On This Day
Yesterday
21 July 1982
Sir Douglas Bader C.V.E., D.S.O., D.F.C., F.R.Ae.S.L., D.L., one of the Royal Air Force's most famous pilots, commissioned the three new special semi-open coaches which had been designed that passengers in their wheelchairs could be carried without difficulty. A special train headed by Northern Rock with Sir Douglas on the footplate left for Eskdale with a full complement of twelve passengers in wheelchairs and a party of invited guests. This was made up of mainly people from Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire concerned with the welfare of disabled people and included representatives of the Red Cross, W.V.S., Lions, R.A.D.A.R., the Calvert Trust, local hospitals and the County Council.
Today
22 July 1982
The four wheel Greenwood and Batley Greenbat battery-electric loco arrived at Ravenglass having been obtained from Storrsbridge Fireclay Mine near Sheffield. The loco was stripped and the clay of ages removed while the wheels were re-profiled. One of the charging sets was renovated and wired up and the loco was soon working again. Trials showed the Greenbat to be extremely powerful but very slow on the grades - and too rapid for safety downhill! It proved very useful shunting around Ravenglass - especially in the confines of the workshops where the lack of fumes was appreciated.
22 July 2007
The 40th Anniversary rededication of the Society steam locomotive River Mite took place at Ravenglass station. Peter Hensman, representing the directors of the Railway Company and a grandson of Lord Wakefield, had joined the fledgling Preservation Society and Colin Gilbert in 1960 to save the line from the scrapyard. He handed over to Sam Dixon, the Society Council Chairman, the staff that his grandfather had handed to the driver at River Mite's original commissioning. Sam duly handed it to driver Ian Birch to carry on the footplate as a symbolic authority to occupy the line. Peter Hill, a retired engineer who worked on River Mite when she was built by Clarkson's in 1966, was invited to unveil the engine's commemorative headboard and to ride on the footplate for the journey up the line.
22 July 2017
In celebration of River Mite's golden anniversary, steam traction engine 'Providence' commenced the recreation of its 1966 delivery of River Mite from York to Ravenglass by hauling the Train From Spain (now Whillan Beck) on a trailer along Cumbrian roads from Carlisle Kingmoor rail depot to Ravenglass over the weekend of 22nd/23rd July 2017.
The journey on Saturday was planned to start at Carlisle, journeying southbound on the A595 to Thursby, then on the A596 through Micklethwaite, past Wigton, then through Waverton, Aspatria, Prospect, Crosby, Maryport, Flimby, Siddick, and ending in Workington.
On the Sunday, the journey was planed to continue from Workington, through Distington, the top of Whitehaven, Bigrigg, Egremont bypass, Calderbridge, Gosforth crossroads, Holmrook and ending at Ravenglass.
What started out as a fun jaunt from Carlisle Kingmoor Depot on the Saturday however turned into a gruelling and unpredictable slog for the 'Providence' crew which, sadly, came to an end in the village of Crosby at around 11pm. 'Providence' soldiered on to Workington alone while the support lorry - a vintage Scamell - collected the Train From Spain.
The Stafford Brothers who own 'Providence' (and their team) worked incredibly hard to successfully complete the remainder of the journey on the Sunday. Throughout the route, people lined the roadside to witness the spectacle and helped to raise £101.15 towards the restoration of The Train from Spain.
Tomorrow
23 July 1990
The 75th anniversary of the gauge change exhibition opened. In the old shop a model of one of Sir Arthur Heywood's locos was displayed with relevant information. The main part of the shop was turned into a "Theatre" which seated about twenty people. At the touch of a button "patrons" were given a slide show on 15" gauge history.
The second part of the exhibition was housed in the Coach Maintenance Shed near the Signal box. This consisted of a "wall" of interesting tit-bits about the 15" gauge, as well as "Little Giant" and two of the Eaton Railway coaches. "Quarryman" completed the contrast.
Little Giant and the Eaton Railway coaches
Little Giant and Quarryman