The Rail Motor Society
 
THE DEPOT

The Society required a home for its valuable collection and a base for it's members. This home would later be referred to as THE DEPOT and become the meeting place for members where they could restore these valueable assets to operating condition for the many tours that lay ahead.

Various places where suggested for the Society's home base but certain factors had to be considered in determining the final location.

Factors considered were :-

- must be located near an operating railway line
this allowed the Society to run its rail motors on the New South Wales Rail System.

- located within a reasonable distance from the
Newcastle, Cessnock, Maitland and Lake Maquarie areas
this minimises members travelling time thus allowing easy access to the site.

- sympathetic local population which would encourage the Society's efforts.

After careful considersation and surveying of the many sites proposed, the Goods Yard at Paterson railway station was chosen. Paterson is an historic town situated in the beautiful North Coast region of New South Wales and is located on the Sydney - Brisbane North Coast railway line. The Society commenced discussions with the then State Rail Authority of NSW (SRA) who were the owners of the site and after a series of negotiations a lease agreement was signed between the two parties.

The Society now had a home for it's collection and it was called THE DEPOT.

The depot would be located on an area of land behind the railway goods shed and a considerable amount work was done using tractors to make the site level in readiness for the new track work. Members set about recovering rails, sleepers and point work from disused and/or abandoned SRA sidings. The recovered equipment was transported to Paterson where track laying could begin.

Eventually a connection was made from a third track in the Depot to the SRA's crossing loop providing the Rail Motors with access to the complete New South Wales Rail System.

The Society's volunteer members embarked on the next major project to construct a large shed to span three roads. Private contractors were used to lay the concrete footings, the private sector fabricated the framework and the volunteer members completed the building.

The members still required a club house or headquarters and a disused building was found directly opposite the Depot in Webbers Creek Road. This building had been the former Station Master's residence and even though in need of great repair the Society entered brief negotiations with the owner, the State Rail Authority of NSW and a lease was granted.

Again the members rallied by supplying time, labour and money over a period of five years to restore the building to it's present condition. The Society is deeply indebted to the Ladies Committee (TRMS Ladies) for their work and money raising activities to ensure the complete restoration of the building.

The restored building known as the SM's COTTAGE has become the meeting place place for members with facilities such as reading rooms, shop front for sales of souvenir items and a museum to house items of historical interest.
 

CREW FACILITIES.

Two carriages are stored on the disconnected track located within the yard
and these are used for crew facilities at the depot

1 BR - 1st class sitter with buffet converted
into a crew quarters, and
1 TAM - sleeping car used for sleeping quarters.

last modified 1st January, 1999.