Kurri Kurri- Richmond Vale Rail & Mining Museum

Kurri Kurri - Richmond Vale Rail & Mining Museum - Richmond Main is an abandoned mine which operated from 1910 to 1967. Today, it is a steam railway and mining museum. During its operating life, there were 54 lives lost from accidents and mistakes. In 1922, a mine shaft which can travel 300 feet underground, and is preserved today, was taking five miners down to the bottom of the pit. Its cable snapped when the shaft cage was still 200 feet from the ground. All the miners lost there lives (the records of the incident still exist). Today, about five out of ten people who visit the museum, and have had a look at the abandon shaft, say that they feel very sad. Some say they can hear the sounds of people yelling out, as if they are falling. Also, strange things happen to some of the steam locomotives preserved at the museum. Some of the drivers have said that various controls on the loco's N o. 30 go haywire. A former South Maitland Railway's loco is the engine that has strange things done to it. The throttle will be fully open for the locomotive to move, when the drivers have left it in the closed position. There are also incidents where there the driver, the fireman or both are in the cab, and the engine's whistle will be pulled right in front of them, without either of them pulling the whistle cord. It is said to be a sprit of the former manager, Mr. John Brown, who died there in 1930 (cause of death not known). He has been seen early in the morning, firing off the steam loco for a days run. Two museum members have seen him, and they refused to ever work in that area ever again. Mr. Brown is seen on the third Sunday of each month, five out of ten times