earlier Beyer Peacock & Co 2-4-0T locomotives supplied to private
railways on the Isle of Wight from 1864. ‘Ryde’, one of the first three delivered
in 1864, was the oldest engine on the Southern Railway (the amalgam of many
railway companies in the south of England) when sent to Eastleigh workshops in
1932 for proposed preservation, but alas that loco succumbed to the World War
2 scrap metal drives. (A similar fate befell approximately 265 World War 1 tanks
which had been placed at various villages around Great Britian as memorials,
all hastily dispatched to the furnace when hostilities recommenced. As a side
story, here is one in Ashford, UK which escaped that fate.) Today a
portion of the Isle of Wight Central Railway survives as a tourist line, the Isle of Wight Steam
Railway. Given the many new-build steam locomotive projects in the UK (my
favourite being the 82045 Steam Locomotive Trust’s project to construct a new
British Railways standard 3MT 2-6-2T), perhaps a replacement Isle of Wight 2-4-0T
would make a worthy project - and an appropriate match for the wonderful
collection of antique Victorian passenger cars on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.
(I understand the required Beyer Peacock & Co designs & technical
drawings are still available in archives.) Here is a link
to a wonderful collection of images of historic the Isle of Wight Railways steam
locomotives: ISLE
OF WIGHT RAILWAYS - transportsofdelight 1042 Update
– April 2026: The
webmaster visited the Hunter Valley SteamFest on a sunny Sunday 19 April to
take in the various attractions. In addition to the railway activity there
was a huge vintage car display, and a large vintage machinery rally at the Maitland Steam &
Antique Machinery Association showground near Maitland station. Here I
found 1042 placed on a short section of track alongside the main running /
restoration workshop, with tanks, cab, done and various other fittings stored
around the site. I understand the boiler has been repaired to operable
condition, being placed back in the frames during April 2024. I understand the
current plan is a ‘static’ restoration with the loco displayed on its short
line alongside the shed, possibly in light steam and also
capable of providing live steam to various static machines. A selection of
photos below gives a taste of the action at the Hunter Valley SteamFest that
day. |
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Front view of 1042 alongside the Maitland Steam &
Antique Machinery Association’s running / repair shed. 19 April 2026.
Rear view of 1042 alongside the Maitland Steam &
Antique Machinery Association’s running / repair shed. 19 April 2026.
This Australian-built WW2 Gun Motor Carriage (AKA Bren Gun
Carrier) was among the many interesting exhibits on display.
A magnificent Stanley Steam Car had a prime position
outside the main workshop / running shed.
(1042 can just be seen behind the bonnet)
There were many portable steam engines / traction engines chugging
away, but this monster was the largest I have ever seen.
A second view of 1042 dated 29 July 2010 and provided by
Chris Thompson.
1042 retains wooden buffer beams at front and rear; a split
can be seen opening in the rear buffer beam.
Another view kindly provided by Chris Thompson & dated
29 July 2010.
The position of the weather roof supports
and temporary fence did not make for easy photography!
1042 seen at Maitland in 1994 shortly after relocation from
Cardiff Workshops, as initially repainted and placed on a raised plinth behind
a picket fence.
1042 was later moved to a nearby position
alongside the newly constructed visitors centre, and a weather roof added.
The numbers on the side tanks are painted
in gold rather than the original cast brass digits.
I recall being dismayed by the poor
decision to plinth this historic and complete Victorian-era survivor, rather than
placing it in a suitable museum.
Sure enough, it quicky became degraded and decayed, losing some
of its historical value and requiring intervention.
References
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a |
‘A
Compendium of New South Wales Steam Locomotives’ compiled by Alex Grunbach,
published by the Australian Railway Historical
Society, New South Wales Division, 1989. pp.85 |
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b |
‘Steam
Locomotive Data’ July 1974 edition, compiled by J. H. Forsyth for
the Public Transport Commission of NSW. |
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c |
Webmaster's observation or comment |
Page updated: 29 April 2026
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