News

Janet class 0-4-0ST "A B Titty" was out-shopped from Low End Works on Tuesday 24th Feb 2026. 

The relaying of the main line across the High Moor has now been complete with all the track re-ballasted.

For the past 4 weeks the line between Beckfoot and Swallowdale junction has been closed for works to replace r

0-4-0ST "Captain John" returned to traffic for one week to make sure all was well following a spell in Low End

Civil engineering works were carried out during April 2025 at High Topps:

• The station platform was resurfaced
• A new retaining wall was built
• The main line track was lifted near the top of Trout Tarn Incline and repacked to improve the alignment.

The earlier experiment with fitting a section of tinplate cladding on the top of the Millie class "Mate Susan"' boiler was a failure because the heat resistant green paint became discoloured after a few weeks in service. 

The S A & D copper mining company have taken delivery of their second steam locomotive, a Quarry Mamod 0-4-0ST which will be named "Dick Callum".

Explosion proof battery electric mining locomotive "Dot" was outshopped from Low End Works in April 2024 following rebuild.

The following modifications were completed:

Rebuilt Millie class 0-4-0T No.M445 "Mate Susan" is now in Low End Works for new wheels and motion as listed here:

The following civil engineering works were carried out in September and October 2023

The embankment on High Moor has collapsed due to a sink hole and will now have to be rebuilt. The station at Horseshoe Cove is also temporarily closed due to engineering works on the roof.

Bubbles in the water gauge glass has always been a problem on the smaller locos so it was decided to fit a blowdown valve on one of the rebuilt Mamods to see if it would solve it.

SdR built battery electric mining loco  “Dot” is back in Low End Works for a major rebuild. 

• Extended frames 
• Longer cab, open at the battery-box end
• Extra weight added to mid section of frames to improve adhesion

The regulator hand wheel on Bridget the Tram was still a bit too hot to handle. So Bridget was briefly returned to Low End Works for modification as follows:

The gas filler valve on the fuel tank of loco No.118 failed during fueling on Friday 21st April 2023. The loco had to be taken out of traffic immediately and was replaced by loco No.B438 to run the service.

Rebuilt Mamod loco AB TITTY has been fitted with a new steam regulator hand-wheel to make driving easier. The hand wheel has been adapted from a red Wilesco traction engine steering wheel which is made of aluminium alloy.

Low End Works's latest new-build project Bridget the Steam Tram has been completed and the loco was outshopped on 26 March 2023.

Special features of this new locomotive are:

LED lights to use as headlamps came from Switch Electronics in Hull:

Low End Works design office has developed an exhaust steam condenser and dual concentric chimney arrangement. This failed to work correctly on the first tests so the following modifications were made to the condenser design:

The new-build Industrialised Tram which will be named Bridget has now entered the Low End Works paint shop.

The new Industrialised Tram Engine project is progressing slowly. Current status is:

The Low End Works pattern shop has been making 3-D patterns in cardboard (from Shredded Wheat cartons). This has been used to provide a mock-up of the loco bodywork for the Tram Engine project. This is the procedure:

Low End Works are making progress with the new-build steam tram engine, which is based on a Kitson tram chassis/boiler/engine supplied by Mamod Ltd.

The current works are:

Low End Works believe the new “Kitson Steam Tram” being built by Mamod could form the basis of a new steam loco for slow banking and shunt releasing on the SdR, as an alternative to the battery electric locos.

Battery mining loco DOT has been taken out of service and into Low End Works for a rebuild. This will involve:

An additional siding has been laid at the SADMC Gulch copper mine. This is to enable a locomotive to be stabled at the mine and also the siding is used to assist with running round at High Topps station without running the loco into the copper ore loading bay. This project involved:

Roundhouse Millie class 0-4-0 "Mate Susan" has now returned to traffic following her re-build in Low End Works. She now carries her works number M445 as her running number (previously No.3) and has been repainted in a Mid-Brunswick Green using heat resistant enamel paint.

A shed roof has now been built up at Swallowdale to cover the single-road engine servicing point. And both SADMC battery mining locomotives have now been permanently allocated to Swallowdale Shed.

After 13 years of stalwart service No.3 "Mate Susan" has now gone into Low End Works for some modifications and an overdue repaint!

Mooted mods are:

Capt. John modifications project is now complete Mods were:

Loco No4 Capt John has been fitted with a new smokebox door designed and made from mild steel sheet in the works.
The locking mechanism makes use of the dart handles and an internal catch. The catch engages with a horizontal locking bar.

SdR "Bertie" class 0-4-0 loco No4 "Capt John" has entered Low End works for some minor modification work. These will be:

The main steam pipe for loco No2 rebuild has been made from 1/8 copper pipe in two sections:

Work continues on the rebuilding project to convert loco No2 into a Hunslet quarry style saddle tank.

As per loco No1 it was decided to move the fuel tank to the rear of the cab. This keeps it cool and prevents the need to constantly adjust the fuel valve when under way. Method of manufacture was:

The side tanks originally fitted to Loco No2 Boy Roger are being replaced with a saddle tank.

Slow but steady progress is being made on the rebuilding of former Mamod Mk1 No2 Boy Roger.

At last the long awaited brake wheel which was ordered from
Forest Classics on 7th February 2021 has now been delivered to us at Low End Works.

Battery mining loco No6 DOT has now received her brass nameplates which were fitted while she was in works receiving attention for various things:

Loco No2 Boy Roger is now back in Low End Works for yet another major rebuild!

Coach No.206 was taken into Low End Works to have a new and larger battery box fitted.

The higher capacity now allows 2 x AA  non-rechargeable batteries to be replaced with 3 x AA rechargeable batteries, which provides a much brighter level of lighting inside the carriage.

Engine No1 A B TITTY has returned to traffic following her successful rebuild from MSS side-tank to RWM/SdR saddle tank.

The rebuilt loco is now essentially an RWM "Janet" class but with tank, cab and footplate designed and built in-house by SdR at our Low End Works.

The new frames, wheels, cylinders, pistons and motion (i.e. Janet chassis) arrived from RWM Steam and the existing Bix gas burner was installed between the frames.

Also a new displacement lubricator with steam pipe was supplied from RWM Steam.

Loco No1 A B Titty has emerged from Low End works following her major rebuild.

Successful steaming tests were carried out on blocks but track tests proved that there are now major problems:

Because the new cab for No1 A B TITTY is much taller than the original it has been necessary to make a new taller chimney. This has been made from 1/2 inch copper pipe.

A new taller and wider cab has been made for No1 A B Titty. It has been decided to paint this loco in Capri Blue instead of the Oxford Blue livery that was applied to Nos 2-4.

The conversion of engine No1 A B Titty from a side tank to a saddle tank has been competed.

The next part of the rebuilding programme for this locomotive will be the fabrication of a new full-height/width cab followed by making of a new copper chimney with brass cap.

No1 A B Titty is being converted from being a side-tank locomotive to a saddle tank.

This will hopefully help to retain heat from the fire and improve thermal efficiency when compared to the original side tank design.

Loco No1: the new firebox endplate/ boiler saddle has been finished with brass edging and steel cowls to cover the part of the firebox that protrudes onto the footplate.

All the fabricated components have been riveted together using 2.4mm pop rivets.

A new combined firebox endplate and boiler saddle was fabricated from aluminium scrap.

This will support the new high pressure boiler at the cab end and replace the old boiler mounting arrangement which relied on support from the original MSS cab sheets.

Engine No1 currently being rebuilt in Low End Works shall have a new taller chimney. Suitable material has been sourced from scrap 1/2 inch copper pipe left over from the domestic central heating installation back in 1992.

Frame extensions for the raised cab floor and all-round running plates have been fabricated, together with new wider buffer beams.

Source materials:

The rebuilding of loco No1. will involve raising the cab floor. To enable this a new frame extension has been fabricated from mild steel. (Material sourced from the mounting stand of a scrapped Dell Dimension computer monitor).

The new high pressure boiler for the loco No.1 AB TITTY rebuilding project has arrived from the suppliers RWM Steam.

Loco No.1 AB TITTY had now been completely stripped down to her frames, but with wheels, motion and cylinders left in place.

This work is in preparation for the rebuilding programme which will involve a new boiler and redesigned footplate, running plate and cab.

Steam loco No1 AB TITTY has now been taken out of store and moved into Low End Works for a major rebuild.

Miserable May weather produced a freak hailstorm at Beckfoot on Wednesday 5 May 2021.

The service operated as normal but both mining locos Nos 5 and 6 were employed to bank the 15:00 ex-Beckfoot passenger train up the 1 in 14 of Greenbanks bank.

The service train on Sunday 2 May 2021 was run as a push-pull with the regular Sunday loco No3 and brake second coach No.206.

This year's crop of Bluebells is particularly good.

A fine display of the pretty blooms has appeared along the valley beside the Amazon river all the way from Beckfoot up to Four Firs.

Recently built and commissioned battery mining locomotive No.6 was back in works from 27 Apr 2021 for examination after failure in traffic.

Work was carried out in mid April 2021 at Beckfoot Engine shed:

A new overall roof has been built covering both inspection pit roads at Beckfoot Engine Shed. Beckfoot shed can now provide covered accommodation for up to four locomotives.

New mining loco No.6 was taken out of traffic again following early in-service tests commencing on 23rd March 2021.

Further design modifications and additions were carried out in the works:

Despite having to run with a temporary power control wheel, brand new battery electric mining locomotive No.6 was released to traffic today from Low End Works.

The locomotive's very first outing was a test run from Beckfoot Shed to Swallowdale Shed and back.

Production at Low End Works is now held up due to Brexit border delays!

Loco No.6 is nearing completion but cannot be released to traffic until a proper power control handle has been installed on the driver's control panel.

Work on assembling the power control circuits for new battery loco No.6 has commenced.

Electrical components were supplied by Essel Engineering Ltd along with a very good wiring diagram. The components are:

The 1mm thick steel sub-frames have been ditched in favour of 2mm thick steel. This is intended to enhance adhesion when the loco goes mountain climbing!

The loco frame was drilled with 3mm bit to create mounting holes for the footplate brackets. These will be screwed to the frame with 6BA brass bolts and the holes in the brackets may need to be oversized to allow clearance.

Progress on new loco No.6. An iterative process of design development has been undertaken to produce a satisfactory design for the cab.

The experimental discarded patterns in card can be seen in the photos.

Problems with running in snowy conditions have been solved by using No.3 Mate Susan in place of the booked duty loco No.4 Capt John.

Susan is externally fired and so her wheels get hotter than John's! This greatly assists adhesion on icy rails.

An iterative process of successive 3D drawings (patterns) has led to the fabrication in steel of the cab and roof for new locomotive No.6.

Low End Works can report good progress on the design and building of brand new battery mining loco No.6.

At this stage the loco footplate and roof profile have been finalised and manufactured from sheet steel, whilst the cab is still in the 3D drawing stage.

On the afternoon of 8th February 2021 modest snow appeared to be no barrier to operating the Monday train services (freight and passenger).

The so-called Beast from the Baltic has arrived and the SdR route is already under a modest layer of fresh snow. But more appears to be on the way.

Work has now begun in Low End Works on the design and construction of brand new battery locomotive No.6, which is provisionally to be named DOT.

Battery-electric mining locomotive No.5 JACKY has now completed rebuild in Low End Works and returned to service on the SdR. Modifications completed are:

SdR engine No.2 BOY ROGER has been pressed into weekday service temporarily while electric loco No.5 JACKY is in Low End Works for rebuild and modifications.

Loco No.5 JACKY is now ready for paint shop having had new battery box and associated mountings fitted along with modified bodywork covering the electrical equipment control cubicle in front of the cab.

New battery box mountings have been designed and manufactured for No.5 being rebuilt and also for No.6 which will soon  be under construction as a new-build locomotive.

SADMC battery mining loco No.5 JACKY is now in the workshops at Low End for another rebuilding project. This time it has been decided to remove the cooling fan motor from the control cubicle as it is not really needed and uses a lot of battery power.

No.2 Boy Roger has now returned to traffic following a major rebuilding project. This consisted of the following completed works:

A new copper fuel line was supplied by Forest Classics and this was fitted into the existing Bix butane burner assembly in the firebox.

No.2 Boy Roger continues to undergo major rebuilding in Low End Works. Recent work included making and fitting cab access steps.

These required holes to be drilled in the cab floor to take the fixings.

Progress is being made on the new cab for Roger.

It was found that the doorways would need to be extended right up to roof level in order that a 16mm scale driver would be able to get in and out without bashing his bonce.

Cardboard patterns for a new cab for Roger have been made and finalised. Then the finished pattern was then flattened out and placed onto a sheet of steel, marked round in ink lining pen, and then the steel was cut to shape.

All-round footplate has now been fitted to Roger in Low End Works.

Cardboard templates have been made for the new all-round steel foot-plating being made for loco No.2. Once finalised the templates will be used to mark out the sheet steel for cutting.

No.2 Boy Roger is back in Low End Works for a major rebuilding project. The loco will have the following new features added:

The Sunday service train on 22nd November was operated by loco No.2 Boy Roger as an experiment to see whether the little Mamods are capable of hauling the new and heavy Mk2 steel coaches. The service was run as a single coach train using coach 206.

On Saturday 21st November Loco No.2 Boy Roger was put on blocks and run up on test. The engine recently underwent repairs to the fuel tank and adjustments were made to the gas burner.

It's that time of year again when autumn leaves cause a hazard to trains on the Swallowdale Railway. A clean sweep has to be made manually before the services can run, and drivers have to remain vigilant....!

Engine No.3 Mate Susan made a short visit to Low End Works recently for minor modifications: