Loop - Dudley Junction. - Redhead - Belmont, with an intermediate instrument at John Darling Junction. The Dudley branch was worked by Ordinary Train Staff, without tickets. The line, for traffic purposes, was staffed and worked by the New South Wales Railways who also supplied motive power. The owners were responsible for the maintenance work of the line. Coal-dust and ashes formed a substitute for ballast and the riding qualities of the track were anything but smooth, the suburban cars lurching and rolling badly for practically the whole length of the trip. The station buildings were badly in need of paint and the whole line had a general air of neglect. A tall, disused, lattice signal post was standing a short distance from the Adamstown end of the tunnel, and was apparently once the Down Distant signal. At the end of the 1930s, the line suffered a severe reduction in its passenger service owing to the bus competition and also the difficulty in running sufficient coal trains to clear the collieries as, the hoppers all being non-air, much time was occupied in applying and releasing hand brakes en route. Passenger services decline During the 1960s, passenger services were worked by Broadmeadow-based 30-class locomotives, normally hauling up to three end-platform suburban carriages. The locomotives were rostered to work bunker first on the outward journey. During the final years of passenger services on the line, CPH railmotors were utilised. Passenger services ceased completely on 8 April 1971. The final years Until the early 1960s, coal trains on the Belmont Branch consisted of rakes of non-air-braked, 4-wheel hopper wagons hauled by either a 50 class or a 53 class Standard Goods locomotive on allotment to Port Waratah depot. Locomotives operated tender first towards Belmont and carried respirators for working through Fernleigh Tunnel. From 1963 the BHP Co progressively introduced its own CXD bogie hopper wagons to the Belmont line traffic. From August 1965, 48-class diesel locomotives took over from the steam engines on the coal trains, however there were brief periods when steam returned because of a shortage of diesel motive power. Later, 44, 45 and 47 class diesels were authorised to work the line, 47 class being particularly prevalent. A tour of the line as far as Jewells took place using the CPH Rail Motors of the Rail Motor Society (Paterson, NSW) on 28 March 1987. Following the closure of Lambton Colliery