 This new company took over the ownership and operation of the Stanford Merthyr line and the Aberdare Railway, as well as all of the locomotives and passenger and goods rolling stock of the East Greta Co.The new company also took over the haulage over other colliery lines that were previously worked by the East Greta Co. On 8 and 9 December 2018 South Maitland Railway celebrated the centenary of this merger as well as 125 years since the running of the first train in 1893.In April 1931 the East Greta Coal Mining Co. was taken over by J & A Brown and Abermain Seaham Collieries Ltd, which gave them a 50% share of SMR.