Steeple Grange Light Railway
| Steeple Grange Light Railway | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Locale | Wirksworth, Derbyshire, England |
| Terminus | Steeple Grange |
| Coordinates | 53°05′44″N 1°34′15″W / 53.0956°N 1.5709°WCoordinates: 53°05′44″N 1°34′15″W / 53.0956°N 1.5709°W |
 |
|
| Commercial operations | |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Preserved operations | |
| Length | 1⁄2 mile (0.80 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 18 in (457 mm) |
| 1985 | opened |
The Steeple Grange Light Railway is a heritage railway at Wirksworth in Derbyshire, UK. It uses industrial locomotives and from disused mines, quarries, and steelworks around the country.
The Steeple Grange is a 1⁄2-mile (0.8 km) 18 in (457 mm) gauge narrow gauge line, built in 1985 on the former Killer's Branch line from Steeple House Junction of the Cromford and High Peak Railway and Middleton Quarry in Derbyshire. The line features a steep 1:27 (3.7 %) gradient incline from the back of the engine shed to halfway up Killer's Branch. A crossover exists halfway up the hill as well as sidings on the site of Dark Lane mine, soon to be the coaching stock shed.
Two extensions are being studied seriously:
The SGLR has two operational passenger locomotives, two permanent way/works locomotives and many others under restoration.
The railway's main locomotive is Greenbat, a 1.5 long tons (1.52 t; 1.68 short tons), 5 hp (3.7 kW) "trammer" type battery locomotive built by Greenwood and Batley of Leeds. Greenbat incorporated a folding cab, to allow the locomotive to fit down small mineshafts. It was ordered by a steel mill, who specifically requested the cab be fixed. Greenbat herself has never been underground, working in various steel mills.
Greenbat was preserved by Adrian Booth, who passed it on to the SGLR when the line was in its infancy. She was fitted with air braking, and coupled to an ex-NCB manrider has provided nearly 15 years of service. In 2005 she received new batteries, the old ones having last 15 years out of a lifespan of 10.
...
Wikipedia