The R&ER Magazine Number 235 December 2019

The Journal of the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Preservation Society The R&ER Magazine No.235 Our Society Magazine December 2019 Editorial by John Taylor

Twenty years have passed in a blur since I started to compile the ‘Forty Years Published quarterly by the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Ago’ articles; edited highlights from the Society’s Newsletters/Magazines, Preservation Society Limited starting from Issue No.1 in 1960. In this edition of the Magazine you will find Member of the Heritage Railway Association the latest highlights from Winter 1979/80 on page 41. This particular issue was Editorial Team: Keith Herbert, Di Chase, Bill Seddon, Opinions expressed by contributors and the last to be produced in the Newsletter’s original format, which was basically Mark Harrington, John Taylor in editorial comment do not necessarily black and white pages and photos. The next issue, dated Spring 1980, had a Editorial Designer: Julie Hutchinson reflect the collective views of the Society. new design with a dedicated cover style and typeface, although still a black and The R&ER Magazine is always pleased to receive white production and still called a Newsletter. It remained in that style until issue PRESS DEADLINE: Material for inclusion correspondence, photographs and articles for possible No.100, when another change of style was adopted, with one-off full colour inclusion. Most nowadays arrive via our e-mail address, in the next issue of the Magazine must but postal contributions remain welcome. Please reach the editors not later than covers and a name change to The R&ER Magazine. Following issues reverted to include a name and contact address with any prints. Thursday 16th January at noon. black and white covers; another change of style in 1990 gave us coloured covers, Scanning facilities are available. Please send material earlier if possible. but still with monochrome photos; full coloured covers arrived in 1994, and then full coloured photographs throughout came about, actually by accident, in Society website: http://www.rerps.co.uk 2013, thus we have the Magazine we have today. Council Chairman: Simon Thompson, ‘Hilltop’, Fen Road, Pidley, Huntingdon, Over the years there have been a few special editions: issue No.100 was one Cambridgeshire PE28 3DD. Email: [email protected] such, as was No.150 which had as its theme ‘A day in the life of the Railway’. Hon. Secretary: Mungo Stacy, 34 Mayfield Road, Manchester M16 8EU. Email: [email protected] Twenty years ago, to mark forty years of the Preservation Society, a special booklet was produced, entitled ‘It’s been a lot of fun’, a celebration of all aspects Hon. Financial Secretary: David Lees, 31 Water Street, Ribchester, Preston, Lancashire PR3 3YJ. of the Railway and the contribution of Society members. It contained a history Email: [email protected] of the saving of the Railway in 1960 and the following forty years; reminiscences Hon. Membership Secretary (enquiries, life membership, Nos. 1000-1999 and 2900 onwards) : from both a number of Society members and also staff, particularly those who Sarah Bennett, 2 Stanley Villas, Drigg Road, Seascale CA20 1NW. Email: [email protected] drove the Society’s loco River Mite. Many photographs illustrated the forty years Assistant Membership Secretary (Nos. 2000-2899): Jim Wilcock, ‘Porthlow’, Neston Road, Ness, of progress on the Railway. Neston CH64 4AZ. Email: [email protected] Now, twenty years on, the editors of the Society magazine are seeking to Sales Officer: Kathryn Brissenden. Email: [email protected] produce a companion booklet (with the working title ‘It’s still a lot of fun’) to Magazine Distributor: Cumbria Mailing Services Ltd. Penrith CA11 9FQ. be ready for the sixtieth anniversary of preservation in September 2020. We are Heywood House Bookings: Mary Harding. Email: [email protected]. Tel: 01229 717080. already at work arranging for contributions and new photographs, all designed Volunteers (enquiries): Danny Duckworth. Email: [email protected] to continue to celebrate our wonderful railway. Volunteers (rostering): Peter Mills. Email: [email protected] This is where we would like to invite you, the Society members, to be involved General Manager (Operations): Martin Cookman, R&ER Co. Ltd. Ravenglass, Cumbria CA18 1SW. with this new publication. If you have visited and ridden on the railway at any time Tel: 01229 717171. in the past twenty years, would you please consider submitting photographs, or General Manager (Visitor Experience): Stuart Ross, R&ER Co. Ltd. Ravenglass, Cumbria CA18 1SW. memories of your visit? Anything will be welcome, whether it’s just a sentence, Tel: 01229 717171. or a paragraph. Have you volunteered in any capacity on the railway in the past twenty years? Please tell us what you did, and how much you enjoyed it; Editor: Keith Herbert, 7 Dalegarth Cottages, Boot, Holmrook, Cumbria CA19 1TF. and if you have any photos even better – remember, all contributions will be Email: [email protected] welcome however short, however long, however funny, however unusual, and however ordinary. Send any contributions to the Magazine’s email address for Front Cover: Northern Rock passes the high tide on Barrow Marsh with a Santa correspondence, which is [email protected]. Thank you. train on 7th December 2018. Photo: Christopher Glover 2 3 News from Ravenglass some growth. This in turn has caused some operational challenges with many Stuart Ross of the groups favouring the busy 11.25 train from Ravenglass. Thanks to the excellent efforts of our marketing team we already know there is a significant number of groups booked for 2020; plans are being formulated to ensure that The sun is, as I type this, currently blazing through the office window, a marked we are able to cope with these groups better without them having a detrimental contrast to what has been my experience most of this summer! Whilst we may effect on our standard visitors. have had one of the hottest Julys on record, the wet weather has certainly had an impact on our visitor numbers over the summer months. Nevertheless the The railway received the Silver Award from Cumbria in Bloom, Pride in Your railway has been busy and feedback from our visitors has been very positive. Community. Well done to all who have helped keep our stations blooming this year. A pleasing trend this summer has been the number of days it has been possible I am sure those of you who have visited the railway or follow the happenings to have the intermediate stations manned. Having the stations manned is here on social media channels will have spotted not only has Joan, the first class excellent both from the visitor experience and operations point of view. It carriage, arrived back at the railway, but we have taken delivery of the new gives an opportunity to welcome the visitor and, by ensuring tickets are issued standard saloon. The standard saloon certainly demonstrates where we hope to before the train arrives, it takes significant pressure off the guard. Thank you to go in terms of passenger comfort, and the contrast with our existing saloons is all those of you who have undertaken station duties this summer. It has been a enormous. Experience gained from this vehicle in service will certainly inform great help. what future carriages may look like. Whilst it is easy to run down our existing saloons they have served us well over the last fifty years, which we must not forget. River Irt and Katie attended the Kirklees Light Railway’s Annual Steam & Diesel Gala on 14th and 15th September, accompanied by drivers Keith Herbert and Staying with the theme of carriages, a grant application has been made to the Peter van Zeller, and support from Matthew Pye, Jack Dibnah and Will Sands. National Lottery Heritage Fund for the restoration of our historic camping The two locomotives certainly did the business over in Yorkshire, with the crews coaches. This is a very exciting project which will safeguard the future of these being excellent ambassadors for our railway. Plenty of leaflets were handed out coaches which have been part of the Ravenglass scene for generations. We are over the weekend. keeping everything crossed for a positive response! On 8th August we went transatlantic with our Wild West Lakes event which led Finally, thank you to everyone for making me feel so welcome since I arrived in to the railway becoming wild west-themed for the day. Visitors and staff all July, it has been appreciated. Thank you for all the help and support you have seemed to have a thoroughly good time. Fortunately we avoided any high noon shown to the railway during 2019, it certainly helps make it without doubt the moments on the platforms! 5th and 6th October saw the return of Paw Patrol when Best Little Railway in the World. Happy Christmas and all the best for 2020! Chase and Marshall made appearances at Dalegarth. Sadly the weather had a substantial effect on the visitor numbers but those attending certainly had a good time. Efforts are now focusing on our Hallowe’en Ghost Trains and Santa Specials. Organised groups visiting us have always been a key part of the railway’s activities. After a period of A pair of Katies are passed by KLR residents Badger relatively flat trading The coming thing: new standard and observation saloons in Ravenglass and Owl at Cuckoo’s Nest. Photo: Colin Thompson this market has seen workshop yard. Photo: Christopher Glover 4 5 Operations & Engineering gallery. The machines in the machine shop area are under a service contract Martin Cookman routine and each of them now has its own daily use and safety check form which is working well. Our attention will be next to review the welding area and have an independent review of the facilities carried out by our health and Operations safety advisors, TGD Solutions. Now we are heading towards winter, general Day to day operations have been successful, covering the advertised service safety and skill-based courses will be arranged to either instruct or refresh staff, and providing enough resource to cater for the gift experiences (e.g. Eskdale therefore keeping a good standard throughout. Belle private hire, cream teas) that we sell. We had suffered from overcrowding The locomotive and rolling stock fleet is serviceable and in traffic, with the on certain trains earlier in the season and we are currently working on an following being worked on currently: adjustment to the timetable to cope with this for the 2020 season. This change would greatly support the popular 11.25 Ravenglass departure by running River Irt. In traffc; with the exception of the sturdier rear pony truck, which will an 11.45 behind it and, in turn, will form a new 13.10 steam departure from be fitted this winter, all other works of the heavy overhaul have been completed Dalegarth to satisfy the Mountain Goat demand. It would also in turn help the and the loco is available for traffic. spread of the general midday loadings at Dalegarth and, we hope, keep the River Mite. In traffic; the loco will be withdrawn from traffic some time after the loading on the first carriage set manageable. All of this is possible, however; it Paw Patrol event on 5th and 6th October and sent to John Fowler Engineering for will mean some investment in or adjustment of staffing roles to make it work, its contracted heavy overhaul. We expect it back at the railway for March 2020. without meaning that other important maintenance activities or rest days/ staff holidays are affected. I am currently working with Stuart Ross and the management team to address this at budget level. General maintenance from the signal and telegraph (S&T) department has gone well over the summer season; it is now the time of year that the permanent way department steps up preparation for the winter work programme. We have taken delivery of 500 sleepers and fittings for work at Miteside, Walk Mill and Irton Road. These items are now starting to be placed out along the lineside ready for November. As part of our stringent tree welfare policy, tree management surveys are regularly undertaken utilising the expertise of professional arborists. Our most recent survey saw approximately sixty trackside trees marked with colour, as you may have identified on any recent visit. However, rest assured that these are not all marked for felling: ten of the marked trees are unfortunately dead and will need to be felled; the remaining fifty or so, however, have been identified as requiring crowing or trimming in order to rebalance the tree and avoid the risk of damage to either the tree or track. We would never remove a tree without appropriate consultation and professional advice. As well as tree welfare we also must consider the health and safety of our employees, tenants, volunteers and circa 100,000 visitors. Mitigating the risk of damage caused by a falling branch, limb or tree onto the track, or striking a train is also of paramount importance. Workshop The department has performed well over the summer season. Progress has been made on the general workshop building and facilities, with the walkways On 5th September River Irt reaches Dalegarth for only the second time post- on the floor being painted and a glass window being fitted to the new viewing overhaul. Photo: Christopher Glover 6 7 Whillan Beck. Under repair; the locomotive has developed a problem with its Traffic News driving wheel main bearings. The wheels have been removed and repair work Peter van Zeller is being carried out to get the loco back in traffic. Synolda. Under overhaul; the work to the boiler has been completed and the The 2019 ‘yellow’ high summer service, like the early part of the year, passed loco is currently waiting in the museum for workshop time for the reassembly. without any endemic crisis into the shoulder season, marked on the timetable Once in the workshop phase two of its overhaul will be considered and a in red and green, a period of just over 27,000 miles of train operations. As quotation for the rolling chassis work produced. observed before this year, the full complement of locos meant individual problems could be handled without undue stress and the services advertised Perkins. In traffic; this diesel loco has been delivered back to the railway by with steam or diesel power were delivered alongside planned or impromptu John Fowler Engineering. It has undergone testing and trials, this now being workshop attention. Indeed there were several days in July and August when followed by driver training for all personnel. four steam locos were operated with an amended timetable. When required Shelagh of Eskdale. Under overhaul; this diesel loco is currently being rebuilt an extra 11.45 up departure ran to ‘accommodate over-booking’ when coach in the workshop. The Romney, Hythe & Dymchuch Railway is still very keen to parties from Ravenglass and Mountain Goat tours from Dalegarth threatened to have this loco on loan to support its winter work. We are, where possible, trying fill every seat and more on the return journeys, even as late as 26th September to progress this work and fulfil that request as soon as we can. one such relief carried forty-six passengers. Black Prince. JFE has started work on the loco with the boiler being assessed for There were other days in the peak service when the 9.25 and 12.10 trains were its condition. The boiler inspector along with the General Manager and Chief also steam-hauled, and the diesel only ran one trip. The controller’s log for 8th Engineer of the RH&DR will visit Old Hall Farm at Bouth to view the work. August showed ‘all serviceable carriages in use making three nine-car sets and one eleven-car’. 27th August was only the second consecutive dry day since 17th The new first class coach is now back at Ravenglass and undergoing its safety July, while the weather throughout saw little relief from rain, showery to steady, verification process. A large part of this concerns individual unit brake trials. with ‘fire status’ always ‘green’ (low risk) and the autumn colours turning early. Some small adjustments to the railway infrastructure need to be carried out and Yet sets with three opens out of nine still were ‘busy on main departures’ on 14th the coach needs to complete successfully in excess of 250 miles of running, September. Irritating irregular problems in radio reception were finally traced with a variety of weight loadings under different types of train formation. to water in the main Irton Road aerial on 1st October, which was replaced a week The new standard saloon has been delivered to Ravenglass and will also be later. The point indicators also seemed to require more attention than usual. subject to a testing/acceptance process. Indeed the Dalegarth siding point motor was actually burnt out by a lightning strike on 30th July, following earlier damage to the indicator light supply. A big thank you goes out to everyone whose professional and enthusiastic manner helps make railway operations the success that it is. Paw Patrol weekend of 5th–6th October saw its share of loco substitutions as briefly Rock, Mite then Irt faltered. However the usual working of autumn half- term services saw enough steam locos for trains to be doubled-headed over the bottom end of the line in the morning from 21st–24th October to counter poor rail conditions when the autumn sun falls below the top of Muncaster Fell. Double- heading continued with the afternoon trains over the whole line, combining both the spectacle for passengers and photographers with familiarising drivers on the special techniques of working in harmony. Later the evening ‘ghost trains’ ran as scheduled on 25th and 26th October hauled by River Esk. Towards the end of October, River Esk was close ahead on the steam loco mileage stakes, with drivers ancient and modern vying for the footplate. Having now worked over 10,000 miles, the running speaks for itself. The loco uses remarkably little fuel, there is some side play on the motion but internally, the Perkins hauls its first passenger train since October 2013, down through Irton th machine is steam tight yet free moving. It is timely to consider what lessons can Road, while Lady Wakefield sits in the siding with a works train. 11 October with advantage be transferred to the rest of the fleet. 2019. Photo: Christopher Glover 8 9 Northern Rock meanwhile has revived its role as Company flagship, in steady Tuesdays through the ‘yellow’ high summer services, and later on a private operation and burnished to perfection whatever shade of green it bears. It charter by visiting American garden rail enthusiasts on 18th October. carried a headboard and ran double-headed with Whillan Beck on 23rd August Douglas Ferreira settled down to its usual reliability and even went to deal for Anna Tilsley’s last day as a permanent staff driver (though she soon returned with a fallen tree at Murthwaite on 24th July, otherwise sharing passenger turns as a volunteer driver at half-term!). The steam air compressor gave problems on with Lady Wakefield as their drivers preferred one machine over another. Lady 25th September but Esk took over the 10.25 at short notice and Mite was steamed Wakefield started its winter work when the batch of new sleepers was unloaded for the 11.25. on 6th September and distributed on 21st September. River Mite was stopped on 24th August having damaged the cylinder lubricator Perkins returned from Bouth on 20th August and had clearance trials around drive link, but was soon repaired to work the 3.30 double-headed with Esk. On Ravenglass station area that afternoon. It ran light engine up the line after the following day it was replaced on that schedule by Lady Wakefield, then had services on 2nd August, in due course took an empty test train on 9th October, a test run to Miteside on 27th August before being deemed ‘fit for traffic’ once then the following days, after a loaded trial with Lady Wakefield on the rear of more. On 7th September the fault recurred at the Mill; Lady Wakefield worked its the set to simulate the weight of passengers, took the 9.25 and 3.50 diesel turns train on up and Mite returned from Miteside on the rear of the 10.25 down train on 11th October to start the process of familiarising and passing drivers to bring before being made ready for the end of the afternoon. Meanwhile Rock had also it back into general use. been examined, needed a new pin in a spring hanger, replaced, reweighed and ready for the 1.50. Shelagh of Eskdale finally emerged after steady work in the Ravenglass workshop through the summer of its half-century on its complete refurbishment and the Whillan Beck had not been running quite as much as in its debut year, but fitting of a new Perkins engine. It had brief movements in 0-6-0Ella mode while without any issues of note whatsoever, until it needed assistance from Lady the bogies were reassembled with roller bearings and new wheelsets. For the Wakefield on the bank coming back into Ravenglass on 19th September. Having record, the current chassis built from 1956 at Heathcotes in Cleator Moor, as Tom suffered a failure of its right-hand-side driving axlebox bearings, the driving Jones’ diesel, used a small number of components from the ICL No.2 conversion wheel sets were subsequently taken to Bouth for appraisal [by John Fowler of Sir Arthur Heywood’s Ella of 1881 – the sleeve of the centre sliding axle and Engineering] before the decision was made to replace the damaged axle, yet the crank webs made it the classic accountant’s rebuild. One of these cranks retain roller bearings with an engineered solution to withstand a recurrence. was replaced during its period of operation on the school train on the Romney, River Irt was on stands in the workshop for the summer but emerged from the Hythe & Dymchurch Railway in 1982-3. The loco’s completion included a very first stage of its bottom-end overhaul, to turn its wheels just in time for trial runs rapid repaint, amid loaded test runs towing Lady Wakefield to Miteside on 19th to Irton Road on 4th September and the following day to Dalegarth. It left to star at October and to Dalegarth the next day. It was dispatched back to New Romney the Kirklees Light on 24th October Railway ‘Estate to star at the ‘End Railways’ themed of Season Parade’, event over 14th– then take over the 15th September role of their out with younger of service No.14 sister Katie. Both diesel Captain machines were Howey on daily exemplary in inspection trains, handling the track work and continuously passenger work graded line. as required. Katie had earlier The observation performed along car had a gauging rd the engineers’ Anna Tilsley’s ‘Top of Class’ headboard on show on 23 trial on 30th July, River Esk has enjoyed good reliability this year, while headshunt on August, as she prepares to swap the coal shovel for the a photo shoot up Whillan Beck was retired following a bearing failure in classroom. Photo: Mike Powell ‘Driver for Fiver’ September. Photo: Mike Powell 10 11 the valley on 1st August and a further run after service hours on 12th August. Its Permanent Way Notes companion, the prototype new standard saloon coach numbered 140, arrived David Moseley from Boston Lodge works on 28th September. Further activity with both vehicles awaited the completion of a testing and acceptance programme, proposed and approved by external safety advisors, and some minor works along the lineside Another season draws to a close – it’s a frightening reminder of how quickly time to allow clearance for the swing doors to be opened without catching anything. does go by when it only seems like five minutes since we started running trains. The other rolling stock continues to serve the railway, and as the new As usual my grateful thanks to the regular attendees on the track over the investment will not make a widespread impact on our passengers for a number summer. We have been out at least every Tuesday during the running season of years, many of the heritage vehicles will be earning their keep well into the and quite often additional days when staff have been available. immediate future. The first of the semi-open wheelchair coaches, 127, launched As a consequence the lineside has been kept well trimmed and most sections by Sir Douglas Bader in 1982, has been stripped back to its steel frame, before have seen at least one visit from the strimmers. As we mentioned in our last conventional bogies are fitted. It and its up to and over fifty-year-old predecessors notes it has, however, been an exceptional year for vegetation growth. Last year are in remarkable physical condition, better than any contemporary heritage was very hot and dry (up to the school summer holidays) and we actually had railway coaches. The important task is to keep them in such a state, attractive very little growth for over ten weeks. This year however has been warm and enough for long enough. wet throughout and the grass has grown as soon as our backs have been turned. Across the fence on the main line, Northern Rail face similar issues as the four- In an ideal world the track-mounted flail would have been out again, after its wheeled Class 142 Pacers and their Leyland Workington-built bogie cousins, brief appearance back in June, to assist us in cutting back. As it was, owing to our the Class 153 single units, have effectively now gone from our local services. old friend ‘staff shortages’, we have been self-contained. This was exacerbated The Class 156 twin car units, themselves thirty years old, whether refugees by the self-propelled flail suffering a bearing failure and damaging the spline from Scotrail or refurbished to the latest Northern standards, are seen on every on the cutting head so we have had to rely on the handheld strimmers. By and timetabled working. Our own celebrity example 156461 with the Ratty images large however the growth is mostly just grass and bracken as the brambles have all over vinyl wrap passed through on 6th–10th September. generally got the message and are less prevalent than before. We are always Special trains have run with West Coast Railways heritage diesels on the Northern keen to have additional help on the strimming front; if anyone fancies a day out Belle from Manchester Victoria to Ravenglass on 2nd August, topped and tailed from next spring we’d welcome you with open arms. by their Class 57s. It was not on our party list and provided ‘a moderate number of passengers’ so the 12.45/2.45 was quickly strengthened to ten cars. Steam was seen passing through on 14th August when 70000 Britannia hauled The Lakelander and on 28th September when 45690 Leander took the Cumbrian Coast Express southbound again. The Jubilee Class loco was whistled through by River Esk, followed later the same afternoon by River Mite serenading The Settle, Carlisle & Cumbrian Coast Express topped and tailed by 68017 River Mite, due overhaul this winter, clips through Inside the carriage shed on 25th September, Douglas Ferreira, Perkins, and Hornet and 68005 Muncaster Mill on 3rd August. Photo: Christopher Glover Cyril line up in roads 3, 2 and 1 respectively. Photo: Jackie Pharaoh Defiant. 12 13 It has not been just all strimming – although it has seemed unrelenting at times The lineside drains have also been cleared regularly – long stretches around – several areas of the track have necessitated visits from the track gang either Walk Mill and Rock Point have been cleared, as has a short stretch outside Irton as a result of the regular line walks highlighting issues or items that have been Road. The ditches across Barrow Marsh have been dug out to try to reduce the noted from the trains. standing water at the lineside. We did some relatively minor realignment and repacked parts of the relay The sleepers for this winter’s relays arrived in two batches in September – around Rock Point, which had been relaid back in February. A couple of the sleepers required for the November Track Week were unloaded in late dropped joints above Rock Point were also lifted while we were in the vicinity. September at Miteside Halt. The gang who unloaded them will confirm they are quite heavy but on the positive side they haven’t blown away. We have also packed a stretch around Murthwaite Halt where a roll was getting rather annoying. A roll is caused by the cross-levels of the track being The second Track Week will take place from 11th–19th January 2020 at Walk Mill inconsistent and contributes to a poor ride for passengers. The track was also – there is quite an amount of earthworks required here to improve the drains realigned just east of the halt. and ground conditions. We have been out with the crowbar to realign other locations as well. For a variety After that job is completed we are planning on relaying the down loop at Irton of reasons the track can move out of its optimum alignment and needs to be Road. This partially dates from the early 1970s and is now the oldest section of persuaded back. This can be caused by something as simple as over-tightened track on the railway. fishplate bolts not allowing the rails to slide as they heat up and contract, or it We shall be out on the track most days when the trains aren’t running and really can be caused by inadequate ballast to hold the track firmly in place. would be grateful for any help people can give – please contact any of the track Left unattended the track is unlikely to return to its correct formation so gang for further information or look at the Facebook page ‘Rat Track’ for details rectification with a bar as soon as possible is necessary to keep the track and the of the type of work we get up to. ride of the train as smooth as possible. Other than Murthwaite Halt we have done realignment work at the 4 milepost (close to Irton Road), west of Black Bridge towards the 3¾ milepost, Hollin How, Beckfoot dip and Dalegarth Cottages. Our old favourite of adding extra screws and clips to the older parts of the track has also continued. A long stretch on Beckfoot bank has been attended to, as have several shorter bits around the 6 milepost and closer to Ravenglass. Some newer fittings have been redrilled where the grip in the sleeper has been deemed insufficient.

Maintaining the best little railway in the world helps to make this possible: Whillan Beck races across the Marsh against the backdrop of the Cumbrian The ‘new’ Perkins, albeit bigger, is similar in style to its pre-rebuild form. mountains. Photo: Mark Fielding Photo: Christopher Glover 14 15 KLR Gala: 14th & 15th September 2019 In the afternoon River Irt took over the passenger service, with Owl on the tail of Keith Herbert the train for ballast. The pull was hard up the constantly climbing gradient of the line, but thankfully was an over-representation of the weight of a full trainload, which meant hauling trains over the weekend itself would in fact be easier. Over the weekend of 14th–15th September the Kirklees Light Railway held its fourteenth annual steam and diesel gala, featuring a host of visiting locomotives The KLR line offers a substantial challenge, having generally lower running including the Rhyl Miniature Railway’s Cagney, Bassett-Lowke Class 30 Count speeds of 12mph in the lower section and 15mph in the higher (the Ratty is Louis, the replica Heywood Katie based at Eaton Hall in Cheshire, the original 15mph, permanent speed restrictions excepted); running above the speed limit Heywood Katie and sister River Irt, née Muriel, both from Ravenglass. The will cause the carriages to rock and roll on their little wheels along short rail event celebrated estate railways, such as those built by Sir Arthur Heywood and lengths, which at the very least will be uncomfortable for the passengers. Not operated by his locomotives. only that, the gradient is steep from the bottom to the top – so even moving at a ‘low’ speed requires some considerable effort from the locomotive. The For added jeopardy, this event started in the days prior to the weekend with Northumberland coal gives a virtually instant heat, to its credit, but fritters away the total absence of any transport to take our locomotives on the journey to to dust quite quickly and is filthy to handle. Yorkshire. This put an increase of pressure on all concerned to rectify the problem, a lorry finally arriving just before seven o’clock on the Thursday Katie was steamed and tested under the charge of Peter van Zeller with no morning. The engines made Clayton West, headquarters of the KLR, by mid- particular issues of note, though the replica Katie – noticeably different in afternoon, following which they were unloaded without incident and had their appearance – did not steam so well. Rhyl’s Cagney locomotive suffered some boilers filled ready for steaming next day. mechanical problems and was confined to the Clayton West area, giving short rides to all comers. Count Louis, true to form, was ready for action, and driver River Irt was actually booked to work some ‘preview’ trains on the Friday but, Andy Walton was certainly ready to put on a show! not having been tested – and only just out of overhaul – had to make at least one gauging run around the line first. This was terminated at the second passing By and large River Irt worked solo throughout the weekend, though did double- loop, Skelmanthorpe, after the drive arm for the cylinder lubricator came apart, head on a couple of occasions – once with 0-6-2T Badger, which looked to give which of course stopped it from working. Allan keys were sent on the passenger an uncomfortable ride to driver Owen Ryder while pulling hard on the front train, hauled by resident engine Owl, and the problem repaired. The journey coupling of the Ratty 0-8-2, and also with Count Louis, which worked hard to continued without further issue. move Irt and train at line speed. Katie and Katie topped-and-tailed shuttle trains

River Irt on show at Clayton West, between trains on 14th September. The R&ER Katie hauls the shuttle, with Eaton’s Katie in rear. Photo: Margaret Coney Photo: Christopher Glover 16 17 between Clayton West and Skelmanthorpe, crossing full main line trains at Cuckoo’s Nest. Other engines included KLR’s own Katie, not a Heywood design! Then & Now The Saturday night train was hauled by River Irt, which gave a strong account and was especially impressive in the Shelley Woodhouse tunnel. The thunderous exhaust and sonorous hoot of the whistle were an entertaining soundtrack for the passengers! On the Sunday evening the event was wound up with the traditional ‘Shelley or Bust’ train, which is pulled by as many locomotives as possible. This year, Count Louis, Katie (KLR), Siân, Katie (ER), Katie (R&ER), River Irt, Badger, Owl and Hawk did the honours! Possibly the racket in the tunnel this time was too much – but one plays to an audience! Throughout the weekend, volunteer Matthew Pye was on hand to distribute leaflets and spread the word of the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway – thanks to him for making the trip in support of our railway. Thanks also to the good people of the Kirklees Light Railway for inviting and hosting us, especially all of our pilotmen – Clement Holland, Sam Blakeborough, Michael Townsend, Paul Bell and Chris Raby (River Irt) and Ian Screeton and Mat Dews (Katie) – the management, many other volunteers and of course the catering staff, whose slick operation kept us well fed throughout! Thanks as well to Stephen Ashton who has had a very large hand in organising the galas for some years. Next time the two railways ‘meet’ will be with the visit of Siân to our own gala Shelagh of Eskdale in poor aesthetic condition makes Dalegarth on test with th at Ravenglass in May. Lady Wakefield in tow on 20 October 2019. Photo: Derek Walmsley

River Irt climbs up the KLR with a volcanic eruption from the chimney. Resplendent in fresh paint on 26th October, Shelagh makes only one move from Photo: Christopher Glover paint shop to engineers’ before transport to Romney. Photo: Sam Dixon 18 19 Shuzenji Railway No.2 Cumbria. Owing to cracks in the boiler, this engine is currently withdrawn Ryo Ogawa from service. Although it took almost £3,600 in 2015 to deal with work to the driving wheels, it still requires a major overhaul. That said, most of the original parts from 1992 still remain, include the three-chime whistle designed by Nigel th It took a while, but on 26 October 2019 I finally got a chance to meet the Day. The boiler will be sent to the Oigawa Railway for immediate repair, which is ロムニー engines and people of the Shuzenji Railway, which is known as expected to cost roughly £13,000. Hopefully the loco will be back to operational 鉄道 虹の郷 (Romney Railway) in (Niji no Sato). Thanks to Mr Yamashita, the condition by March 2020, in time for the thirtieth anniversary of the park. current PR manager, I was given exclusive access to look around the main shed and celebrate the thirtieth birthday of Northern Rock II. The incumbent yard Apart from several irksome issues, including the fact that the budget of the manager, Mr Sugisaki, who has almost twenty years’ experience, explained railway – subsidised by Izu City – has been reduced because of the upcoming everything in detail and showed me several precious records. Despite the low Olympic event, I’d say this railway and park will surely strive to succeed until at passenger numbers and the erratic financial situation of the park, the new least the end of March 2022 when the present operating licence expires. I am custodian company SIDAX has made some positive steps so far. Here follows looking forward to helping as a point of liaison between the two railways in an update on the condition of the two R&ER built steam locomotives. future! No.1 Northern Rock II. The restoration of this engine took place after the new [Ryo has been volunteering on the Ratty this year; apologies are due to him if company assumed jurisdiction within the park. Since the end of April, when somehow the Japanese script has been corrupted by our word processing – Ed.] SIDAX took over the park, the loco’s overhaul has been started, continuing until the end of September. New boiler tubes were bought at a cost of £6,400 during a previous overhaul, in 2010. This time, its driving wheels were replaced with new ones in the early part of the year. On the day of my visit I had a ride on the footplate which reminded me of its older sibling Northern Rock. I could hardly contain my excitement!

Cumbria on shed with parts of diesel locos John Southland II and City of Northern Rock II on 26th October 2019. Photo: Ryo Ogawa Birmingham on show. Photo: Ryo Ogawa 20 21 Shelagh at New Romney

Shelagh of Eskdale pilots Romney Pacific No.8 Hurricane on 26th October. Shelagh and JB Snell stand ready to depart Hythe. Photo: Chris Kennedy Photo: Chris Kennedy

On the same day, R&ER ICL7 Shelagh of Eskdale pilots RH&DR No.12 JB Snell The two diesels work together on the Dungeness single line section at the End of into Hythe. Photo: Daniel Holbrook Season Parade, 26th October 2019. Photo: Steve Town 22 23 From the Secretary’s Desk With four bearings needed per axle, we have therefore drawn down the stock Mungo Stacy such that now only one such bearing remains in the world. (We understand that further stock is likely to be made before the end of 2019!)

River Mite overhaul The disintegration of the bearings also caused damage to the axle, so a new axle has been fabricated. The wheel tyres have been turned to correct for wear The Society’s first steam locomotive,River Mite, will be occurring during the first two years in service. overhauled this winter at John Fowler Engineering at Bouth. In addition to a normal strip-down and ‘fettling up’ of the moving As with River Mite, the Society funds such repairs through the donations parts, more significant works will be undertaken to improve the of members. These repairs are expected to cost approximately £3,000 so, as locomotive for its continued operation. with River Mite, please consider making a donation to the Steam Locomotive Maintenance Fund. Air brakes, worked off the train brake system, will be fitted to the locomotive, bringing it into line with similar works already Sixtieth anniversary undertaken to the other members of the steam fleet. A new tender will be A gala celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of the railway’s preservation will be constructed, similar in pattern to the Whillan Beck tender. The tender will also held next year from Friday 8th May to Sunday 10th May. This coincides with the incorporate a braked axle and a handbrake. amended bank holiday which coincides with VE Day on 8th May. Discussions Lagging will be fitted to the boiler and backhead to reduce the temperatures are in progress about visiting locomotives from Kirklees and from Romney. experienced by the driver – fine on a chilly winter’s morning but uncomfortable The Society is considering how such events, as well as generating welcome during the summer months. The cab metalwork will be amended, in particular publicity for the railway, can also be made to work financially for the railway; to remove the ‘hat’ that sits over the manifold at the top of the cab. analysis of the figures from 2019 showed that although more people travelled The improvement works will be funded by the Society and will represent during the gala than during a normal weekend, these did not completely offset a further considerable expenditure. We are seeking the support of Society the additional staff costs associated with a gala. members to help fund these works. Please consider a donation to the Steam It is therefore likely that Society members will be asked to pay for a pass covering Locomotive Maintenance Fund when making your membership renewal this the gala weekend in 2020; this is in line with the terms and conditions noted on year. the back of membership cards, which note that privilege travel is at the discretion Whillan Beck repairs of the General Manager. Details are still being worked out (including discounts for working volunteers), and will be made available in the next Magazine. Whillan Beck suffered a failure to the roller bearings on one of its driving axles th on 19th September. The roller bearings were fitted during its refurbishment in A celebratory event is also planned for Saturday 5 September, the closest Spain, before its purchase by the Preservation Society. Given that it is the only Saturday to the anniversary of the auction. An evening meal will be held in Ratty steam locomotive fitted with roller bearings, there had been some doubt Gosforth Public Hall, the site of the auction. about how they would perform. National Volunteering Week The wheels were removed and taken by John Fowler Engineering for National Volunteering Week occurs each year at a similar date, and next year examination. This revealed that the damage appeared to be confined to a is 1st–7th June 2020. It is planned to hold an event on the railway, date TBC, to single axle, and appeared to be due to lateral movement of the bearing housing promote volunteering on the railway. allowing the parts to escape and the bearing to disintegrate. Volunteer diesel driving It was therefore decided to replace like-for-like, but to fit stronger keep-plates to restrain the lateral movement. During sourcing of the parts, it was observed that The Society and Railway Company continue to operate a volunteer driving there were only nine such bearings remaining in stock worldwide. Apparently it scheme. Following feedback from training in previous years, it is intended is common for bearing manufacturers to make certain specifications in batches, henceforth that applicants will be taken on as trainee shunters first, since but once the stock is exhausted it can be some time before new stock becomes this provides familiarity with the controls of the diesel fleet within the station available. A spare set has also been obtained to guard against future failures. environment. Once a passed out shunter, trainees can progress to volunteer diesel driver. 24 25 At present there are several applicants from previous years still undergoing Volunteering Update training. Therefore, no new places will be offered for 2020. However, it is Danny Duckworth intended to continue with the scheme and further applications will be possible for the 2021 season. It’s very strange to think that when you’re all reading this it’ll be very nearly the Secretary end of 2019. I’m sitting writing this in mid-October thinking ‘I don’t need to think about Christmas yet, it’s ages away’ but, this really puts it into perspective. It’s I have decided to stand down as Secretary at next year’s AGM. I was appointed been a good year which has seen the railway reintroduce the gala event, which as Secretary in 2006. I can provide further details of the role to anyone with an worked brilliantly, and showed the railway at its best. Personally, my biggest interest. takeaway from a gala event is the joy of seeing so many volunteers working together to ensure the event runs smoothly and that customers thoroughly Membership Matters enjoy their day out. Sarah Bennett Carrying on with the ‘gala’ theme; on the 8th, 9th and 10th of May 2020 the railway will be hosting a gala event to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the railway Usually a quiet period in the membership calendar, the last few months have being saved and brought into preservation. The gala, like in 2019, will be a three- actually been busy this year. The database has undergone some updates, thanks day event starting on bank holiday Friday with exciting and varying activities to Chrissie Mason of the Society Council, who has ironed out some issues we throughout the three days, some of which will include: visiting engines, shuttle have had in both Jim Wilcock and I using it. Some changes were needed in trains, multiple-headed trains, museum engines in steam and much more. The order to incorporate the GDPR regulations, and Chrissie had the knowledge to gala will be an opportunity to celebrate and promote the Preservation Society action this. I am most grateful to her for her assistance. whilst also helping to raise funds for current and future Preservation Society projects, so it is hoped that members will support the event by attending. Fares Life membership audit letters have been sent and many returned at the time for the gala, for the general public, will be kept as the standard day fare for of writing; thank you to members for their swift return. If you are yet to return that time of year and Preservation Society members, volunteers and railways yours, or indeed have not received one, please get in touch as soon as possible we have reciprocal agreements with will all receive a substantial discount. This in order to get your new card for the new year. Green cards run out at the end is a brilliant opportunity for members, volunteers, etc. to come out, ride on the of December so new cards will be sent before the end of the month. railway, experience the gala atmosphere and support the Preservation Society. Annual members will find their renewal sheets on the reverse of the address The money raised for the Society during the weekend will contribute towards sheet with this magazine. Please check your details are correct, provide an email Society projects and locomotive overhauls – the Society could benefit heavily and/or phone number (in case we need to contact you quickly about your from the gala if it is well supported and attended. application) sign your form and renew at your earliest convenience, taking into account that the membership year begins on 1st March 2020. Again, I would urge you not to leave renewal until the week before a visit to the railway, as we may not be in a position to turn your application around in the time given. We are volunteers and carry out our duties in our spare time! We are looking forward to populating the updated database with renewals for 2020 and celebrating a special milestone in the Society’s history. Please note that subscription rates for 2020 are: Adult (18+) £25; Senior (60+) £23; Junior (5–17 inc.) £12.50; and Life £400.

Gala time on Ratty: RHDR No.4 The Bug pilots our own No.10 Northern Rock and No.3 River Irt on 6th May 2019. Photo: Sam Wake 26 27 Everyone loves a good gala and no-one more so than the volunteers who take part Eskdale Zombie Apocalypse and can take pride in helping to run the event and, on that note, I’d like to ask that Stuart Ross volunteers start to think about making sure they’re available to help out during the gala, we’ll need all the help we can get to pull off the ambitious event and ensure that everyone has the best experience. There will be additional guarding turns to Love it or hate it, Hallowe’en has become a major event for tourist attractions, the normal standard turns available on each of the three days so demand for guards including heritage railways, throughout the world. What’s more is the public’s is high. With that said, however, I would like to suggest that volunteers consider growing appetite for these events and the demand for them to be bigger, better taking on different roles throughout the weekend, for example, someone could and scarier each year. guard on the Friday, be station master of The Green on the Saturday and simply The Ratty has run Hallowe’en trains for a number of years. The trains this year have a day out on the Sunday… I’m definitely not suggesting that anyone has to ran on two evenings and had been advertised as being scarier than ever! (No take a day off and, if you’re willing, help over the whole weekend will be greatly pressure then!) To ensure the trains were “scarier than ever” there was only one appreciated. I would love to see all stations manned by volunteers once guards’ thing to do: turn to Mr Hallowe’en himself, Will Sands, and ask him to take a turns are filled and for extra volunteers to be available to help at Ravenglass and leading role. Dalegarth to meet and greet, help to keep the stations clean and tidy, etc. as having extra hands available at the 2019 gala was extremely useful. It had been decided early in the planning stage that there needed to be an underlying theme to the event which would help bring some structure to and Another event in 2020 that will require volunteer input is the volunteer recruitment provide a plot. Zombies were the theme decided upon as it was felt this was one event. The date of the event is TBC but will attempt to recruit volunteers by of the less comedic Hallowe’en options. demonstrating the many departments on the railway and the various roles undertaken by volunteers. If any volunteers would like to help in demonstrating Before departure from Dalegarth the passengers were gathered downstairs in roles and/or help to meet and greet, and guide participants, please do get in touch the Eskdale Room so they could be addressed by the world famous zombie with me as soon as possible. If anyone is wishing to take part in the event, then hunter Aubrey Colossus (see what we did there) played by Andy Cruickshank, please keep an eye out for further details or contact me for more information. who delivered a stellar performance both evenings. Passengers were invited to join Colossus on his mission to rid Eskdale of the creatures that he had hunted Of course, you don’t have to wait for the recruitment event to start volunteering. far and wide and had tracked to an old abandoned crushing plant. The railway is always on the lookout for new volunteers, whether you fancy lending a hand in the museum or if you’ve got green fingers and fancy doing As Colossus led his passengers to the train they were ambushed by the zombies, some gardening, or anything else that you can think of doing at a railway, please which led to the first of many screams that evening. The train, in the capable of don’t hesitate to get in touch with me. hands of the wise wizard (Peter van Zeller) and his apprentice (Ryan Lamb) set off into the night. At Beckfoot, skeletons in coffins strobed into view, whilst at Throughout every season there’s a growing list of roles that volunteers Fisherground the Grim Reaper awaited with a message of doom for the hero undertake but every year there are also the usual jobs such as permanent Colossus. way, guarding, station masters, etc. and I know at the time you read this our hardworking permanent way foreman and his team will be busy preparing for As the train passed under Hollin How Bridge, zombies landed on the roof the next trackwork project in January and would be grateful for your help. (motorcycle boots on ropes). More screams filled the valley. As the train passed the scarers set off in hot pursuit which led one passenger to comment to his Volunteers are one of the railway’s greatest assets and every volunteer has a family, having spotted the head torches running along the footpath, “Do you sense of pride in what they do. Just to end, I’d like to send my condolences to know, I think these zombies really mean business tonight!” the family of Mike McDonald. Mike sadly passed away in October and I’d like to thank him and his partner Marilyn for all of their work as volunteers (specifically Witches greeted the train at The Green, waving their besoms aloft; the night was guarding), and I hope that Marilyn is no stranger to the railway that Mike clearly filled with cackles. These witches clearly had no intention of playing quidittch! loved. I remember conversations with Mike when he was training to be a guard [For the uninitiated, this is a Harry Potter reference – Ed.] On into the night the and it was clear that he took huge pride in the opportunity to volunteer at the train went. At Irton Road there was a brief respite as an army of pumpkins with railway; it was always rather heartwarming to see them guarding as a team. imagery inspired by literature, dictators and superheroes provided light relief. As always, if you are thinking about volunteering at the best little railway in the At Murthwaite the train came to an abrupt stop. Aubrey Colossus challenged world then please contact me on [email protected]. the gathered army of zombies (members of the Gosforth Amateur Dramatics 28 29 Society) but, in the spirit of all these things, the attack on the train was too great Gala 2020 and Colossus was overrun by the zombies, ultimately sacrificing himself to save Keith Herbert the passengers. The wizard and his apprentice didn’t hang around and the train headed off The ‘Big Birthday Gala’ of 2019 being deemed a relative success, I offered my into the velvet darkness of the blackest night. Burning bright there were some services to coordinate the next in sequence, Gala 2020, to both the Society and guiding lights which had been carefully placed around Miteside by the demonic Company. The challenge is to follow the 2019 event with something equally Dixons. good, or better, but such an event is quite a drain on human resource, with drivers swapping rest days to accommodate the merriment. Then, the timetable Was the ordeal over for the passengers? Not quite, for lying in wait at Muncaster and roster have to live up to expectations… Mill were the three monstrous creations of grounds maintenance man Alaister Graham who, like Dr Frankenstein, had spent considerable time on his creations. So, what will next year’s event entail? Scheduled for the bank holiday weekend The remaining zombies had one last attempt at attacking the train before it of Friday 8th – Sunday 10th May, there is some prospect of being able to showcase hurtled off to Ravenglass for safety and goody bags! up to nine locomotives in steam, including home fleet engines River Irt, River Esk, River Mite, Northern Rock, Whillan Beck, Synolda and Katie. Further, we As in previous years the passengers entered into the spirit of things and the look forward to welcoming an engine from the Romney fleet - always a major feedback received was extremely positive. One family had travelled all the way draw - and Siân from the Kirklees Light Railway. Siân’s owning group, the from Lincolnshire for the experience. Siân Project Group, was founded within the ranks of the Ravenglass & Eskdale Thank you to everyone who helped out to make the event a great success, Railway Preservation Society, which makes this loco an especially fitting guest whether pumpkin carver, driver, scarer or guard your efforts were appreciated. as we look to mark sixty years since the preservation era on Ratty began. The Special thanks to Will Sands, Tosh McGregor, Alaister Graham and Gosforth timetable will be based on next year’s ‘red’ timetable service, featuring extra Amateur Dramatics Society. The challenge is what to do in 2020! trains as well as shuttle runs for the smaller locomotives. Otherwise trains will be hauled by a mixture of resident and visiting engines, sometimes working alone and at other times in multiple. If we have enough engines to go around there should also be scope to run a ‘Driver for a Fiver’ style event in the workshop yard at Ravenglass – a rare chance to climb aboard a Ratty locomotive and enjoy an entirely interactive experience! The hope is to make all of the engines as accessible to you as possible, meaning more trips for the museum engines and our visitors in particular, though it should be made clear that we cannot guarantee the availability of any engine at this stage. On the evening of Saturday 9th May we intend to repeat our photographic

Siân shunts stock during its last visit to Ravenglass on 15th June 2008. th Some of the zombies gathered at Dalegarth on 26 October. Photo: Stuart Ross Photo: John Mitcheson 30 31 opportunity of previous years, hopefully gathering together all of the engines Visit England-accredited holiday accommodation and improve accessibility. for you to see up close after the timetabled services have ended for the day. Outside, plans include planting a sensory and wildlife garden. The project will preserve and tell the story of these hundred-year-old carriages and provide a Lastly, it should be recognised that this is not only a prestige event in the coming sustainable income from holiday sales for the Ravenglass Railway Museum, a year’s calendar, but also a fantastic platform for the Preservation Society to former Heritage Lottery Fund project. We intend for them to be used as they promote itself to the visiting public, and to raise funds. With that in mind we hope were meant to be, so people can enjoy their heritage by staying in them. to have stalls run by the Preservation Society during the course of the weekend. An initial expression of interest was submitted to the National Lottery Heritage The gala event is an exciting opportunity to see the railway at work, so there is Fund (the new name for the Heritage Lottery Fund) early in the year, and we were no better time to come and see us doing what we do! If we are lucky the sun will subsequently invited to apply for the next stage. A full bid was submitted on 18th shine, the trains will be busy and the show will be spectacular. If you’re a willing August, requesting a £250,000 contribution towards the total project cost, which is volunteer then expressions of interest in driving, guarding and station master estimated to be £331,000. We will hear from NLHF in November, and, if successful, roles will be very welcome (you are welcome to contact me directly at keith@ we should start works shortly afterwards with an aim to be completed by July 2020. ravenglass-railway.co.uk). Otherwise, roll up, show your support and come and have some fun! This is, after all, the sort of event they all say we should be staging – and we won’t be able to do it without you. The Mysterious Mr. Lithgow Oliver Howarth The Camping Coaches Narrow Gauge Railways Limited was created as a company with two directors, Rachel Bell W J Bassett-Lowke and R Proctor Mitchell, each of whom owned one £1 share, with the other 998 shares unallocated. When the company found itself in The camping coaches, Elmira and Maid of Kent, were based at Ravenglass serious legal difficulties in 1924, Sir Aubrey Brocklebank, in order to secure his from 1960, and were well patronised until the end of 1966. They were then investments, acquired 499 of those shares, and Henry Lithgow took a similar relocated to Seascale, but were only available for one season (1967) and lay idle number. Having thus lost control of the company, Bassett-Lowke focused on his the following year, before being sold by British Railways to the R&ER for £370 model business and Proctor Mitchell resigned. Presumably their single shares each. They were moved to their current position at Ravenglass on Friday 20th were bought out, as their names did not appear in any further transactions. September 1968 (see the R&ERPS Newsletter No. 31, Autumn 1968, for a photo and article). In fact, this was the last train to come into the Ravenglass yard; the This much is familiar to all who have read a history of the Ratty, but why was sidings were lifted the following week. The camping coaches were available for Henry Lithgow brought in? Brocklebank was the Chairman of the Cunard Line hire from the 1969 season, advertised as six-berth (one twin-bedded room, and and a Director of Martins Bank, the Great Western Railway and the Suez Canal two each with bunk beds), with living/dining area and kitchen, “running water Company. When he died prematurely in 1929 he left over £312,000 – he didn’t is provided, and cooking with calor gas.” Over the years, the coaches have given need to bring in someone else to pay for £500 of quite possibly worthless many people a unique holiday experience; their perfect position providing shares. We know that Henry Lithgow and his elder brother Sir James controlled families with a window – both literally and metaphorically – on to the running the biggest shipbuilding company in the world. In 1932 they built 6% of global of the Railway, and also active participation. new tonnage by mass-producing freighters to standard designs, building them for stock on Clydeside and arranging UK Government guarantees so their The Ravenglass camping coaches, are now in a critical state of disrepair. This customers could buy ships on credit. Evidently, like the Brocklebank family, project aims to restore these two former British Railways Pullman cars, which they were part of the top tier of UK shipping. What is more, the Lithgow brothers were built in 1917 originally as part of Ambulance Train 41 and converted to and the Brocklebank Line (part of Cunard) jointly owned the William Hamilton Pullman Dining Cars in 1921, then rebuilt in the 1930s and again in 1948. They shipyard at Port Glasgow, so Henry undoubtedly knew Sir Aubrey socially as were converted into camping coaches by British Railways in 1960 and are the well as professionally. But there is no record of him formally visiting Ravenglass oldest railway camping coaches still in their original location, and still in use during his twenty-four years as joint owner of the railway. (until the end of 2018). This collaborative project between the Ravenglass Railway Museum and the Railway Company will restore these historic vehicles, New evidence is starting to emerge. Our recently departed Museum Manager, conserving the structure and preserving surviving interior features such as David Rounce, was aware the museum held a 1937 valuation of the railway. I the marquetry panels. At the same time the layout will be updated to provide have now found a copy of that valuation, headed ‘Apportionment Schedule’, 32 33 in the National Maritime Museum Archive in Liverpool. It assigns values to the at least as yet, Henry has not turned up in that company’s customer files. railway and quarry businesses and, importantly, two letters are enclosed with At this point I am indebted to our esteemed curator Peter van Zeller, who has it. The first, dated 12th November 1937, comes from Henry Butcher & Co, a well- been researching the R&ER’s history for many years, and who kindly drew my known firm of engineering valuers in Chancery Lane, London, and it gives a attention to the Duchal Moor Railway, about five miles south of the Lithgows’ detailed opinion that the value of Narrow Gauge Railways Ltd and its Beckfoot main shipbuilding centre at Port Glasgow, Renfrewshire. The brothers acquired Granite Quarries Ltd subsidiary came to £40,532. This letter is addressed to the shooting rights for these extensive boggy moors, situated above the 1000ft the Directors of the Keswick Granite Company, who had commissioned the contour, and in 1922, as wealthy engineers, they built a railway to mechanise valuation – hard evidence that the Keswick company wished to acquire the the long foot slogs out to the butts. The 2ft gauge line had four branches to business twelve years before they finally achieved that aim. different moors, totalling over six route miles, and was allegedly constructed The second letter, also from Butchers, is dated 20th December 1937, addressed by under-employed shipyard workers, with ships’ timbers recycled as sleepers. to Sir T L A Brocklebank, Cunard Buildings, Liverpool, and reads as follows: “Sir, Motive power was provided by two new, or possibly renewed, standard 20hp At the request of the Keswick Granite Company Ltd, we enclose a copy of the Dorman petrol-engined Simplexes from the Motor Rail & Tramcar Company. Report and Valuation dated 12 November, of the Narrow Gauge Railways Ltd, The Grouse Railway, as it was known, lasted into the 1970s, but seems to have and Beckfoot Granite Quarries Ltd, together with an Apportionment Schedule been an extremely basic conveyance for “the guns”, beaters and dogs (only the of Values.” The clear deduction from this is that Keswick Granite had made an dogs were provided with a roof), with no suggestion of normal railway practice. offer of £40,532 or more to buy the combined business, had been refused, and No pre-war photos of it have yet surfaced. In this respect it suggests the Lithgows had then been asked by Sir Thomas Brocklebank for a copy of the valuation, simply went shooting, possibly for social and commercial reasons, and built which was provided to him in good faith. a basic tramway to get their parties about the steep, boggy, muddy hillsides. Duchal Moor doesn’t suggest Henry had any love of railways – although he When Henry Lithgow died in 1948 (the date given for this varies from 28th May would clearly be interested in the Murthwaite project and its increasing to 24th November, but then the year of his birth is given as both 1886 and 1887), mechanisation, and may well have suggested the use of petrol tractors from he left his executors with the mammoth task of sorting out and splitting his experience with them at Duchal. complex estate of shipyards, coal mines and steelworks – and also left Sir Thomas Brocklebank temporarily as the sole director of NGR. A buyer and seller met That leaves a very different possible reason for Lithgow’s shareholding. Was he and a sale was agreed, the Keswick Granite Company acquiring the business gifted the shares? Perhaps Sir Aubrey was concerned that his enterprise would on 1st July 1949 for £12,888. This figure was much reduced, compared to the not live on, and feared that his son Thomas would close or sell the railway. There 1937 offer, by both accountancy-driven depreciation of assets and by wartime is, after all, little evidence that Sir Thomas, as he became, was concerned with the depredations. The rapid sale certainly suggests that Lithgow, not Brocklebank, railway except that, when finance was needed, Liverpool grudgingly provided was the man who had insisted in continuing the Ratty’s independent existence it. The son was very unlike the father. Born in 1900, and living in Cheshire, Sir in the manner so happily pursued by the late Sir Aubrey. But why did the Thomas never married, resigned most of his directorships by 1950 due to ill “brusque and forthright” Lithgow care? health and died in 1953 of an overdose of barbiturates and alcohol. Make of that what you will. But if Sir Aubrey had concerns about his Eskdale creation’s future, Possibly he, like Sir Aubrey, just liked railways. Many of us do. But there is little then why not split the voting capital precisely 50/50 between the Brocklebank evidence that Henry was a train enthusiast. I have truffled through eight archives family and a “brusque, forthright” Scottish industrialist, pledged to keep the without finding anything to suggest he was, though the lack of evidence is not railway running? It would ensure that his wishes would be observed, at least for terribly surprising. A recent doctoral thesis on the creation of the Scott Lithgow as long as his friend Lithgow lived. Certainly that seems to be what happened. shipbuilding consortium in the 1960s describes the management style of the Even the generous takeover terms offered in 1937 were turned down – the Lithgow brothers as “secretive” and notes that, until 1938, even their board railway, seldom, if ever, visited by either of its owners, was intended to continue meetings were unminuted. A 1964 hagiography of Sir James (who died in 1952) in its own sweet way, watched over by its mysterious guardian angel. was called “Sir James Lithgow, Master of Work” and implies the two dynamic brothers had no time for hobbies or outside interests of any sort. So it seems to me probable that Sir Aubrey Brocklebank (d.1929), through the person of Henry Lithgow, was the man who principally kept the railway going Turning the issue round, if we want to demonstrate Henry was a train lover, through the 1930s and 1940s. But if you have other information or corrections, I surely most rich railway enthusiasts living in Britain in the early twentieth would be delighted to hear further evidence about this or any other odd corner century would have dealt with Bassett-Lowke in some scale or other? However, of the Ratty’s convoluted history, via the Editor. 34 35 Ravenglass Railway Museum database, write a brief description (and, if necessary, summarise a document), Dave Simpson and Di Chase and photograph them. Would you be willing to help? Even half a day per week would be a significant contribution. The Ravenglass Railway Museum was officially re-opened on 24th June 2017. The museum also has display cabinets which need to be cleaned, and the Since then, lots of documents, objects and photographs have been donated, each contents changed during the winter so that visitors see new items on display of which adds a key element to the overall history of the Ratty, ranging from the each year. The objects themselves also need to be cleaned and checked for any initial three-foot gauge line, through the auction in 1960 and the preservation of damage, as does the internal fabric of the museum, to ensure that any general the line, right up to the present day. All these items are being carefully archived, wear-and-tear is repaired before next season. We also check the interactive with the ultimate aim of creating a publicly available database with photos of parts of the museum (e.g. the dressing-up clothes, the wooden blocks used to each item. As you can imagine, this process takes a lot of time! build various model bridges, etc.), and check that they are not broken, and, if necessary, fix them, and/or make new. The archive is in two halves: an electronic photographic collection which collates and provides a brief description of each photo. For printed photographs and When Ratty trains are running, volunteers can also ‘man’ the old BR signal box slides, we liaise with the owner to achieve the best possible quality of scan, and (near the footbridge over the main line), which is also under the auspices of the original photographs are then returned (unless the item has been donated the Ravenglass Railway Museum. The old signal box can be warm and cosy completely to the museum, or the photos are electronic). To date this archive (there is an open fire!) and provides an opportunity to show visitors how a contains 30,000 electronic photographs, but not all have a description, so more signal box works, and how the staff work is needed. Also, new photos are found and donated every month. communicated with other signal boxes, up and down the line, in The other half of the archive focuses on objects, paperwork and other ephemera. the days before mobile phones. Each object is allocated a unique number, and a brief description is typed into This building will need a spring the database (or a spreadsheet, which is later merged with the database). Each clean, plus a check to ensure that object is also photographed to show what it looks like. To date we have over everything is in good working order, 4,200 objects in the database, but there are several thousand more waiting to be and undertake any minor repairs processed. Many make extremely interesting reading… which sometimes makes and perhaps a repaint in places. the archiving process even more time-consuming! To get an idea of progress, go to www.ravenglassrailwaymuseum.co.uk and click on Collections, then choose During the winter, the Ratty trains Object or Photo Collections. are reduced or stop altogether for several weeks, but there is still a An appeal for photographs… need for volunteers. If you prefer a Do you have any prints with Mary Fair’s copyright stamp and additional hand- job that is out of the wind and rain written details in your collection? (unlike working with the track gang) and prefer somewhere cleaner The example shows that the first passenger train using the newRiver Irt was and quieter than the engineers’ st before the ‘official’ first train on 1 August 1927, and demonstrates Mary’s code workshop, then please consider for the negative. FR 7 is the negative file, 20 is the pocket in that file, and there is volunteering in the museum. Claire often a year marked under a line. As the details in her negative index are brief, Winter-Moore (the new Collections the backs of prints often yield more information. If you have any Mary Fair Assistant) can provide training and photographs, then could we borrow them to copy, or could you copy them and guidance, and you would be very send them to us? Even a photocopy is fine, as the information can help a great welcome! deal, and we can cross-check with our master list. …and for volunteers! PLEASE HELP US KEEP The RRM welcomes all photographs and items that are relevant to the Ratty, SYNOLDA STEAMING Search for ‘Synolda’ and volunteers are needed to process these, i.e. to record each item on the Thankyou! justgiving.com

36 37 Flasks Filled Here! to those who had ordered it in advance. The Cambrian Railways Society and Sid Edwards WSAG loaned catering equipment and I think some experienced stewards to help the ones I had rounded up from the Ratty.

Sometime in the winter of 1984/1985 I remember talking to Doug Ferreira, All that had to be done was to fill the train. Doug and his secretary, Barbara GM at the time, in the Pennington Arms, and he told me that Perkins was to be Cowan, organised most of the marketing and such like. Unfortunately there named on Saturday 4th May 1985. He had hoped to organise a charter train from had been some misjudging of press dates for the railway enthusiast press and London Euston or Birmingham New Street in connection with the event, but advertising was rather difficult, to say the least. I remember travelling to the pick could not get any rolling stock from BR London Midland Region to operate the up area on the Western Region and trying to find shops who would display train, and he was rather disappointed. adverts for the train. Just to help matters, there was also a postal strike affecting the main catchment area! At this time I was heavily involved in organising several charter trains from the Welsh Border area for the Cambrian Railways Society and the Welshpool Fortunately, working for BT at the time and dealing with the Hereford Telephone Station Action Group. Now anyone who knows me will say that I know Exchange, I happened to mention my concerns to the day supervisor who just absolutely nothing about sport! I did know one thing though, and that was that happened to have a father who was a retired driver on the main line. Coming the Rugby League Cup Final always took place on this day, and that the finalists from a railway family, she was very sympathetic and happened to know her were almost always from within the London Midland Region. This would call counterpart at Worcester Telephone Exchange! Arrangements were made for for several special trains from the North West to London and back. Hence no Directory Enquiries at Worcester to have the R&ER phone number for enquiries rolling stock available. during the day and my home number for out of hours enquiries just in case anyone was trying to enquire or book. I did however suggest that if an excursion started at, say, Worcester Shrub Hill, the rolling stock would have to come from the Western Region, probably Bristol In due course things came together and I visited Ravenglass the weekend before or Cardiff Canton. the trip to collect a car-load of alcoholic refreshments from the Ratty Arms, as the Kendal office had insisted that all alcohol must be obtained from this well The next stage was for Doug to try and charter a train from Worcester Shrub known establishment! The day before the trip was to run I took supplies to Hill. The train was to pick up at Shrub Hill, Kidderminster, Stourbridge Junction, Worcester and met with other stewards, where we stayed the night at the Great Birmingham New Street, Worcester and Crewe – all but the first two being LMR Western Hotel, which sadly had seen better days. stations. Up early the next Doug got his charter morning and the train to Ravenglass empty coaching and back. What stock (ECS) train has bugged me on appeared from several occasions Bristol, hauled by since is why no Class 47 Sir Daniel one on the LMR Gooch – our power suggested this for the full day. course of action! Only one of the We got together a coaches was fully band of stewards booked with sixty- and organised a four seats taken but, buffet and bar in needless to say, a the guard’s van and forty-eight-seater served continental coach turned up A 1997 railtour headed by 48151 Gauge ‘O’ Guild at breakfast on the in place of it. Sadly Controller Graham Withers helps to unload Green Ravenglass. Note Shelagh of Eskdale alongside. outward journey there were plenty Goddess at the Ravenglass turntable in 1985. Photo: RRM Archive more seats empty Photo: RRM Archive 38 39 on the train. Our journey took us to Birmingham New Street via Kidderminster Forty Years Ago and Stourbridge Junction, before heading out of the south end of New Street John Taylor and on to Soho via Proof House and Vauxhall, then regaining the Stour lines to proceed via Galton Junction, for the second of four times during the day, and north via Wolverhampton to the West Coast Main Line before branching off at Edited highlights of previous editions of the Society’s Newsletters/Magazines: Carnforth. Issue No. 76: dated Winter 1979/80 The stewards were supposed to clear up the rubbish in the improvised buffet This was the last issue of the Newsletter in the style adopted from Issue No. 1 in whilst the passengers visited the Ratty. Fortunately we gained one of the local BR 1960. inspectors somewhere and as the train was to run empty Ravenglass – Sellafield – Barrow – Sellafield – Ravenglass he agreed that the northbound ECS from The cover picture was Jubilee class locomotive Leander at Ravenglass in August Barrow to Sellafield would call at Ravenglass for the stewards who could then 1979 restarting the return excursion service to Blackpool. get on with their cleaning work. This of course allowed us to get lunch in the News from Ravenglass Ratty Arms, which was very welcome. Most stewards then worked the train back to Worcester whilst some others remained at Ravenglass. I cannot remember The new diesel loco has been as far as Miteside in a very unfinished state. Only much about the return journey but it was a late arrival at Worcester Shrub Hill. one coach has been hauled so far but the engine ran well and the performance of the Twin-Disc unit was particularly pleasing. The cab is now being fitted Next day I returned home with catering equipment, remainders of the stock The truly appalling weather up till Christmas has held up much outside work. from the Ratty Arms and takings bound for the railway office. Bank Holiday th Monday was spent with items above continuing their journey by road to The severe gales of 17 December were fortunately unaccompanied by high Ravenglass where I then planned to spend a few days volunteering. tides, so Ravenglass’s new sea defences were not put to the test. A bank has been built along the green and a massive flood-gate is being installed across By some reason, possibly for my work with the excursion, I was rostered on the the bottom of the street. The gales did no damage to railway property, but at Tuesday as guard behind Romney loco Green Goddess for the whole day – not least one hundred trees were broken or uprooted in the Mill Wood area. The just one trip. The driver was Richard Batten, with Trevor Stockton as pilotman. earthquake in North West England and Scotland on Boxing Day, that was widely What a generous piece of rostering by Graham Withers, which I will never reported, was felt in Ravenglass but with no reports of structural damage as was forget, and a very enjoyable day. experienced in Carlisle. Operationally the excursion A graph of passenger journeys undertaken each year since 1961 showed a was deemed a success, but gradual increase peaking at just over 302,000 in 1978, and showed a fall in sadly for various reasons, I 1979 to 264,727, the lowest return since 1974. have always suspected it was not a success financially. And as for the title of this item – this was a sign placed in the buffet at Sellafield on what would be the platform side on arrival back at Ravenglass – as a nod to the nuclear flask trains running to and from Sellafield! We did in fact end up with one or two passengers asking us to fill Green Goddess waits for the off while Synolda their flasks, which of course brings a train into Ravenglass. we were pleased to do. Photo: RRM Archive Jubilee locomotive Leander on railtour duties at Ravenglass. Photo: RRM Archive 40 41 After 1978’s increase in locomotive mileage, 1979 has all but reverted to that of Ratty Diary 2019-2020 1977. Most of this decline occurred because of the reduction in service with the fourteen-day cut in the high season. E&OE. Please check dates and details nearer the time before travelling Northern Rock headed the steam loco mileage; River Mite was again the runner- up – its last working of the year, a special in November, however, was somewhat DATE EVENT CONTACT ignominious; on a very greasy rail it had to abandon most of the train to make DECEMBER progress! River Irt increased its mileage but had a list of troubles. The most persistent bugbear was the air-pump which required attention no fewer than 1st ,7th & 8th , † Santa Specials Ravenglass th th th twenty-five times.River Esk worked a much shorter season and so ended with 14 & 15 ,20 rd the least mileage. -23 Not only has Perkins achieved the highest diesel mileage for the first time since Saturday 14th Council Meeting, Ravenglass Secretary 1968, but also the highest mileage this year overall. During the season it rescued the railcar twice, and a large part of its increased mileage would arise from the JANUARY 2020 railcar’s absence from duty. Shelagh’s new power unit has been very successful, Saturday 11th - Track Week Ravenglass giving more power and sustained speed up the grades. Its only main failure Sunday 19th was in October; Perkins was ready and came to the rescue. Silver Jubilee saw intermittent use due to transmission troubles and also low [seating] capacity. Thursday 16th Press deadline, March issue Editor In September an attempt was made to work the 09.30 but after ten minutes struggling and getting nowhere, Perkins and coaches deputised. Quarryman FEBRUARY had neither rescue nor passenger turns this year and so its mileage was the Saturday 15th - February half-term Ravenglass lowest it’s been for some time. Sunday 23rd And finally… MARCH On 29th December, two steam specials arrived, one from London and one from th Hull, and Father Saturday 14 Council meeting Secretary Christmas (alias the Saturday 14th Start of daily services Ravenglass Society Chairman) was on hand to greet APRIL the youngsters. Santa was amused Thursday 16th Press deadline, June issue Editor when one little boy, when asked if he MAY had eaten all his Friday 8th - Gala event featuring visiting locomotives Ravenglass Christmas dinner, Sunday 10th replied No, because Mummy had burnt it! Santa was puzzled however Full details of all Railway events can be seen on the website: † Please book in advance when another little http://ravenglass-railway.co.uk/events/ boy asked him if his mouth was better Back Cover: River Esk heads for the engine shed on a September 2019 Railcar Silver Jubilee at rest with Northern Rock and now that he had his afternoon. Photo: Nigel Day River Mite in 1978. Photo: John Taylor new teeth in! © 2019 Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Preservation Society. The R&ER Magazine is published by the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Preservation Society Ltd. 2019. Registered office: The Station, Ravenglass, Cumbria CA18 1SW. Incorporated in England. Registered No. 697768. 42 Printed by Craven Design and Print, Shropshire. www.cravendesignandprint.co.uk 43