Snailbeach District Railways 0-6-0 Locomotives in Great_Britain

Class Dennis (Locobase 13127)

Data from "Tank Locomotive, Snailbeach District Railways Company", Locomotive Magazine, Volume 18 (15 March 1912), p. 52. See also the Colonel Stephens Railways description of the SDR-- "A Short History of The Snailbeach District Railways"--at [], last accessed 13 March 2016.

According to the LM report, this Shropshire railway connected the lead mines four miles away with Pontesbury, a point on the Great Western's Minsterley branch. The line ran uphill to he mines, thus empty trains had to scale a 1 in 38 (2.6%) grade. At the start of the line, the grade pitched up at a remarkable 1 in 13 or 8%.

Another page--[], also last accessed 13 March 2016 --says this about the price of the locomotive and the terms of paymen: "The cost was 970, with 370 down and 12 quarterly payments of 50 commencing on 25th June 1906." The writer underscored the line's parlous financial state when he added: "The SDR's difficult financial position meant that even this extended payment system required the sale of Debentures to the mining Company."

The Dennis (named for one of the founders) served the line well for more than fifteen years, but lack of funds resulted in idling the engine in mid-1923. Repairs on the firebox began after a survey, but a November 1924 report showed that the work remained half-done. Refurbishment were never completed and the engine was finally officially taken out of service in 1936 and its parts sold for scrap value in 1937.