On 22 November 1918 the first meeting took place of the South Maitland Railways Proprietary Limited, a company incorporated with a capital of £500,000 in £1 shares, and this company eventually acquired the entire coalfields railway network.
ˌɔn twˈɛnti tˈuː noʊvˈɛmbɚ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪtiːn ðə fˈɜːst mˈiːɾɪŋ tˈʊk plˈeɪs ʌvðə sˈaʊθ mˈeɪtlənd ɹˈeɪlweɪz pɹəpɹˈaɪətɛɹi lˈɪmɪɾᵻd, ɐ kˈʌmpəni ɪŋkˈoːɹpɚɹˌeɪɾᵻd wɪð ɐ kˈæpɪɾəl ʌv pˈaʊnd fˈaɪvhˈʌndɹɪd,zˈiəɹoʊzˈiəɹoʊ zˈiəɹoʊ ɪn pˈaʊnd wˈʌn ʃˈɛɹz, ænd ðɪs kˈʌmpəni ᵻvˈɛntʃuːəli ɐkwˈaɪɚd ðɪ ɛntˈaɪɚ kˈoʊlfiːldz ɹˈeɪlweɪ nˈɛtwɜːk.