The static displays at Tenterfield Railway Museum has a new addition, as a First-Class Dining Car Carriage arrived at its new home last week.
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Back in February the Tenterfield Railway Preservation Society put in a successful offer for the carriage and was transported to the museum, by Craig Parkinson and Timo Kanko from Australian Train Movers, from its last resting place in Broadmeadows, Newcastle.
The static displays are a big part of the Tenterfield Railway Museum, which includes all the rolling stock on the tracks, items are on loan from Transport Heritage NSW and onces purchased by the society from the money that comes through the doors.
The American Suburban Carriage was a passenger carriage built for the NSW Government Railways.
In 1910, Clyde Engineering was one of many manufacturers tasked with the supply of such carriages. Part of contract 1/10 was for 68 car sets and 25 car sets and 20 loose cars.
It was 64 years later, on October 1974, RB1561 was officially condemned and retained for heritage and unique events use for the State Rail Authority.
The carriage was then officially withdrawn from State Rail Authority and transferred to NSW Rail Museum at Thirlmere, NSW in 1989.
Volunteers removed some of the seating and added a buffet to create a buffet car for main line tour use. Safety gates were also added to the end platforms.
In 2009, it was withdrawn from use by NSW Rail Museum, deemed a "non-core" collection by the Office of Rail Heritage, and was sent to Broadmeadows.
The volunteers of Tenterfield Railway Museum are excited to take on the long term project of returning the First-Class Dining Car Carriage to its former glory, believing the battered exterior contradicts the beauty inside.