Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway

Heritage railway in Cumbria, England

Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway

La'al Ratty

River Irt approaches Miteside Loop, October 2007

Terminus| Ravenglass
Coordinates| 54°21′18″N 3°24′29″W﻿ / ﻿54.355°N 3.408°W﻿ / 54.355; -3.408
Connections| Cumbrian Coast Line
Commercial operations
Built by| Whitehaven Mines Ltd.
Original gauge| 3 ft (914 mm)
Preserved operations
Owned by| Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Co. Ltd
Operated by| Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Co. Ltd
Stations| 9
Length| 7 miles (11.3 km)
Preserved gauge| 15 in (381 mm)
Commercial history
Opened| 24 May 1875
1913| Closed
1915| Reopened
Preserved era| Steam
Preservation history
1960| Saved by the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Preservation Society and reopened owned by the R&ER Co. Ltd.
1976| Celebrated centenary of passenger services on the line.
1977| New Radio Control System unveiled
2010| Celebrated fifty years of preservation.
Headquarters| Ravenglass
Website
Official website

Ravenglass

Dalegarth for Boot

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Stations on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway in Copeland, Cumbria

The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is a 15 in (381 mm) minimum-gauge heritage railway in Cumbria, England. The 7-mile (11.3 km) line runs from Ravenglass to Dalegarth Station near Boot in the valley of Eskdale, in the Lake District. At Ravenglass the line ends at Ravenglass railway station on the Cumbrian Coast Line.

The old building at Dalegarth Station near Boot, with Ravenglass-built diesel loco Lady Wakefield River Esk, with her driver, Peter van Zeller, on the turntable at Ravenglass station

Intermediate stations and halts are at Muncaster Mill, Miteside, Murthwaite, Irton Road, The Green, Fisherground and Beckfoot. The railway is owned by a private company and supported by a preservation society. The oldest locomotive is River Irt, parts of which date from 1894, while the newest is the diesel-hydraulic Douglas Ferreira, built in 2005.

The line is known locally as La'al Ratty and its 3 ft (914 mm) gauge predecessor as Owd Ratty.[1][2]

Nearby attractions include: the Roman Bath House at Ravenglass; the Hardknott Roman Fort, known to the Romans as Mediobogdum, at the foot of Hardknott Pass; the watermills at Boot and Muncaster; and Muncaster Castle, the home of the Pennington family since 1208.

## History

[edit]

### Original railway

[edit]

The original Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway was a 3 ft (914 mm) line opened on 24 May 1875 to transport hematite iron ore from three mines near and around the village of Boot to the Furness Railway standard gauge line at Ravenglass.[3][4] There has previously been a dispute about the gauge the railway was built to. It is shown as 3 feet in records but is quoted as 2 ft 9 in (838 mm) in some books such as the ABC of Narrow Gauge Railways.[5] This figure was believed for many years until the present company discovered a sleeper from before the line closed, with spacings between holes made by track spikes confirming the gauge was the wider one. The confusion probably stems from the fact that the line was built under the condition that it was "of a gauge not less than 2' 9" ".[1]

Following requests from the residents of the Eskdale valley for a passenger service, the railway was upgraded to meet the minimum standards of the Board of Trade, and the first passenger trains ran in November 1876.[1][3] It was the first public narrow-gauge railway in England.[3] However, the cost of upgrading the line for passengers left the railway company with substantial debts which it was unable to pay off. The company was forced to declare itself bankrupt in 1877, although trains continued to run under the control of a series of receivers.[3] Nonetheless, in 1880 a tramway was built connecting the line near Beckfoot railway station to newly opened mines across the River Esk at Gill Force.[6][7] All but one of the iron ore mines closed within 10 years of the railway opening, and there was not enough traffic from other sources (local goods and passengers from the villages and farms of the valley) to sustain the railway. The railway "struggled on" by carrying granite from local quarries and became popular with summer tourists.[7] The Summer 1898 Furness Railway timetable shows five weekday trains along the line with three on Sundays.[8]

In 1905, a passenger train was derailed at Murthwaite due to a combination of a defective locomotive and defective track.[9] By 1908 the track-work was in such poor condition, it was declared unsafe for passengers by the Board of Trade. The railway closed to passengers that year. Goods trains continued to run whilst attempts were made to raise money to rebuild the railway. These attempts failed, and the railway closed completely in April 1913.[3]

### Conversion to 15 inch gauge

[edit]

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Ravenglass & Eskdale Rly 1981

In 1915, the abandoned railway was taken over by the model maker Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke and his business partner Robert Proctor-Mitchel. They began converting the line to the 15 in (381 mm) gauge that it is today. The first train operated over the regauged line on 28 August 1915, running initially to Muncaster Mill.[1] By 1917, the entire line had been converted and trains were running along the whole length to Boot. However, the gradients on the final section of the line proved to be too steep for the smaller locos, and the railway was cut back to Beckfoot in 1918.[7] Initially, services were operated using the Bassett-Lowke-built, 1/4 scale 4-4-2 Sans Pareil. This was later joined by another Bassett-Lowke loco, Colossus (a 4-6-2 version of 'Sans Pareil'), as well as 2 locos and rolling stock from Sir Arthur Heywood's Duffield Bank line, following Sir Arthur's death in 1916. These were the 0-6-0 tank engine Ella, and the 0-8-0 tank engine Muriel, whose frames and running gear were later rebuilt as River Irt. Another Heywood loco, an 0-4-0 tank engine called Katie, was acquired from the Eaton Hall Railway in Cheshire, whilst another 4-6-2 tender loco, Sir Aubrey Brocklebank, was constructed for the railway, and named after the railway's financial backer, a wealthy shipping owner who lived nearby at Irton Hall.

As well as passengers, the line transported goods and mail to and from the valley. In 1922 a granite quarry was opened at Beckfoot, and the railway was used to transport the granite between Beckfoot Quarry and a crushing plant at Murthwaite. From 1929, the track between Murthwaite and Ravenglass was converted to dual gauge, with 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge track straddling the 15 in (381 mm) gauge rails.[7] A diesel locomotive was obtained in 1929 to work this section.

### Brocklebank ownership

[edit]

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In the mid-1920s, the railway was taken over by Sir Aubrey Brocklebank, who also owned the quarry at Beckfoot. Under his ownership the line went through a number of changes. By 1926, the line had been extended along the route of the former Gill Force Tramway to its present terminus at Dalegarth Station. Large sections of the line were relaid with surplus rails from World War I light railways, and the railway was realigned in several places to remove some of the steepest gradients and sharper curves.

The station at Ravenglass was rebuilt to better handle the increasing number of passengers, and new steam and diesel locomotives were purchased to work the line, including River Esk (built in 1923), whilst the older locos were withdrawn and either rebuilt (in the case of Muriel into River Irt), or used to build new locos (in the case of the first River Mite). Following Sir Aubrey's death in 1929, control of the railway passed into the hands of his business partners, who lacked the local interest that Sir Aubrey had, and no further investment was made, other than what was needed for essential maintenance.

When World War II broke out in 1939, passenger trains were suspended for the duration of the conflict, and the steam locos were mothballed. Granite trains continued to run to support the war effort. In 1946, passenger trains began to run again using one of the diesels, with River Irt returning to service in 1947. River Esk did not return to service until the early 1950s, whilst the first River Mite had been permanently withdrawn and dismantled.

In 1949, the last of Sir Aubrey's business partners died, and the railway was sold to the Keswick Granite Company, who wanted to gain control of the quarrying side of the business. However, due to the lack of investment since the 1920s, much of the equipment in the quarry and crushing plant was worn out and in need of replacement. Rather than make the required investment, Keswick Granite chose to close the quarry in 1953, but kept the passenger trains running in the summer months. From 1958 attempts were made to sell the line as a going concern, but the asking price was too high. Finally in 1960, Keswick Granite announced that the railway would be sold by auction in September of that year.[10][11] It was also announced that if a buyer could not be found for the line as a whole, then the railway would be closed and sold off as 60 separate lots.

### Preservation

[edit]

Locals and railway enthusiasts formed Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Preservation Society to save the line, with financial backing by Sir Wavell Wakefield, Member of Parliament (MP) for Marylebone and owner of the Ullswater Steamers, and Colin Gilbert, a stockbroker. These efforts were successful, and at the auction in September 1960, the society made the winning bid and saved the railway from closure. Control of the railway passed to a new private company, with the backing of the preservation society, an arrangement that is still in place.[10][11]

When the new owners took control of the railway in 1961, the railway was in poor condition, suffering from the lack of investment since the late 1920s. There were only two steam locomotives, River Esk and River Irt, both of which were well worn and in need of overhauls. To allow for an expanded timetable, the preservation society raised funds to build a third steam locomotive. River Mite (2-8-2) entered service in 1967 and, although owned by the society, has been on permanent loan to the company ever since. The two existing steam locos would be rebuilt with new boilers and tenders in the 1960s and 1970s.[12]

In 1968, the death of Colin Gilbert led to the railway company becoming the property of Sir Wavell Wakefield, who by that stage had become Lord Wakefield of Kendal. In the early 1970s it became apparent that, with passengers rising, another locomotive was required. This time the company constructed the locomotive itself. Northern Rock (2-6-2) was complete in time for centenary celebrations in 1976.[12] A further addition was made in 1980 when the company constructed the B-B diesel locomotive Lady Wakefield.[10][11]

Other significant locomotives include Bonnie Dundee, built in 1900 as a 2 ft (610 mm)-gauge tank locomotive before being donated to the R&ER by a member and converted to 15 in (381 mm)-gauge,[12] later converted again from tank to tender configuration; Synolda, (renamed Prince Charles) a twin to the original 15 in (381 mm) loco Sans Pareil, built in 1912,[12] saved from Belle Vue Zoo in 1978 and now in the railway museum; Shelagh of Eskdale, a 4-6-4 diesel built in 1969[12] incorporating parts of the Heywood loco Ella; Perkins, a rebuilt 0-4-4DH locomotive, which started as a quarry shunter before being rebuilt into the steam-outlined Passenger Tractor and then again in 1984 into its current guise; Douglas Ferreira, a B-B diesel loco constructed in 2005 and named after the general manager of the R&ER from 1961 to 1994. The most recent addition to the loco fleet is Whillan Beck, a 4-6-2 tender loco built by Krauss in Munich in 1929, which entered service at Ravenglass in 2018.

Since the 1960s, the condition of the railway has been significantly improved and visitors have increased. Most of the work to rebuild the railway was overseen by Douglas Ferreira, who was the general manager between 1961 and 1994. Today, there are 120,000 passengers each year with up to 16 trains daily in summer. Trains run most of the year; the railway is only closed in January.

In October 1998, the railway's engines River Mite, Northern Rock, and Cyril were taken to Germany for a period of excursions on the Dresden Park Railway, a former Pioniereisenbahn in Dresden. Whilst in Dresden, the locomotives ran with two of that lines Krauss & Co. built locomotives dating from 1925. In 2016, the R&ER was able to purchase a sister engine, built by Krauss & Co. in 1929 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 in Seville, Spain. Since its arrival in Cumbria, this locomotive has been named Whillan Beck.[13][14]

In early 2020, the railway was forced to temporarily suspend all trains due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent UK-wide lockdown. This was the first time since the Second World War that passenger trains had been forcibly suspended for such a prolonged period. Following the relaxation of lockdown restrictions in July 2020, passenger trains resumed on 30 July.

### Gilbert's Cutting

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After passing Spout House Farm the line reaches Gilbert's Cutting. Until 1964, trains were forced to follow a sharp curve along a contour in order to avoid steep gradients. Using "opencast gelignite" to blast through the rock, the cutting was constructed to a 300-foot radius ten feet wide at rail level with steep sides exposing Eskdale pink granite on the inside curve. Its construction alleviated the sharp curve at Holling Head of 145 foot radius which caused excessive wear and tear on the locos and track. 3,000 tons of rock and earth was removed and about 700 feet of track was re-laid. By diverting the line through the new cutting the length of the line was reduced by 87+3⁄4 feet making the total length 6.91 miles.

On Friday 27 March 1964, the 11:20am train from Ravenglass hauled by River Irt and driven by the managing director of the Railway Company Colin Gilbert, stopped at the Western entrance to the cutting. Mr Patrick Satow, the Chairman of the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Preservation Society, who was travelling in the cab with Mr Gilbert and Mr Postlethwaite the landowner, cut the ribbon and formally named the cutting "Gilbert's Cutting" in honour of Colin Gilbert.

## Present operations

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A RANDER board, issued to a train's driver and guard by the duty controller.

Today, the railway is a popular visitor attraction in the Lake District, with the majority of its annual passenger numbers coming during the summer months. The entire single journey takes 40 minutes from end-to-end. Passengers can choose between open and covered seating, with some saloon coaches being fitted with heaters for the winter months. Disabled passengers and cycles can also be conveyed by the trains. The locomotives are 1⁄3 scale models of mainline locomotives and are air-braked at 50 psi.[15] There are over a hundred regular volunteers that help with the running of the railways, which include guarding the trains, carriage shunting and selling tickets at the major intermediate stations along the route.

### Signalling system

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Signal box, Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Signals and crossover at Ravenglass

The railway uses the Radio Control Train Order signalling system. Outside Ravenglass station, the line is single track with passing loops at Miteside, Irton Road and Fisherground. Trains operate by radio communication between drivers and at Ravenglass signal box. At passing loops and the terminus station, drivers contact the controller, using "RANDER" reporting numbers (even numbers for up trains, and odd for down), to indicate that the train is within the loop and is clear of the preceding single track. To leave the loop, the driver contacts control to gain authorisation to enter the next single track section. No semaphore signals are used outside Ravenglass station. Points at passing loops are weighted with direction indicators, meaning that no human intervention is required and the points reset themselves automatically after the passage of a train when entering the points from a trailing direction when the points are set for the other rail line.

Elements of the operation were used by British Rail to cut costs on remote lines. What became known as Radio Electronic Token Block signalling shared features with the Ratty, such as centralised control, automatic points at loops, and on-train equipment rather than fixed equipment at remote locations.

On peak days in the summer months, two trains depart each end of the line per hour. Capacity on the railway allows for a service run at 20-minute intervals.

### Ownership

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The railway company is in common ownership with the Ullswater 'Steamers', a company that operates lake cruises on Ullswater in the north-eastern part of the Lake District. Both companies form part of the Lake District Estates group, which also owns various tourist oriented properties in the area, and is controlled by Lord Wakefield's descendants.[16]

## Stations on the route

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Map this section's coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

* KML
* GPX (all coordinates)
* GPX (primary coordinates)
* GPX (secondary coordinates)

Point  | Coordinates
(Links to map resources)  | OS Grid Ref | Notes

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Ravenglass (R&ER) | 54°21′21″N 3°24′30″W﻿ / ﻿54.3559°N 3.4082°W﻿ / 54.3559; -3.4082﻿ (Ravenglass (R&ER) Station) | SD08589651  |
Muncaster Mill | 54°22′01″N 3°23′38″W﻿ / ﻿54.367°N 3.394°W﻿ / 54.367; -3.394﻿ (Muncaster Mill Station) | SD09529772  |
Miteside Halt | 54°22′16″N 3°23′02″W﻿ / ﻿54.371°N 3.384°W﻿ / 54.371; -3.384﻿ (Miteside Halt) | SD10189815  |
Murthwaite Halt | 54°22′43″N 3°22′02″W﻿ / ﻿54.3785°N 3.3671°W﻿ / 54.3785; -3.3671﻿ (Murthwaite Halt) | SD11299897  |
Irton Road | 54°23′17″N 3°19′48″W﻿ / ﻿54.3880°N 3.3299°W﻿ / 54.3880; -3.3299﻿ (Irton Road Station) | SD13739998  |
The Green | 54°23′12″N 3°19′03″W﻿ / ﻿54.3868°N 3.3176°W﻿ / 54.3868; -3.3176﻿ (The Green Station) | SD14539983  |
Fisherground | 54°23′32″N 3°18′13″W﻿ / ﻿54.3923°N 3.3037°W﻿ / 54.3923; -3.3037﻿ (Fisherground Station) | NY15440043  |
Beckfoot | 54°23′33″N 3°16′57″W﻿ / ﻿54.3926°N 3.2824°W﻿ / 54.3926; -3.2824﻿ (Beckfoot Station) | NY16820043  |
Dalegarth | 54°23′43″N 3°16′29″W﻿ / ﻿54.3954°N 3.2748°W﻿ / 54.3954; -3.2748﻿ (Dalegarth Station) | NY17320074  |

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Ravenglass &
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Whillan Beck

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Ghyll Force mines

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### Ravenglass

[edit]

Main article: Ravenglass railway station (R&ER)

Ravenglass railway station is the main terminus of the line: the other terminus is Dalegarth for Boot. Ravenglass station is the headquarters of the railway company and houses the railway museum, managerial offices and rolling stock maintenance facilities.

There is a turntable at the western extremity of the station's platforms, which doubles as the datum for mileage markers on the line. Ravenglass houses two locomotive sheds, on the southern side of the track, and a carriage shed on the northern side. There is a carriage & wagon workshop beyond Platform 1, opposite the signalbox. The Turntable Café is situated on Platform 1. The car park has spaces for 100 cars, as well as coaches. There are holiday accommodation facilities for weekly use, which consist of the Pullman camping coaches 135 Elmira and 137 Maid of Kent, and a holiday bungalow, the Hilton Cottage.

### Muncaster Mill

[edit]

Main article: Muncaster Mill railway station

Muncaster Mill is 1 mile or 1.6 kilometres from Ravenglass, adjacent to an historic corn mill (no longer open to the public). It is an unmanned station, formerly known simply as Muncaster.

### Miteside Halt

[edit]

Main article: Miteside Halt railway station

Miteside Halt is 1+3⁄4 miles (2.8 km) from Ravenglass. It is accessible only from a footpath that passes along Miterdale, at the foot of Muncaster Fell. The station shelter is the wooden hull of an old boat, the third such structure at the Halt.

### Murthwaite Halt

[edit]

Main article: Murthwaite Halt railway station

Murthwaite Halt is 2+3⁄4 miles (4.4 km) from Ravenglass and is also only accessible from a footpath.

### Irton Road

[edit]

Main article: Irton Road railway station

Irton Road is 4+1⁄4 miles (6.8 km) from Ravenglass, approximately halfway along the line. It was formerly known as Hollowstones, after the adjacent farm. There is a passing loop within the station and, consequently, two platforms. It has three sidings which branch off from the "up" loop – two of which run into a small shed, and the third of which is used for ballast and log traffic. There is a station building, which dates from 1875.

### The Green

[edit]

Main article: The Green railway station

The Green, also known as Eskdale Green, is 4+3⁄4 miles (7.6 km) from Ravenglass. It was formerly known as King of Prussia after a local pub, then Eskdale Green, and since has changed between Eskdale Green and The Green several times. Has recently received a new picnic area.

### Fisherground

[edit]

Main article: Fisherground railway station

Fisherground is accessible via a public footpath, adjacent to Fisherground campsite. It is 5+1⁄2 miles (8.9 km) from Ravenglass, just east of Fisherground loop.

### Beckfoot

[edit]

Main article: Beckfoot railway station

Beckfoot is 6+1⁄2 miles (10.5 km) from Ravenglass. Setting down is permitted only from trains travelling from Ravenglass, and picking up is permitted only on trains to Ravenglass.

### Dalegarth for Boot

[edit]

Main article: Dalegarth for Boot railway station

Dalegarth for Boot is a few yards short of 7 miles or 11.3 kilometres from Ravenglass and is the eastern terminus of the railway. It was formerly known as Eskdale (Dalegarth). There are two platforms and a turntable. The facilities at this station include Fellbites Café and the Scafell Gift Shop. A water supply to platform 1 allows topping up of the steam locomotive's tenders.

## Rolling stock

[edit]

### Locomotives

[edit]

For more details on current and former locomotives, see Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway locomotives.

The current fleet comprises:

No.  | Name  | Type  | Wheels  | Builder  | Built  | Arrival  | Livery  | Status  | Refs

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3 | River Irt | Steam  | 0-8-2 | Sir Arthur Heywood | 1894  | 1917  | Mid Green | In service  | [17][18]
6 | Katie | Steam  | 0-4-0T | Sir Arthur Heywood | 1896  | 1916, 1982, 2017  | Green | Owned by the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Preservation Society. Operational, but usually displayed in the museum.  | [18][19]
7 | River Esk | Steam  | 2-8-2 | Davey Paxman & Co. | 1923  | 1923  | Blackberry Black | In service  | [17][18][20]
9 | River Mite | Steam  | 2-8-2 | Clarkson & Sons  | 1966  | 1966  | Indian Red | Owned by the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Preservation Society. In service.  | [17][18]
10 | Northern Rock | Steam  | 2-6-2 | R&ER  | 1976  | 1976  | Muscat Green | In service  | [17][18]
11 | Bonnie Dundee | Steam  | 0-4-2 | Kerr Stuart | 1900  | 1976  | Bronze Green | Operational, at Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway | [18][21]
12 | Whillan Beck | Steam  | 4-6-2 | Krauss | 1929  | 2016  | Caledonian Blue | Owned by the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Preservation Society. In service.  | [17][18][22]
N/A | Synolda | Steam  | 4-4-2 | Bassett-Lowke | 1912  | 1978  | NGR Blue | Owned by the Ravenglass Railway Museum. Displayed in the museum.  | [18][23]
N/A | The Flower of the Forest | Steam  | 0-2-2 | R&ER  | 1985  | 1992  | NER Green | Stored at Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway  | [18][21]
N/A | Greenbat | Battery-Electric  | 4wBE | Greenwood & Batley | 1957  | 1982  | Green  | Stored, unserviceable  | [18][citation needed]
ICL 1 | Bunny | Petrol-Mechanical  | B-2  | Francis Theakston  | 1927  | 1927  | Green  | On display in the museum  | [18][23]
ICL 5 | Quarryman | Petrol-Mechanical  | 4wPM | Muir-Hill | 1926  | 1926  | Green | Operational, usually displayed in the museum  | [18][24]
ICL 4 | Perkins | Diesel-Mechanical  | 4w-4  | Muir-Hill | 1929  | 1929  | Yellow  | In service  | [18][citation needed]
ICL 7 | Shelagh of Eskdale | Diesel-Mechanical  | 4-6-4DM | Severn-Lamb | 1969  | 1969  | Two-tone Green | Operational, at Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway | [18][citation needed]
ICL 8 | Lady Wakefield | Diesel-Mechanical  | B-B | R&ER  | 1980  | 1980  | BR Green | In service  | [18][25]
ICL 9 | Cyril | Diesel-Mechanical  | 4wDM | R.A. Lister | 1932  | 1985  | Green  | Owned by the Murthwaite Locomotive Group. Station shunter.  | [18][26]
ICL 10 | Les | Diesel-Mechanical  | 4wDM | R.A. Lister | 1960  | 1999  | Green  | Workshop pilot  | [18][citation needed]
ICL 11 | Douglas Ferreira | Diesel-Hydraulic  | B-B | TMA Engineering | 2005  | 2005  | Indian Red | Owned by the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Preservation Society. Under repair.  | [18][27][citation needed]

### Passenger carriages

[edit]

The operational passenger stock of the railway currently comprises the following –

* 7 20-seat heated saloons (102; 110; 111; 113–115; 136)
* 2 18-seat heated saloons (106; 107)
* 1 14-seat heated brake saloon (112)
* 3 20-seat saloons (119; 121; 122)
* 2 14-seat brake saloons (104; 120)
* 1 16-seat brake saloon (103)
* 1 22-seat heated maxi brake saloon (133)
* 1 20-seat heated maxi special saloon (130)
* 1 17-seat heated disabled saloon (118)
* 2 19-seat disabled saloons (123; 137)
* 7 20-seat semi-opens (101; 108; 109; 116; 117; 124; 125)
* 3 20-seat disabled semi-opens (127–129)
* 9 20-seat opens (166; 169–469; 170–370; 387)
* 4 18-seat brake opens (271; 371; 199; 287)

Open coach 287 is owned by the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Preservation Society and is hired to the railway.

### Other vehicles

[edit]

A utility van for use by engineers.

The permanent way department currently utilises nine four-wheeled flat wagons, eight of which have removable tops for ballast carrying, a four-wheeled railbender wagon, a bogie man-rider wagon, two bogie flat wagons, a utilities van, and a mess saloon coach (105).[28]

## The line in fiction

[edit]

The Arlesdale Railway in The Railway Series by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry is based on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.[29] In Small Railway Engines (1967), Awdry relates part of a holiday he spent visiting the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway with the Rev. Edwin Boston; the two appear in the book as the Thin Clergyman and the Fat Clergyman, respectively. The Arlesdale Railway was also the focus point in Jock the New Engine, with an incident that was inspired by an accident that happened on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, when Perkins crashed in the back of the shed, and with cameos in other books.[30]

The fictional railway's locomotives are each based on Ravenglass locomotives: Bert, Rex, Mike and Jock are the steam locomotives River Irt, River Esk, River Mite and Northern Rock, while the Sudrian diesels Frank, Sigrid of Arlesdale and Blister 1 & 2 are the Cumbrians Perkins, Shelagh of Eskdale and Cyril.[29] The Arlesdale Railway stations are also visibly based on the Ravenglass ones: Arlesburgh is Ravenglass, Ffarquhar Road is Muncaster Mill, Marthwaite is Irton Road, Arlesdale Green is Eskdale Green and Arlesdale is Dalegarth.[29] Bert, Rex and Mike first appeared in the Thomas & Friends TV Series in the special Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure and later appeared in Season 20.

The line features in The Plague Dogs by Richard Adams; the canine protagonists evade the force of paratroopers searching for them by riding from Eskdale to Ravenglass on an empty train.

In the first two instalments in the RollerCoaster Tycoon franchise of theme park simulation series, RollerCoaster Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, the model for the basic "miniature railway" ride is based on the engine No 10 Northern Rock.[31]

## See also

[edit]

* Duffield Bank Railway
* Eaton Hall Railway
* Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
* Sand Hutton Miniature Railway
* Shuzenji Romney Railway in Japan
* Bush Mill Railway

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Van Zeller, Peter (December 2008). "100 years since the end of the 'Owd Ratty'". The Railway Magazine. 154 (1, 292): 39–40.39-40&rft.date=2008-12&rft.au=Van+Zeller,+Peter&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Ravenglass+and+Eskdale+Railway" class="Z3988">
2. ^ Welbourn 2000, pp. 14–18.
3. ^ a b c d e Whitehouse, Patrick & Snell, John (1984). Narrow gauge railways of the British Isles. David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-0196-9.
4. ^ Davies, W.J.K. (1981) [1968]. "Inception of the Railway". The Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway. David & Charles. pp. 13–22\. ISBN 0-7153-9224-7.13-22&rft.pub=David+&+Charles&rft.date=1981&rft.isbn=0-7153-9224-7&rft.aulast=Davies&rft.aufirst=W.J.K.&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Ravenglass+and+Eskdale+Railway" class="Z3988">
5. ^ Ian Allan ABC of Narrow Gauge Railways, c. 1960, pp. 49–50
6. ^ "View: Cumberland LXXIX.SW (includes: Eskdale; Irton.) – Ordnance Survey Six-inch England and Wales, 1842–1952". maps.nls.uk.
7. ^ a b c d The Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Handbook (5th ed.). The Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Co. Ltd. 1978. pp. 5 & 7.
8. ^ Davey 1984, pp. 13 & 39.
9. ^ Earnshaw, Alan (1989). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 5. Penryn: Atlantic Books. p. 5\. ISBN 0-906899-35-4.
10. ^ a b c "History of the Railway". Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
11. ^ a b c "Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway". British Heritage Railways. 27 June 2016. Archived from the original on 27 June 2016.
12. ^ a b c d e The Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Handbook (5th ed.). The Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Co. Ltd. 1978. p. 26.
13. ^ "Lokomotiven aus Großbritannien zu Gast in Dresden" [Locomotives from Great Britain as guest in Dresden] (in German and English). Parkeisenbahn Dresden. Archived from the original on 23 December 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
14. ^ "95 Jahre Martens'sche Liliputlokomotiven – 2020 Leipzig" [95 years of Martens' miniature locomotives – 2020] (in German). Parkeisenbahn Dresden. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
15. ^ Andersen, Eliot; Jenner, David. The Ratty Album Volume 3. p. 3.
16. ^ "Visitor Attractions & Events". Lake District Estates. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
17. ^ a b c d e "Our Steam Engines". Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
18. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Bryant, Peter; Holroyde, Dave (2012). Miniature Railways of Great Britain & Ireland. Platform 5. ISBN 978-1-902336-93-0.
19. ^ "Katie". The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Preservation Society. 8 August 2021. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
20. ^ https://advanced-steam.org/ast-news/nigel-day-completes-the-rebuilding-of-river-esk/
21. ^ a b "Our Locomotives". Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
22. ^ "Name and Livery decision". The Train From Spain Appeal. 12 February 2017. Archived from the original on 12 February 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
23. ^ a b "Ravenglass Railway Museum". Ravenglass Railway Museum. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
24. ^ "Quarryman Restoration Appeal". Ravenglass Railway Museum Trust. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
25. ^ "Locomotive No 8 Lady Wakefield emerges from Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway paintshop". Rail Advent Ltd. 12 March 2021. Archived from the original on 12 March 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
26. ^ "Cyril". The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Preservation Society. 29 August 2021. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
27. ^ "Douglas Ferreira". The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Preservation Society. 8 August 2021. Archived from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
28. ^ van Zeller, Peter & Higginson, Martin (2006). Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Stockbook (4th ed.). Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Preservation Society.
29. ^ a b c Awdry, Wilbert and George (1987). The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways. Heinemann. ISBN 0-434-96348-8.
30. ^ Wilcock, David, respectively. The Rev Wilbert Awdry – Thomas the Tank Engine's Creator – Dies at 85, obituary in Steam Railway dated June 1997 online at pegnsean.net (accessed 13 April 2008)
31. ^ "Game Info - The Evolution of RollerCoaster Tycoon - Part 2". rollercoastertycoon.com. Archived from the original on 13 April 2000. Retrieved 11 March 2022.

### Sources

[edit]

* Davey, C.R. (1984). Reflections of the Furness Railway. Barrow in Furness: Lakeland Heritage Books. ISBN 978-0-9509926-0-0.
* Welbourn, Nigel (2000). Lost Lines: British Narrow Gauge. Shepperton: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7110-2742-8.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.

* Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Company Ltd.
* Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Preservation Society
* Ravenglass Railway Museum
* Photos of the railway in dedicated flickr group
* The Cumbria Directory – Ravenglass Railway Museum

* v
* t
* e

Heritage railways, museums and preservation societies in England

Operational railways

| Narrow-gauge|

* Amerton Railway
* Amberley Museum Railway
* Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway
* Bure Valley Railway
* Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway
* Gartell Light Railway
* Great Whipsnade Railway
* Great Woburn Railway
* Hastings Miniature Railway
* Hayling Seaside Railway
* Hythe Pier, Railway and Ferry
* Launceston Steam Railway
* Leighton Buzzard Light Railway
* London Post Office Railway
* Lynton and Barnstaple Railway
* North Gloucestershire Railway
* Perrygrove Railway
* Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
* Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
* Rudyard Lake Steam Railway
* Ruislip Lido Railway
* Seaton Tramway
* Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway
* South Tynedale Railway
* Southend Pier Railway
* Steeple Grange Light Railway
* Volk's Electric Railway
* Wells and Walsingham Light Railway
* West Lancashire Light Railway
* Whistlestop Valley
* Yaxham Light Railway

|

Standard-gauge|

* Aln Valley Railway
* Appleby Frodingham Railway
* Avon Valley Railway
* Battlefield Line Railway
* Bluebell Railway
* Bodmin and Wenford Railway
* Bowes Railway
* Bristol Harbour Railway
* Cambrian Heritage Railways
* Chasewater Railway
* Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway
* Cholsey and Wallingford Railway
* Churnet Valley Railway
* Colne Valley Railway
* Dartmouth Steam Railway
* Dean Forest Railway
* Derwent Valley Light Railway
* East Kent Railway
* East Lancashire Railway
* East Somerset Railway
* Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
* Eden Valley Railway
* Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway
* Epping Ongar Railway
* Foxfield Railway
* Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
* Great Central Railway
* Helston Railway
* Isle of Wight Steam Railway
* Keighley & Worth Valley Railway
* Kent and East Sussex Railway
* Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway
* Lavender Line
* Lincolnshire Wolds Railway
* Mid-Norfolk Railway
* Middleton Railway
* Midland Railway – Butterley
* Mountsorrel Railway
* Nene Valley Railway
* North Norfolk Railway
* North Tyneside Steam Railway
* North Yorkshire Moors Railway
* Northampton and Lamport Railway
* Northamptonshire Ironstone Railway Trust
* Nottingham Heritage Railway
* Peak Rail
* Plym Valley Railway
* Ribble Steam Railway
* Rother Valley Railway
* Rushden, Higham and Wellingborough Railway
* Severn Valley Railway
* South Devon Railway
* Spa Valley Railway
* Stainmore Railway
* Swanage Railway
* Swindon and Cricklade Railway
* Tanfield Railway
* Telford Steam Railway
* Watercress Line
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Centres and museums

* Barrow Hill Roundhouse
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* Coleford Great Western Railway Museum
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* Devon Railway Centre
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* East Anglian Railway Museum
* Hollycombe Steam Collection
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* London Museum of Water & Steam
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* Mid-Suffolk Light Railway
* Moseley Railway Trust
* Mountsorrel Railway
* National Railway Museum
* North Ings Farm Museum
* Nottingham Heritage Railway
* Rutland Railway Museum
* National Railway Museum Shildon
* Shillingstone Railway Project
* Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust
* Southall Railway Centre
* Stephenson Railway Museum
* Museum of the Great Western Railway (Swindon)
* Tyseley Locomotive Works
* Yeovil Railway Centre

Planned railways

* Berkeley Vale Railway
* Bideford Railway Heritage Centre
* Combe Rail
* Don Valley Railway
* Lea Bailey Light Railway
* Norfolk Orbital Railway
* North Dorset Railway
* North Somerset Railway
* Poulton & Wyre Railway
* Southwold Railway
* Tarka Valley Railway
* Wisbech and March Bramley Line

Closed sites

* Abbey Light Railway
* Ashford Steam Centre
* Cadeby Light Railway
* Dartmoor line (mainline service restored)
* Derbyshire Dales Narrow Gauge Railway
* Electric Railway Museum, Warwickshire
* Elsecar Heritage Railway
* Great Yorkshire Railway Preservation Society
* North Woolwich Old Station Museum
* Wells Harbour Railway

* Heritage railways: England
* Scotland
* Wales
* Northern Ireland
* Isle of Man
* Channel Islands

* v
* t
* e

Railways and tramways of 15-inch (381 mm) gauge

Asia|

* Bal Bahran Park (Delhi, India)
* Sakuradani (Japan)
* Shuzenji Romney (Japan)

Europe|

* Anse (France)
* Donaupark (Austria)
* Dresdner Park (Germany)
* Killesberg Park (Germany)
* Park Auensee (Germany)
* Prater Park (Austria)

| United
King-
dom|

* Alton Towers (defunct)
* Bellevue Park (defunct)
* Blackpool Zoo
* Blenheim Park
* Bure Valley
* Cleethorpes Coast
* Conwy Valley
* Combe Martin Wildlife Park
* Craigtoun
* Duffield Bank (defunct)
* Eaton Hall (defunct)
* Evesham Vale
* Gulliver's Land
* Gulliver's World
* Haigh Country Park
* Heatherslaw
* Knowsley Safari Park
* Lakeside (Southport)
* Lappa Valley
* Lightwater Valley
* Liverpool Garden Festival (defunct)
* Longleat
* Markeaton Park (defunct)
* Marwell Zoo (defunct)
* Oakwood Park
* Paradise Park
* Paultons Park
* Perrygrove
* Ravenglass & Eskdale
* Rhiw Valley (defunct)
* Rhyl
* Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch
* Saltburn
* Sand and Hutton (defunct)
* Sherwood Forest
* Waveney Valley
* Whistlestop Valley
* Windmill Farm
* Wotton

|

North
America|

* Bear Creek Park (Canada)
* Pindal Electric (Canada)
* Springbank Express (Canada)

| United
States|

* American Heritage
* B.A.D. Great Northern
* Gage Park
* Glenwood South Park
* Hillcrest & Wahtoke
* Joshua Tree & Southern GSD
* Laurel Run
* Little Toot
* Look Park
* Milwaukee County Zoo Safari
* Nickel Plate
* Northwest Ohio
* Orland, Newville and Pacific
* Paradise and Pacific
* Phoenix & Holly
* Redwood Valley
* Riverside and Great Northern
* Riverview & Twin Lakes
* Sonoma TrainTown
* Tiny Town
* Waterman & Western

|

Oceania|

* Bush Mill (Australia)
* Driving Creek (New Zealand)
* Whangaparaoa (New Zealand)

Arlesdale (fictional) · Fairbourne (now re-gauged) · Far Tottering and Oyster Creek (temporary exhibition line)

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

*[DH]: Diesel-hydraulic
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[T]: Side tank
*[BE]: Battery-electric
*[PM]: Petrol-mechanical
*[DM]: Diesel-mechanical