B.E.V.
The oldest locomotive on site, this is a battery-electric locomotive, but of completely different appearance from the two Greenwood & Batley engines. It was built by British Electric Vehicles Ltd of Southport,
551 – B.E.V.
works number 551, and delivered in October 1924 to the Gyrnos Tin Plate Co (1921) Ltd, of Lower Cwmtwrch, Glamorgan. By the late 1960s it was lying unused eight miles down the valley at the tin plate works of John Player & Son (1364) Ltd, Clydach, near Swansea who sold it for preservation to a Nr M Jacob, one of the partners in Narrow Gauge Enterprises.
The only 18" gauge loco in the museum at Gloddfa Ganol, B.E.V. was purchased by an SGLR member and brought to Derbyshire in February 1998. It is not in running order. Although this particular loco has no local connections, it is interesting to note that B.E.V. locomotives were used underground at the Mill Close lead mine, just six miles away from Steeple Grange.
Spondon
Another battery-electric locomotive, this is a 2' gauge machine built in 1926 by the Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire Electric Power Co Ltd for their Spondon Generating Station near Derby. It was used along with a number of other locomotives to haul trainloads of ash from the boilerhouse to a disposal area, and remained at work until the 197Os, when it was acquired by Narrow Gauge Enterprises and taken to Gloddfa Ganol. It was bought by SGLR members at the disposal auction and arrived in Derbyshire in February 1998.