The Ravenglass and Eskdale had long been on my repeat bucket list so today I ticked it off. It was quite a diversion but well worth it. I was a bit rushed when I got there and I then found the parking machine wouldn’t work, fortunately I was able to pay the slightly exorbitant £8 when buying my ticket (they only do 2 hours, which is only just time for the train journey, or all day) - I don’t really mind as it helps the railway. I sat in one of the open coaches on the outward journey, nice when the wind dropped and the sun came out but went inside on the way back!
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| Not the warmest, or most luxurious, rail journey! |
The line was originally built as a 3’ gauge mineral line but soon took passengers as well, it closed in 1913 door to falling traffic. That could have been the end of the story but in 1915 WJ Bassett-Lowke and R Proctor-Mitchell acquired the line to test their 15” gauge locos, relaying the track over the next couple of years. From 1920 mineral traffic and passengers were both carried but in 1958 the line was put up for sale, being bought at auction in 1960 by the current company with money largely from two local landowners and despite some trials and tribulations has operated and expanded ever since.
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| River Irt, the oldest 15” gauge loco still running, originally built as a tank engine, Muriel, in 1894 but was converted and renamed in 1927 |
The railway has a small, but interesting, museum with a few locos and history exhibits.
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| The last of the Bassett-Lowke built coaches. |
After lunch and a wander I headed up the coast then inland to my second base for the holiday, the Troutbeck Inn. It’s nothing spectacular but its friendly and serves decent food.
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| That’s what I call a proper steak pie! |
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