Australian Railway Historical Society (ARHS) Railway Resource Centre, Sydney

Australian Railway Historical Society (ARHS) Railway Resource Centre, Sydney

• ARHS Railway Resource Centre
• Australian Railway Historical Society (NSW Division) Railway Resource Centre
• ARHSnsw Railway Resource Centre
• ARHSnsw RRC

• Community

The Australian Railway Historical Society (NSW) was established in 1933 and, as such, is the longest running society of railway enthusiasts and historians in the country. Its aim is to be a source of connection between those interested in railways.

The Railway Resource Centre has the country’s largest collection of railway-related photos, diagrams, drawings, official documents, books, periodicals and reports. All material relates to Australian railways (1850 to the present) and particularly those of New South Wales. A large proportion of the collection has been digitised and catalogued. This collection has been amassed from private collections and state records since the inception of the Australian Railway Historical Society (NSW Division) in 1933.

Donations of material relevant to the society in the form of photo and/or slide collections, books and documents are welcome.

The bookshop, primary collection and reading room is at our Redfern site. A second site in Alexandria is a repository for original and uncatalogued materials.

The Railway Resource Centre collection includes:

• Over 350,000 photographs and slides of locomotives, carriages, wagons, stations, depots, signalling and other infrastructure (1850 to the present).
• Official (internal) publications such as:
  • public timetables and working timetables
  • special train notices
• composition books
• rules and regulations and general and local appendices to the rules and regulations
• annual reports and reports of Public Works and Parliamentary Committees
• internal correspondence including weekly notices.

Similar material pertaining to other Australian state railway systems is also part of the collection.

Open every Saturday 10am-3pm and Tuesdays 12 noon-4pm. Other times are by arrangement only. A bookshop selling overseas and Australian railway books is at the same address and is open six days a week.

Charges apply for access and for supply of files, prints and research services. Access is free for ARHSnsw members.

Research assistance can also be provided by arrangement for those unable to visit the Railway Resource Centre.

A4 and A3 size black and white and colour copies are available in our reading room. Larger copies are available by arrangement.

The Mal Park reading room is a public area equipped with PCs for private research.

Revised 24 March 2018

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