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Marjorie Richmond Vale Railway Museum |
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Marjorie waits at the Richmond Main platform for its next
departure on 20 May 2023.
The rather rudimentary platform reflects the industrial
heritage of this line; this station was originally built for company mine
worker trains.
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Builder |
Granville |
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Builder’s Number & Year |
462 of 1938 |
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Wheel Arrangement |
0-4-0ST |
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Marjorie is
a handsome little shunting locomotive built by Clyde Engineering to a proven
Avonside Engine Company design. Indeed, she is very similar to preserved
Avonside locomotive 'Kathleen' also
resident at the Richmond Vale Railway Museum. Marjorie was
originally employed at the John Lysaghts' works in Newcastle. At some stage
it was fitted with modern roller bearings on the side rods & cranks,
which gives a distinctive look - and presumably reduces maintenance! Marjorie had
been retired from use at Lysaghts by 1972. Luckily it was retained for
preservation, being transferred by road on 9 September 1972 to a park at Edgeworth
in the south of Newcastle, where it was plinthed. After 10
years plinthed at Edgeworth, new opportunity beckoned for Marjorie when the little
loco was obtained by the Richmond Vale Railway and transferred to their
Richmond Main Colliery site near Kurri Kurri, where she arrived in 1982. A working
restoration followed and Marjorie's first day in Richmond Vale Railway service
occurred on 23 January 1986. Marjorie
has since been a regular performer at the Richmond Vale
Railway Museum, immaculately presented in an attractive lined green
livery. The loco seems very much at home among the industrial buildings and
sidings at Richmond Main. |
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Marjorie running past at the Richmond Vale Railway during
the annual Hunter Valley SteamFest of Sunday 18th April 2010. |
Marjorie in the industrial surroundings of the Richmond
Main Colliery site of the Richmond Vale Railway on 21 April 2006.
The loco is near the shunting neck at the
south of the site, surrounded by Industrial bric-a-brac and with the mine’s ventilation
shaft in the background.
This photo was kindly contributed by Paul Bird.
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Here is an earlier photo from Paul Bird showing Marjorie
within the historic running shed at the Richmond Main Colliery site of the RVR; the loco was in steam for its annual boiler
exam on 12 February 2005. The boiler (rear) and chassis (forward) of Avonside-built
sister locomotive Kathleen can
just be seen under overhaul in the adjacent stall. |
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Paul Bird has also provided this view of Marjorie on shed
at Richmond Main in the late afternoon of Saturday 22 October 2005.
Marjorie’s brass builder’s plate adorns the cabside,
beautifully framed by the livery and lining. The webmaster and shadow also appears
in a ghostly reflection!
Close up of the builder’s plate – Clyde Engineering b/n
462 of 1938. Another ‘462’ built by Clyde
Engineering around this time was the famous NSWGR Pacific - 3801! (Numerically, 3801 was the very next loco turned out by Clyde
Engineering - b/n 463 of 1943.)
A detail view of the restored J&A Brown Brake Van
No.8. The webmaster recently completed a N-Scale model of this brake
van (based on a Gopher Models CHG kit), so this reference photo came in
handy. |
References
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a |
Leon Oberg, ‘Locomotives of Australia’, published by J. W. Books Pty Ltd. 1982
reprint |
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b |
Griffiths, D. 'BHP Locomotives', published
by Railmac Publications, page 31 & 32. |
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c |
'The
Link Line', official publication of the Richmond Vale Preservation
Co-Operative Society Ltd, No.151,
page 2. |
Page updated: 20 August 2026
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