Coal, Railways and Mines: The Story of the Railways and Collieries of J & A Brown (ARHN-018)

Product No.: ARHN-018
Title: Coal, Railways and Mines: The Story of the Railways and Collieries of J & A Brown 
Author(s): Andrews, Brian Robert
Illustrator(s): N/A
Publisher: Iron Horse Press
ISBN: 9780909650636
Condition: New
Binding: Hardcover
Dust Jacket: New
Edition: 2nd Edition (Revised)
Publication Year: 2007

Features: 400 Pages with Colour & Black/White Photos.

The Richmond Vale Railway was a colliery railway line in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, servicing coal mines at Minmi, Stockrington, Pelaw Main and Richmond Main. It was over sixteen miles long and passed through three tunnels, and was the last privately-owned, non-tourist, railway in Australia to use steam locomotives.

The line was privately owned, by J. & A. Brown and Abermain Seaham Collieries Limited and then its successor company, Coal and Allied Industries. It was constructed in sections, the earliest section being from Hexham to Minmi, built by John Eales in 1856 to service his colliery at Minmi (later bought out by J. & A. Brown). At the Hexham Exchange Sidings trains either joined the New South Wales Government Railways main north coast line or instead continued across it to J. & A. Brown's coal-loader at Hexham Wharf, on the Hunter River. (The last ship to load coal there was the '60-miler' collier Stephen Brown on 1 November 1967 after which the wharf ceased its operations).