Snailbeach District Railways
| Snailbeach District Railways | |
|---|---|
| Locale | England |
| Dates of operation | 1873 – 1959 |
| Successor line | abandoned |
| Track gauge | 2 ft 3¾ in (705 mm) |
| Length | 3½ miles |
| Headquarters | Tonbridge |
Snailbeach District Railways was a British narrow gauge railway in Shropshire. It was built to carry lead ore from mines in the Stiperstones to Pontesbury where the ore was transhipped to the Great Western Railway's Minsterley branch line. Coal from the Pontesford coal mines travelled in the opposite direction. The line ended at Snailbeach, the location of Shropshire's largest and richest lead mine, though there had been a plan to extend it further, which would have brought it closer to more lead mines.
History
The railway opened in 1873 with the unusual gauge of 2 ft 3¾ in (705 mm). In 1923 it was taken over and re-equipped by Colonel Stephens. Stephens bought two new Baldwin locomotives from the War Department Light Railways.
When the mines closed the line lost much of its traffic but was rescued by a new traffic flow of stone from Callow Hill Quarry. There was virtually no traffic on the upper part of the line but it remained open as the locomotive shed was at Snailbeach.
In 1947 all three remaining steam locomotives were unusable and the railway was moribund. The lower section was leased by Shropshire County Council who used it to transport road-building materials from Callow Hill Quarry to Pontesbury. When the last steam locomotive failed, loaded wagons were run from the quarry to Pontesbury by gravity, and then, when enough were ready, hauled back using a Fordson tractor straddling the rails. The railway closed for good in 1959, the last railway equipment being scrapped in 1961. The Talyllyn Railway purchased the remaining track.
The quarry remained open but the railway was lifted and, between Callow Hill and the road bridge at Pontesbury, converted into a road. Shropshire County Council ran their lorries along this road and paid rent to the railway company. As lorries became larger the long single-track road from Callow Lane to the quarry became impractical and was closed. A new access road was built in 1998 from the A488 in Pontesbury to the quarry at Callow Hill, when the quarry was extented and deepened. Shropshire County Council sold the quarry to Tarmac plc 2003 and quarrying permission exists until 2013. At this time (late 2006) there is no active work at the quarry and most heavy machinery has been removed.
The line today
Callow Hill Quarry (2006) is owned by Tarmac plc and largely mothballed occasional quarry products are transported only a short distance along the route of the old railway to a public road (A488) leading to Pontesbury.
The railway company was still in existence in 1984 when it was put up for sale (offers in the region of £25,000). The sale included the company records as well as the land. The only parts that were sold was the Callow Hill quarry and the trackbed from the exchange sidings at Pontesbury through to Callow Lane near Minsterley. A small section of land was sold to private purchasers at Snailbeach (near Prospect House and Cottages) and the Crowsnest terminal. A small section near the Plox Green road bridge is owned by Shropshire County Council and is said to be lead contaminated due to drainage from the spoil piles. A small parcel of land covering the trackbed on the other side of this bridge is used as a playing field and the Snailbeach Village Hall.
Income was expected from the lease to the county council (lasting until 1997) and from wayleaves for services laid along the old trackbed.
Some remnants of it can still be seen, notably in Snailbeach, where the engine shed has been restored and rails remain in place on the lines leading to the old mines.
Late 2006 - Plans are at an advanced stage to rebuild and reopen as much of the original line as possible in stages as a heritage passenger service. Initially it will use the private Tarmac owned land from Callow Hill Minsterley following the old track bed to Callow Lane followed by rebuilding the road bridge and towards Snailbeach. Distance about 1.6 km.
January 2010 - Nothing has happened on the ground to indicate that there are realistic plans to reopen the line.
Locomotives
| Number | Name | Builder | Type | Works Number | Built | Bought | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont | Hughes Falcon Works | 0-4-2ST | 1874 (?) | 1877 | Scrapped c.1912 | ||
| Fernhill | Lennox Lange | 0-6-0ST | 1881 | 1881 | Scrapped c.1906 | ||
| 1 | Dennis | W.G. Bagnall | 0-6-0T | 1797 | 1906 | 1906 | Scrapped 1937 |
| 2 | Kerr Stuart | 0-4-2T "Skylark" class | 802 | 1902 | 1923 | Scrapped 1950 | |
| 3 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-6-0PT | 44383 | 1916 | 1923 | Scrapped 1950 | |
| 4 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-6-0PT | 44522 | 1917 | 1923 | Scrapped 1950 |
See also
References
- Kidner, R.W. (1938). Mineral Railways. The Oakwood Press.
- Tonks, Eric S. (1974). The Snailbeach District Railway. The Industrial Railway Society. ISBN 0-901096-17-2
- (1977) Industrial Locomotives of Cheshire, Shropshire and Herefordshire. The Industrial Railway Society. ISBN 0-901096-32-6
