RavenglaSS tO Field ‘big Five’ lOCOmOtiveS at ‘big biRthday’ gala
All five of the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway’s ‘big’ engines will be in steam together for the first time at the ‘Big Birthday’ weekend on May 4-6.
Held to commemorate the 125th anniversary of River Irt, the 100th anniversary of ex-Eaton Hall Railway Katie’s departure from the ‘Ratty’, and the 90th anniversary of ‘The Train from Spain’ – Krauss 4-6-2 ‘Whillan Beck’ – the evening of May 4 will involve
River Irt, River Esk, River Mite, Northern Rock and ‘Whillan Beck’ being posed in steam together at Ravenglass for the first time ever.
The line-up will be boosted by a visit from the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway’s 0-4-0TT No. 4 The Bug, which will be making its first foray to ‘La’l Ratty’ since 1994. In a statement, the RER said: “Several Romney locomotives have visited in recent years to help with shortages of motive power, so to have one visit purely for pleasure will be a rare treat for all concerned.”
Katie will also be in steam, working excursion trains to the site of the former granite crushing plant at Murthwaite sidings on the Saturday, a service to Dalegarth on the Sunday and ‘Driver for a Fiver’ experiences at Ravenglass on the Bank Holiday Monday.
The RER said: “Every effort will be made to field all seven locomotives daily throughout the weekend. There is also the tantalising prospect of doubleheaded trains hauled by every combination of the Ravenglass ‘big five’ across the three days, so there is a challenge to passengers to attempt to ride behind all ten combinations!” ●● In return for having The Bug visit for its gala, the RER will be sending its own Kraussbuilt engine – ‘Whillan Beck’
– to Romney for the RHDR’s ‘Steam & Diesel Gala’ on May 11/12. It will be the first time the ‘Train from Spain’ has visited another railway since it was restored in March 2017.
The RHDR will be fielding all its operational locomotives at the event, although No. 7 Typhoon will not attend, having been moved to The Engine House at Highley on the Severn Valley Railway for the rest of 2019 (see SR491).