There's a fair chance 3016 has NEVER been to Maitland. It certainly hasn't since it was preserved, and I don't think she was ever allocated to any of the Newcastle area depots while in regular traffic.

A side question; did branchline steam locos usually return along the mainline after overhaul light engine or hauling a load?

In the steam era it could have passed through Maitland on its way to branchline service out in the regional areas past Werris Creek etc or the Murwillumbah line? You would need its service history to know.

A side question; did branchline steam locos usually return along the mainline after overhaul light engine or hauling a load?

A good source to find locomotive allocations is in the Byways of steam books, as there is a fair few depot histories in them, for later days the depot allocation book that covers the period from July 64 - 72 has a good listing there.

I have seen allotment listing for 3016 in almost all the depots around the rural areas, including Moree, Dubbo, West Tamworth, Parkes, Mudgee, Dubbo, Temora, Junee, Cowra & Enfield.

The working of branch line engines to & from Workshops often depended on whether traffic was heavy, & the time period. Steam transfers to the west over the Blue Mountains were always by LE, after electrification, no matter the type of engine, on the North, engines worked trains as well as went LE from the Metro area to Gosford & then worked trains from Gosford.

On the South, I remember in 1966, 3014, after workshops attention, worked 331 goods from Enfield to Gouburn a very unusual working, while a few years later, the standard goods engines that had auto's fitted to the front buffer beams went both LE,  & some worked trains, to Glbn.

Thanks a6et for answering both the questions; the areas it worked and the transfer after overhaul procedure  

Therefore 3016 could have traveled through the Maitland area in its NSWGR days to or from Moree and West Tamworth.

Leaks from some of the crown stays that weren't replaced. Wasn't picked up in the hydro due to crud and rust sealing the cracks. But while under heavy working on the loop trials this build up was knocked off, leaking water into the firebox.

Photo of one of the stays at fault - credit to the photographer.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=593661587334252&set=o.193276790692755&type=1&theater

Suggest return to service timetable will now be dependant on the boiler inspector, now one stay has proven to be defective and not picked up during hydro, I'd suggest a far more extensive testing/proving of remaining stays will need to be carried out. Not a 5 minute job!

Will let some one closer to funding source try to answer that but would lay odds, that funding a bit like the piece of string as to how (long) much. Boiler lift may not be neccessary, again dependent on the boiler inspector.

There is another update on 3830's restoration on the 38 Class Facebook Page.

https//www.facebook.com/nswgrc38class

I would not call it a Restoration, more like running Repairs.