Railway records guide
The bulk of the State Rail Authority's archival collection was transferred to us in 2000. This Guide provides a brief introduction to the collection and how to access the records.
Finding State Rail Authority records
State Rail 'R' number
Some of the record series are still identified by the State Rail 'R' number. This number will be replaced by a NRS (New South Wales Record Series) number in due course. Record series that are identified with a 'NUA' number have not yet been formally registered.
1. Check the catalogue
Part of the State Rail Authority's archival collection has been described and listed in the catalogue. This information is being regularly updated with series and item level information about the State Rail records. Please be aware this is a lengthy process and will take time to complete.
2. Check the interim lists in the Reading Room
Until the full collection is listed in the catalogue, interim descriptions and item lists for those records not yet listed are available in our Reading Room.
3. Visit the Reading Room
The records themselves are housed at the Western Sydney Records Centre and researchers will need to visit the Western Sydney Reading Room to access them.
Watch the webinars
Railway photographs NRS-17420
An introduction to our rich collection of NSW railway photos, including locomotives, carriages, gate houses, railway refreshment rooms, staff and stations
Popular record series
Personnel records
See the Railway Employees Guide for personnel records such as the railway employee cards.
Plans and photographs
The list below is only a small selection from the records.
Series | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|
R560 | Aperture card copies of plans and drawings This series contains drawings and plans of Diesel and Electric Locomotives, Carriage diagrams and drawings, Tramway drawings, and Station and Depot drawings. | |
NRS 17420 (photos) | State Rail Photographic Reference Print Collection This collection consists of reference prints drawn from a variety of sources within State Rail and predecessor organizations. The prints are mounted on a large card with a number and caption. There is a subject index to the prints available at the Reading Room. | c.1850-c.1988 |
Survey Field Books These are the permanent and trial surveys conducted prior to deciding the route for a rail line and for maintenance purposes. The books record details of the land surveyed. The contents vary from rough pencil sketches to fine detailed ink diagrams. | 1856-1969 | |
Historical notes and references This includes material about the construction of railway lines, associated facilities and information about events in NSW railway history. | 1965-1999 | |
R301 or NRS 22653 | Permanent Way Plans and Drawings of railway infrastructure These are plans and drawings of various structures including station buildings, residences, station arrangement diagrams, level crossings, bridges, culverts, and Transport House. The range of formats includes original hand coloured drawings, blueprints, linen and tracing paper drawings. Our staff are processing these records and they will be listed in the catalogue in series NRS 22653. This project is underway and will take some time to complete. | 1852-1970 |
Access to Rolled Plans
Several series of plans from the State Rail Authority are in the form of rolled plans. This includes the following series of records:
Series | Title |
|---|---|
R121 | City Railway plans |
R199 | Mechanical Branch drawings |
R286 | Contract Plans and Sections |
R300 | Permanent Way / Way and Works Plans and Drawings of disused lines and equipment |
R301 or NRS 22653 | Permanent Way Plans and Drawings of railway infrastructure |
R378 | Tramway and trolley bus drawings |
R411 | Property Drawings |
R413 | Survey plans for Eastern Suburbs Railway |
R417 | Tramways Proclaimed Plans |
R426 | Miscellaneous maps |
R451 | Original drawings of elevations of railway buildings and constructions |
Proclaimed plans | |
Signal arrangement drawings | |
Signal Branch Drawings | |
Signal Box Diagrams(Consignment 1 only) | |
Sydney Harbour Bridge rail plans |
Most of the rolled plans are subject to some damage because they have been rolled for many years. Our Conservators need to assess rolled plans before they are issued in the reading room. If you are interested in viewing rolled plans please contact us five (5) working days prior to your visit. You will need to provide a list of all the plans you wish to access on the day.
Once our Conservators have assessed the items you will be advised whether they can be issued in the reading room.
If a plan cannot be issued due to its current condition, you can elect to have the plan undergo Conservation treatment. Please note that this can take up to six (6) months. We can provide you with further information about this process once the initial assessment has taken place.
Reading Room (only) Guides
- Interim lists of records transferred from State Rail ('R' series numbers) are available to view in the Reading Room.
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