Our thanks to Peter Sharpe for the following comments and information:

This is, unless I am very much mistaken, an 1857 shot of the first locomotive ever rolled out onto the NSWGR's Newcastle network.

The first four mainline locos in the Hunter were the 1N Class, which were another order of the famous Number 1 that resides in the Powerhouse Museum collection in Sydney (big shiny picture here: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/New_South_Wales_Government_Locomotive_No._1.jpg).

Sydney got four of them in 1855, and Newcastle got four in 1857. The two networks weren't connected at the time (excuse me if I'm telling you what you already know) so the Newcastle units were given an N suffix. Sydney's were 1 to 4, and Newcastle's were 1N to 4N, but they were the identical locomotives.

The condition of ARHSBox164_3691 indicates great age. The locomotive is entirely original, as delivered from the factory, other than the (common) quick addition of a corrugated iron roof to keep the sun off (something UK manufacturers back then didn't see the need for). The locomotive is in very good condition and even seems to be clean, which is very unusual for a steamer. The shot was taken opposite the Newcastle Herald offices, and everybody is trying to look terribly dignified and impressive, so I get the impression this was a special occasion. It feels like the paper sent someone over to a specially arranged shoot of great local significance.

I can't be certain of course, but from the look of it I'd happily put down a $50 bet that the shot dates from 1857 and shows Number 1N.

This image was scanned from an original glass plate or negative, kindly provided by the Australian Railway Historical Society, New South Wales Division.

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