|
|
|
Snailbeach Lead Mine Snailbeach
District Railways by H.F.G.
Dalston |
|
|
|
(reprinted from The Railway Magazine, Nov & Dec 1944) One of the smaller light railways
associated in recent years with the late Colonel H.F. Stephens, is the
Snailbeach District, which was constructed primarily to assist in the
transport of lead from the mines situated in the hills to the southwest of
Shrewsbury. Since the Roman
occupation, mineral deposits had been worked in this neighbourhood, and,
after the opening on June 1st 1861 of a standard-gauge branch line
by the (then1)
Shrewsbury & Welshpool Railway from Shrewsbury to Minsterley, it was
decided to build a narrow-gauge line from the mines to effect contact with
this branch. Under an Act of August 5th
1873, the Snailbeach District Railways Company was incorporated, with power
to build a total of just over 5 miles of line. This was made up of a railway from Pontesbury
(on the Shrewsbury & Welshpool) to the Snailbeach Mine, near Pennerley a
distance of 3 miles 2 furlongs, and a further 1 mile 7 furlongs, terminating
at the Earl of Tankerville’s mine, at the farther end of Hope Valley; the
latter portion was never constructed.
The gauge of the line was fixed at 2ft 4in (latterly it has been given
in official returns as 2ft 3¾ in), with the proviso that the earthworks and
general layout were to be of a size sufficient to accommodate a line of
standard gauge. The authorised capital
was £20,000 in £10 shares towards which the Snailbeach Mines Ltd was
authorised to subscribe not more than £2,000.
All the capital was issued, and the latest dividend was 3% paid in
respect of 1883. In addition, £6,300
was raised on loan bearing 4½%.
Sketch of the
Snailbeach District Railways, and key map showing
their relation to the main-line system The railway is understood to have
been opened for traffic during 1873.
It remains in layout substantially as originally planned, and consists
of a single line beginning at a point on the Minsterley branch of the G.W.R.
and L.M.S.R. Joint line, a few hundred yards to the west of Pontesbury
station. Here are situated several
sidings, and provision is made for tipping the contents of the narrow-gauge
wagons into the main-line wagons or, in the case of stone to be tarred, to
the plant situated below.
Pontesbury
terminus showing tarring plant on left The line crosses the Shrewsbury –
Bishop’s Castle road by an overbridge, and assumes a southerly direction,
passing through open country. One mile
form Pontesbury is the modern roadstone quarry of Callow Hill, operated by
Shropshire County Council. A further
2½ miles, and Crows Nest is reached.
Owing to the steep configuration of the ground, it was found
impossible to build the line direct to Snailbeach, so here the direction of
the train is reversed, a branch leaving the main line for the mines above, a
distant ¼ mile. Between Callow Hill
and Crows Nest there was once a siding leading to the smelting works operated
in conjunction with the mines, but the rails have long since been
removed. The line is noteworthy for
its severe ruling gradient of 1 in 37 (½ mile from Pontesbury) , Snailbeach
being 47ft higher than Pontesbury, whilst the Perkins Level Mine, where the
line finally terminated, is 200ft higher still.
Bagnall
0-6-0- tank engine “Dennis” Snailbeach today present a sight
similar to the abandoned mining districts of Cornwall. Derelict mines, still with the equipment in
place, stand in a silent circle in the hills.
Owing to the low cost of ore, the lead industry ceased production
about the turn of the century, and the line has since been used for the
carriage of stone and general merchandise.
It was closed entirely, and laid derelict for some years, but was
reopened in 1922. The railway was first worked by two
small tank engines named Belmont
and Fernhill, long since scrapped;
no details of these seem to have survived.
In 1906 the company purchased from W.G. Bagnall of Stafford, an 0-6-0-
tank locomotive called Dennis2 and the line was worked by this for some
years. Subsequently an 0-4-2 tank was
acquired second hand form E.C. Cornforth of Stoke-on-Trent. This was built by Kerr Stuart, originally
to the 2ft 6 in gauge. Finally two
4-6-0 Baldwin tank engines were acquired from the Government after the last
war; these had been built for the 1ft 115/8 gauge and had been supplied to the British War
Department. They went into S.D.R.
service in January 1923. The three
last-named locomotives formed the motive power of the line on the outbreak of
war. Dennis having been scrapped for some years. Brief particulars of the engines are given
in the accompanying table
Kerr Stuart
0-4-2 tank engine
Baldwin 4-6-2
tank engine
Traffic is worked by approximately 50
wagons, all but one 4-wheelers, and having an average capacity of 3
tons. Most are of hopper type to
enable the load to be discharged through the bottom of the wagon, which renders
them most suitable for stone traffic; all vehicles are fitted with combined
centre buffer and drawgear. They are
painted stone grey and lettered S.D.R. in white. The company carries out repairs to the
wagons and also effects the light repairs to the locomotives; the engine shed
at Snailbeach is equipped with a lathe and other tools. The line, which is laid with flat-bottom
rails 45 lb to the yard, is devoid of signalling, only one engine being in
steam at a time. The writer’s thanks are due to Mr
H.W. Austen, Director and Engineer, for his permission to photograph the line
and for details of its history, and to the builders of the locomotives for
information. [Wartime space limitations have
considerably delayed the publication of this article. The author is now an Army officer. During the present year various readers
have supplied notes on the recent working of the Snailbeach District
Railways, which have been published in our
May-June (page 183) and September-October (page 310) issues. These notes give the latest available
information about the locomotives, rolling stock, and present day traffic. Ed. R.M.] 1 The
Shrewsbury & Welshpool Railway was incorporated on July 29th
1856. It was purchased by the L.N.W.R.
under an Act of July 14th 1864, and became vested jointly in the
G.W.R. and L.N.W.R. (now L.M.S.R.) on July 5th 1865. Ed. R.M. 2 Named, presumably, after Mr Henry Dyke Dennis, of New
Hall, Ruabon, the Chairman of the Company.
Ed. R.M.
General
purpose 2½ ton capacity wagons
Hopper wagons
for stone |
