Belmont Railway Line - Coal Transport By Rail Begins

Coal Transport By Rail Begins

Work was commenced early in 1889 and the main line had been completed as far as Burwood (later No.3) Colliery, 3 miles (4.8 km), by the end of 1891. Coal was sent from this mine over the new line early in 1892. Work on the extension to the Redhead Company's Ocean Colliery, and on the branch to the South Burwood Colliery was carried on apace both being open to traffic on 23 November 1892.

An agreement was satisfactorily arranged between the Redhead Company and the Railway Commissioners, whereby the latter were to operate both lines for the Company, owing to the Company having neither locomotives nor rolling stock. Both the Burwood and South Burwood Collieries worked successfully, but, after about six months operation the Ocean Colliery at Redhead was closed, the traffic on the line ceasing early in June 1893.

In 1894 the South Burwood Colliery was closed, leaving the Burwood Pit the only one working.

Early in 1896, a new company, the Dudley Coal mining Company, took over the South Burwood mine and renamed it the Dudley Colliery. This Company re-opened the mine in May 1896, and coal was again transported from the mine from that year. About the same period, the Scottish Australian Mining Company took over the Burwood Colliery, and also opened a new colliery at Redhead, which was named the Durham Colliery.

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