A couple of days back I wrote about Red Wharf Bay, memories of an Iain Rice plan, jogged by standing on a beach watching the tide roll in. The beach features in this post too, but of an entirely different kind. This beach is in the rolling Welsh/Shropshire borders, features a Colonel Stevens light railway and an industrial lead mine. So for me basically it might just as well be catnip.

My late father was a keen cyclist, photographer and interested in railways. He and his friends were members of the CTC Cyclists Touring Club, and often rode into Wales and the borderlands. In his book collection was Eric S Tonks book on the Snailbeach, I’ve no idea how many times I flicked through it and read it cover to cover. Way back, my first proper layout was a 009 effort, a simple loop with a GEM white metal kit of the Baldwin 4-6-0, and eggerbahn hoppers taking the place of the real Snailbeach varieties. It worked ok for a first effort, and was my first step into scenery, I just wish I’d had the mind to take some pictures of it. So this line as well as the Bishops Castle, and Shropshire and Montgomeryshire lines are all traceable back to Dads interests and book collections, he saw all three lines in varying states of dereliction, I just wish I’d spent more time asking about them..

What’s this got to do with modelling? Ten years ago who’d have thought that in a few years time, the hobby would have had high quality, accurate ready to run 009, easily available to punters walking in off the street? Today I have in the man cave some of Peco’s recent releases into the 009 market, prototypical large hoppers for the Snailbeach line! This model sits in their Great Little Trains range of products with three versions available, Snailbeach livery, unmarked grey, and dark brown.

GR-340A Snailbeach District Railway SDR Grey

GR-340UG Snailbeach District Railway Plain Grey

GR-340UB Snailbeach District Railway Plain Brown

Unusually for a narrow gauge backcountry minor branch line there is a surprising amount of data available on the line and its stock.

In addition to Eric Tonks’ book there is the excellent Twelveheads Press book above, but both unfortunately now out of print. There were two hopper designs on the Snailbeach, large and small, and the version Peco have presented us with is the larger version. There were a number of different detail differences which are outlined in the drawings and images within both books, and its those I’ve used to make this appraisal of these models

Dimensionally the wagon bears up to data in both books, and represents a 1906 build wagon from Granham Moor Quarry. This quarry was originally served by the Snailbeach line before a batch of their wagons were bough by the SDR in 1920. The dimensional accuracy are close estimates, the drawings coming from known dimensions, one surviving example and close study of images.

The wagon is of plastic construction with metal straight spoked wheels, it weighs in at just over 5 grammes. The quality of the moulding is excellent with crisp detail and sharp edges across both body and chassis. The brake lever and shoes are all are all correct to match published images of these vehicles.

The wheels run smoothly and concentrically and are a press fit into chassis lugs, running on pin point axle ends. While this looked a little odd, it’s the same style as the latest Peco N gauge private owner wagons, and to date those have been no problem.

Brake gear is correctly represented on one side only, and plastic moulded standard 009 type couplers are a firm press fit into their mountings. It takes quite a firm pull to remove them so in normal use this won’t be an issue. Because of their size this does leave quite a large gap between each wagon. The vehicles did couple with each other and other manufacturer stock with complete reliability. The bodies have strapping represented in the correct places, there is however no internal detailing, except for the very bottom of the hopper representing the shutter doors.

The chassis represents one with double buffing plates, there were examples with a single buffer plate. The curved ends to the wagon and double struts underneath the hopper are extant and as above match published drawings and images. The price of the wagons currently (mid 2025), is around the £30 mark but they can be found discounted at various retailers. While that may seem expensive it is a bit of a niche product, as perhaps 009 generally may be too. There are however the original Parkside Dundas kits which are still available, those too make up well and a mix of both types could look really effective in capturing a down at heel light railway.

The livery printed on the Snailbeach wagon is sharp and opaque the model moulded the same light grey as the unliveried version. Packaging for these is excellent, with one slight drawback. The wagons are held in place on their mount by a clear plastic strap which has to be cut to release them. (this is the same with the N gauge PO wagons). You can gently stretch the strap and release the wagons sideways, but for me this isn’t ideal.

One thing that has appealed to me with the development of the various 009 ranges of late is the accuracy and ‘joined up’ thinking that manufacturers are putting into the ranges. These Snailbeach wagons are a natural partner for Bachmann’s 10-12-D Baldwin tank (below) which has been released in Snailbeach livery as well as a good few other schemes.

Referring to the books and the models the possible question for regular readers is will there be a 009 shelfie? The answer to that is yes, and it’s very much in the planing using both books mentioned above. There are things I want to change, couplings for example, and get a bit of a different look to 009 track using a new technique and layout structure design.

One thing I’ve not done yet apart from one passing journey is visit the area, its good gravel biking country and the line was less than six miles long. Weather looks good this week….