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.