Ruth officially handed over to Ravenglass & Eskdale
RAVENGLASS & Eskdale Railway officials have signed off their brand new first-class carriage Ruth at the Ffestiniog Railway.
Ruth is the last carriage to arrive as part of the 15in gauge Lakeland line's European Regional Development Fund project that began in 2016.
Built by the Welsh Highland & Ffestiniog Railway engineer team at Boston Lodge Works, Ruth is a semienclosed directors' bespoke carriage, with extra headroom, padded seats inside for eight people in two separate compartments, and semi-open balcony seating with a roof for two on each end. It has sliding partition panels in the middle, splitting the space into two separate internal compartments, or it can be hired as a whole carriage for up to 12 people.
It is also the first RER carriage to have USB speakers.
The carriage has been named in memory of Mrs Ruth Adorian, whose daughter Georgina Townsend said: “My mother was the youngest daughter of Lord Wakefield of Kendal and a director of Lake District Estates for more than 50 years.
“She was devoted to serving the many facets of the company and would have been absolutely delighted with Ruth and very proud of the high standards of craftsmanship it represents.”
The carriage is wheelchair accessible, with a fold-down table providing a flexible space inside each compartment.
Mrs Adorian's son, James ClarksonWebb, said: “Fighting motor neurone disease for the last 12 years of her life, she was particularly keen on incorporating wheelchair accessibility wherever possible, and this carriage is a fitting tribute to the ongoing legacy she leaves behind.”
Rachel Bell, head of marketing and business development at Lake District Estates, added: “This marks a milestone in our carriage upgrade programme and we look forward to welcoming Ruth to the railway.”
Ruth is the latest carriage to be completed as part of the ongoing rolling stock upgrade programme at ‘La'al Ratty' which includes observation carriage Joan and first class saloon No. 140. Once Ruth has undergone extensive safety testing on the RER, it will be available to book in next year's spring season.