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66-702: The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is a 15 in ( 381 mm ) minimum gauge heritage railway in Cumbria , England. The 7-mile (11.3 km) line runs from Ravenglass to Dalegarth Station near Boot in the valley of Eskdale , in the Lake District . At Ravenglass the line ends at Ravenglass railway station on the Cumbrian Coast Line . Intermediate stations and halts are at Muncaster Mill , Miteside , Murthwaite , Irton Road , The Green , Fisherground and Beckfoot . The railway

132-556: A factor as well. Where vehicles move to a different gauge, they must either be prepared for bogie exchange or be prepared for wheelset exchange. For example, passenger trains moving between the 1435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) in France and the 1668 mm ( 5 ft  5 + 21 ⁄ 32  in ) gauge in Spain pass through an installation which adjusts their variable-gauge axles. This process

198-458: A footpath that passes along Miterdale , at the foot of Muncaster Fell . The station shelter is the wooden hull of an old boat, the third such structure at the Halt. Murthwaite Halt is 2 + 3 ⁄ 4 miles (4.4 km) from Ravenglass and is also only accessible from a footpath. Irton Road is 4 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles (6.8 km) from Ravenglass, approximately halfway along the line. It

264-638: A four-wheeled railbender wagon, a bogie man-rider wagon, two bogie flat wagons, a utilities van, and a mess saloon coach (105). The Arlesdale Railway in The Railway Series by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry is based on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. In Small Railway Engines (1967), Awdry relates part of a holiday he spent visiting the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway with the Rev. Edwin Boston ;

330-477: A larger radius on broader gauges requiring route deviations to allow the minimum curve radius to be increased. Track centers at stations with multiple tracks may also have to be increased. Conversion from narrow to standard gauge can cause several changes not because of the gauge itself, but in order to be compatible with the structure gauge of standard gauge track, such as height of overpasses so that trains can be exchanged. The choice of train couplers may be

396-605: A long lineage. In about 1860, the Bristol and Exeter Railway converted five 1435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) locomotives to 7 ft  1 ⁄ 4  in ( 2140 mm ) gauge, and later converted them back again. Also in the 19th century, in the United States , some 5 ft ( 1524 mm ) broad-gauge locomotives were designed for easy conversion to 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) gauge, and in

462-884: A period of excursions on the Dresden Park Railway , a former Pioniereisenbahn in Dresden . Whilst in Dresden, the locomotives ran with two of that lines Krauss & Co. built locomotives dating from 1925. In 2016, the R&;ER was able to purchase a sister engine, built by Krauss & Co. in 1929 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 in Seville , Spain. Since its arrival in Cumbria, this locomotive has been named Whillan Beck . In early 2020,

528-539: A rebuilt 0-4-4 DH locomotive, which started as a quarry shunter before being rebuilt into the steam-outlined Passenger Tractor and then again in 1984 into its current guise; Douglas Ferreira , a B-B diesel loco constructed in 2005 and named after the general manager of the R&ER from 1961 to 1994. The most recent addition to the loco fleet is Whillan Beck , a 4-6-2 tender loco built by Krauss in Munich in 1929, which entered service at Ravenglass in 2018. Since

594-471: A series of receivers. All but one of the iron ore mines closed within 10 years of the railway opening, and there was not enough traffic from other sources (local goods and passengers from the villages and farms of the valley) for the railway to sustain itself. In later years, the railway did become popular with summer tourists, but this was not enough to offset the railway's running costs. The Summer 1898 Furness Railway timetable shows five weekday trains along

660-434: A sharp curve along a contour in order to avoid steep gradients. Using "opencast gelignite" to blast through the rock, the cutting was constructed to a 300-foot radius ten feet wide at rail level with steep sides exposing Eskdale pink granite on the inside curve. Its construction alleviated the sharp curve at Holling Head of 145 foot radius which caused excessive wear and tear on the locos and track. 3,000 tons of rock and earth

726-415: A significantly wider gauge. Some sleepers may be long enough to accommodate the fittings of both existing and alternative gauges. Wooden sleepers are suitable for conversion because they can be drilled for the repositioned rail spikes . Concrete sleepers are unsuitable for conversion. Concrete sleepers may be cast with alternative gauge fittings in place, an example being those used during the conversion of

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792-642: Is Eskdale Green and Arlesdale is Dalegarth. Bert , Rex and Mike first appeared in the Thomas & Friends TV Series in the special Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure and later appeared in Season 20. The line features in The Plague Dogs by Richard Adams ; the canine protagonists evade the force of paratroopers searching for them by riding from Eskdale to Ravenglass on an empty train. In

858-401: Is different from Wikidata Pages with broken anchors All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from January 2021 Articles with unsourced statements from October 2021 Gauge conversion If tracks are converted to a narrower gauge, the existing timber sleepers (ties) may be used. However, replacement is required if the conversion is to

924-590: Is known as "gauge change". Goods wagons are still subject to either bogie exchange or wheelset exchange . Some steam locomotives were constructed to be reconfigured to a different gauge: for example, some East African Railways locomotives; Garratts ; the large 500 , 600 and 700 class locomotives of the South Australian Railways introduced by William Webb in 1926; and the Victorian Railways J , N and R classes. In

990-470: Is owned by a private company and supported by a preservation society. The oldest locomotive is River Irt , parts of which date from 1894, while the newest is the diesel-hydraulic Douglas Ferreira , built in 2005. The line is known locally as La'al Ratty and its 3 ft ( 914 mm ) gauge predecessor as Owd Ratty . Nearby attractions include: the Roman Bath House at Ravenglass;

1056-536: Is permitted only from trains travelling from Ravenglass, and picking up is permitted only on trains to Ravenglass. Dalegarth for Boot is a few yards short of 7 miles or 11.3 kilometres from Ravenglass and is the eastern terminus of the railway. It was formerly known as Eskdale (Dalegarth). There are two platforms and a turntable. The facilities at this station include Fellbites Café and the Scafell Gift Shop . A water supply to platform 1 allows topping up of

1122-476: Is still in place. When the new owners took control of the railway in 1961, the railway was in poor condition, suffering from the lack of investment since the late 1920s. There were only two steam locomotives, River Esk and River Irt , both of which were well worn and in need of overhauls. To allow for an expanded timetable, the preservation society raised funds to build a third steam locomotive. River Mite ( 2-8-2 ) entered service in 1967 and, although owned by

1188-435: The 15 in ( 381 mm ) gauge rails. A diesel locomotive was obtained in 1929 to work this section. In the mid-1920s, the railway was taken over by Sir Aubrey Brocklebank, who also owned the quarry at Beckfoot. Under his ownership the line went through a number of changes. By 1926, the line had been extended along the route of the former Gill Force Tramway to its present terminus at Dalegarth Station. Large sections of

1254-2934: The Chemin de fer Touristique d'Anse 's X131 when passing through the hills Track gauge By transport mode Rapid transit Tram Miniature Scale model By size ( list ) [REDACTED]   Minimum   Fifteen inch 381 mm (15 in)   Narrow   600 mm 600 mm (1 ft 11 + 5 ⁄ 8 in) Two foot 610 mm (2 ft) Two foot three inch 686 mm (2 ft 3 in)   750 mm 750 mm (2 ft 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 in) Bosnian gauge 760 mm (2 ft 5 + 15 ⁄ 16 in) Two foot six inch 762 mm (2 ft 6 in)   Swedish three foot 891 mm (2 ft 11 + 3 ⁄ 32 in) 900 mm 900 mm (2 ft 11 + 7 ⁄ 16 in) Three foot 914 mm (3 ft) Italian metre 950 mm (3 ft 1 + 13 ⁄ 32 in)   Metre 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in)   Three foot six inch 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)   Four foot 1,219 mm (4 ft)   Four foot six inch 1,372 mm (4 ft 6 in)   1432 mm 1,432 mm (4 ft 8 + 3 ⁄ 8 in)   Standard 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in)   Broad   Italian broad gauge 1,445 mm (4 ft 8 + 7 ⁄ 8 in) Dresden gauge 1,450 mm (4 ft 9 + 3 ⁄ 32 in)   Leipzig gauge 1,458 mm (4 ft 9 + 13 ⁄ 32 in)   Toronto gauge 1,495 mm (4 ft 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 in)   1520 mm 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 + 27 ⁄ 32 in) Five foot 1,524 mm (5 ft)   Pennsylvania gauge 1,581 mm (5 ft 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 in) Pennsylvania gauge 1,588 mm (5 ft 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 in) Five foot three inch 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)   Baltimore gauge 1,638 mm (5 ft 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 in)   Iberian gauge 1,668 mm (5 ft 5 + 21 ⁄ 32 in) Five foot six inch 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)   Six foot 1,829 mm (6 ft)   Brunel 2,140 mm (7 ft 1 ⁄ 4 in)   Breitspurbahn 3,000 mm (9 ft 10 1 ⁄ 8 in) Change of gauge Bogie exchange Break of gauge Dual gauge Conversion list Variable gauge By location North America South America Europe Australia [REDACTED] Fifteen-inch gauge railways were pioneered by Sir Arthur Percival Heywood who

1320-535: The Furness Railway standard gauge line at Ravenglass. In the early 1880s, a tramway was built between Beckfoot and another mine at Gill Force. There has previously been a dispute about the gauge the railway was built to. It is shown as 3 feet in records but is quoted as 2 ft 9 in ( 838 mm ) in some books such as the ABC of Narrow Gauge Railways . This figure was believed for many years until

1386-589: The Hardknott Roman Fort , known to the Romans as Mediobogdum , at the foot of Hardknott Pass ; the watermills at Boot and Muncaster; and Muncaster Castle , the home of the Pennington family since 1208. The original Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway was a 3 ft ( 914 mm ) line opened on 24 May 1875 to transport hematite iron ore from three mines near and around the village of Boot to

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1452-544: The Melbourne–Adelaide railway from 1600 mm ( 5 ft 3 in ) to 1435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ). Steel sleepers may have alternative gauge fittings cast at production, may be drilled for new fittings or may be welded with new fittings. Conversion from a narrow to a wider gauge may require enlargement of the structure gauge of the bridges, overpasses and tunnels, embankments and cuts . The minimum curve radius may have

1518-501: The Radio Control Train Order signalling system. Outside Ravenglass station, the line is single track with passing loops at Miteside, Irton Road and Fisherground. Trains operate by radio communication between drivers and at Ravenglass signal box . At passing loops and the terminus station, drivers contact the controller, using "RANDER" reporting numbers (even numbers for up trains, and odd for down), to indicate that

1584-861: The United Kingdom some 7 ft  1 ⁄ 4  in ( 2140 mm ) broad-gauge locomotive classes of the Great Western Railway were designed for easy conversion to 1435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) gauge. After World War II , a number of captured German 03 class Pacifics locomotives were re-gauged to the 5 ft ( 1524 mm ) Russian gauge . Most diesel and electric rolling stock can undergo gauge conversion by replacement of their bogies . Engines with fixed wheelbases are more difficult to convert. In Australia, diesel locomotives are regularly re-gauged between broad, standard and narrow gauges. Gauge conversion of wagons and coaches involves

1650-597: The 0-6-0 tank engine Ella , and the 0-8-0 tank engine Muriel , whose frames and running gear were later rebuilt as River Irt . Another Heywood loco, an 0-4-0 tank engine called Katie , was acquired from the Eaton Hall Railway in Cheshire, whilst another 4-6-2 tender loco, Sir Aubrey Brocklebank , was constructed for the railway, and named after the railway's financial backer , a wealthy shipping owner who lived nearby at Irton Hall. As well as passengers,

1716-546: The 1960s, the condition of the railway has been significantly improved and visitors have increased. Most of the work to rebuild the railway was overseen by Douglas Ferreira , who was the general manager between 1961 and 1994. Today, there are 120,000 passengers each year with up to 16 trains daily in summer. Trains run most of the year; the railway is only closed in January. In October 1998, the railway's engines River Mite , Northern Rock , and Cyril were taken to Germany for

1782-501: The Australian instances, conversion was anticipated from 1600 mm ( 5 ft 3 in ) broad gauge to 1435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) standard gauge. Conversion to a wider gauge was similarly anticipated for the large 1067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) narrow-gauge Western Australian Government Railways V class locomotive (to standard gauge). Of these locomotives, only one R class

1848-751: The Chairman of the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Preservation Society, who was travelling in the cab with Mr Gilbert and Mr Postlethwaite the landowner, cut the ribbon and formally named the cutting "Gilbert's Cutting" in honour of Colin Gilbert. Today, the railway is a popular visitor attraction in the Lake District, with the majority of its annual passenger numbers coming during the summer months. The entire single journey takes 40 minutes from end-to-end. Passengers can choose between open and covered seating, with some saloon coaches being fitted with heaters for

1914-9445: The Flower Farmer and Phoenix & Holly Railroad" . Flowerfamrer.com . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ "Pint-Sized Pufferbelly" . Archived from the original on 2019-03-27 . Retrieved 2020-05-18 . ^ "Redwood Valley Railway" . Redwoodvalleyrailway.com . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ "TrainTown Website" . Traintown.com . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ "Sullivan Railroad in Horseheads NY - Trains Magazine - Trains News Wire, Railroad News, Railroad Industry News, Web Cams, and Forms" . ^ "waterman & western railroad - Home" . Petestrain.com . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . v t e Track gauge ( list ) Minimum-gauge Minimum-gauge railways 15 in ( 381 mm ) 400 mm ( 15 + 3 ⁄ 4  in ) 16 in ( 406 mm ) 18 in ( 457 mm ) 19 in ( 483 mm ) 500 mm ( 19 + 3 ⁄ 4  in ) 20 in ( 508 mm ) 21 in ( 533 mm ) 1 ft 10 in ( 559 mm ) Narrow gauge 2 foot and 600 mm 2 ft 3 in ( 686 mm ) 750 mm ( 2 ft  5 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) 760 mm ( 2 ft  5 + 15 ⁄ 16  in ) 2 ft 6 in ( 762 mm ) 800 mm ( 2 ft  7 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) 891 mm ( 2 ft  11 + 3 ⁄ 32  in ) Swedish three foot 900 mm ( 2 ft  11 + 7 ⁄ 16  in ) 3 ft ( 914 mm ) 950 mm ( 3 ft  1 + 3 ⁄ 8  in ) Italian metre gauge 1,000 mm ( 3 ft  3 + 3 ⁄ 8  in ) metre gauge 1,050 mm ( 3 ft  5 + 11 ⁄ 32  in ), 1,055 mm ( 3 ft  5 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ), 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) 1,093 mm ( 3 ft 7 in ), 1,100 mm ( 3 ft  7 + 5 ⁄ 16  in ), 1,200 mm ( 3 ft  11 + 1 ⁄ 4  in ) 4 ft ( 1,219 mm ) 4 ft 1 in ( 1,245 mm ), Middleton Railway 4 ft 6 in ( 1,372 mm ), Scotch gauge 4 ft  6 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ( 1,384 mm ), Scotch gauge 4 ft  7 + 3 ⁄ 4  in ( 1,416 mm ) 4 ft 8 in ( 1,422 mm ), almost standard gauge 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 4  in ( 1,429 mm ) 1,432 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 3 ⁄ 8  in ) Standard gauge 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in  / 1,435 mm , Stephenson gauge Broad gauge 1,440 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 11 ⁄ 16  in ) 1,445 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 7 ⁄ 8  in ) 1,450 mm ( 4 ft  9 + 3 ⁄ 32  in ) 4 ft  9 + 3 ⁄ 8  in ( 1,457 mm ) 1,458 mm ( 4 ft  9 + 13 ⁄ 32  in ) 4 ft  10 + 7 ⁄ 8  in ( 1,495 mm ), Toronto gauge 5 ft  / 1,524 mm and 1,520 mm  ( 4 ft  11 + 27 ⁄ 32  in ), Russian gauge. 5 ft  2 + 1 ⁄ 4  in  / 1,581 mm and 5 ft  2 + 1 ⁄ 2  in  / 1,588 mm , Pennsylvania gauge 5 ft 3 in ( 1,600 mm ), Irish gauge 5 ft  4 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ( 1,638 mm ), Baltimore gauge 1,668 mm ( 5 ft  5 + 21 ⁄ 32  in ), Iberian gauge 5 ft 6 in ( 1,676 mm ), Indian gauge 1,945 mm ( 6 ft  4 + 9 ⁄ 16  in ), De Arend 7 ft  1 ⁄ 4  in ( 2,140 mm ), Brunel gauge 3,000 mm ( 9 ft  10 + 1 ⁄ 8  in ), Breitspurbahn 8,200 mm ( 26 ft  10 + 27 ⁄ 32  in ), Lärchwandschrägaufzug 9,000 mm ( 29 ft  6 + 5 ⁄ 16  in ), Krasnoyarsk ship lift List of track gauge articles List of track gauges List of tram track gauges Miniature railways Minimum-gauge railways Large amusement railways Gauge differences Bogie exchange Break of gauge Dual gauge Gauge conversion list Variable gauge Transport mode Tram and light rail Rapid transit Miniature Scale model Categories by country by imperial units by metric units by name lists of track gauges v t e Railways and tramways of 15-inch (381 mm) gauge Asia Bal Bahran Park (Delhi, India) Sakuradani (Japan) Shuzenji Romney (Japan) Europe Anse (France) Donaupark (Austria) Dresdner Park (Germany) Killesberg Park (Germany) Park Auensee (Germany) Prater Park (Austria) United King- dom Alton Towers (defunct) Bellevue Park Blackpool Zoo Blenheim Park Bure Valley Cleethorpes Coast Conwy Valley Combe Martin Wildlife Park Craigtoun Duffield Bank Eaton Hall Evesham Vale Gulliver's Land Gulliver's World Haigh Country Park Heatherslaw Knowsley Safari Park Lakeside (Southport) Lappa Valley Lightwater Valley Liverpool Garden Festival Longleat Markeaton Park (defunct) Marwell Zoo (defunct) Oakwood Park Paradise Park Paultons Park Perrygrove Ravenglass & Eskdale Rhiw Valley Rhyl Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Saltburn Sand and Hutton Sherwood Forest Waveney Valley Whistlestop Valley Windmill Farm Wotton North America Bear Creek Park (Canada) Pindal Electric (Canada) Springbank Express (Canada) United States American Heritage B.A.D. Great Northern Gage Park Glenwood South Park Hillcrest & Wahtoke Joshua Tree & Southern GSD Laurel Run Little Toot Look Park Milwaukee County Zoo Safari Nickel Plate Northwest Ohio Orland, Newville and Pacific Paradise and Pacific Phoenix & Holly Redwood Valley Riverside and Great Northern Riverview & Twin Lakes Sonoma TrainTown Tiny Town Waterman & Western Oceania Bush Mill (Australia) Driving Creek (New Zealand) Whangaparaoa (New Zealand) Arlesdale (fictional) · Fairbourne (now re-gauged) · Far Tottering and Oyster Creek (temporary exhibition line) v t e Rail infrastructure Tracks (history) Axe ties Ballast Baulk road Breather switch Cant Clip and scotch Date nail Fastening system Fishplate Ladder track Minimum radius Profile Tie/Sleeper Transition curve Trackwork Balloon loop Classification yard Headshunt Pocket track Junction Gauntlet track Guide bar Passing loop Track gauge dual gauge Rail track tramway track Rail yard Railway electrification overhead lines third rail ground-level power supply Railway turntable Transfer table (traverser) Roll way Siding refuge siding Switch Track geometry Water crane Water trough Wye Signalling and safety Anti-trespass panels Block post Buffer stop Catch points Defect detector Derailer Guard rail Interlocking Level crossing Loading gauge Platform screen doors Railway signal Signalling control Structure gauge Signal bridge Tell-tale Train stop Wayside horn Structures Coaling tower Motive power depot / Railway workshop Platform Roundhouse Shed for trains for goods Station building clock ghost list Water stop Types Industrial Military Private station list Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fifteen-inch_gauge_railway&oldid=1227200193 " Categories : 15 in gauge railways Minimum gauge railways Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description

1980-526: The Pullman camping coaches 135 Elmira and 137 Maid of Kent , and a holiday bungalow, the Hilton Cottage . Muncaster Mill is 1 mile or 1.6 kilometres from Ravenglass, adjacent to an historic corn mill (no longer open to the public). It is an unmanned station, formerly known simply as Muncaster. Miteside Halt is 1 + 3 ⁄ 4 miles (2.8 km) from Ravenglass. It is accessible only from

2046-467: The R&ER by a member and converted to 15 in ( 381 mm )-gauge, later converted again from tank to tender configuration; Synolda , a twin to the original 15 in ( 381 mm ) loco Sans Pareil , built in 1912, saved from Belle Vue Zoo in 1978 and now in the railway museum; Shelagh of Eskdale , a 4-6-4 diesel built in 1969 incorporating parts of the Heywood loco Ella ; Perkins ,

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2112-401: The area, and is controlled by Lord Wakefield's descendants. Download coordinates as: Ravenglass railway station is the main terminus of the line: the other terminus is Dalegarth for Boot . Ravenglass station is the headquarters of the railway company and houses the railway museum, managerial offices and rolling stock maintenance facilities. There is a turntable at the western extremity of

2178-435: The case of Muriel into River Irt ), or used to build new locos (in the case of the first River Mite ). Following Sir Aubrey's death in 1929, control of the railway passed into the hands of his business partners, who lacked the local interest that Sir Aubrey had, and no further investment was made, other than what was needed for essential maintenance. When World War II broke out in 1939, passenger trains were suspended for

2244-446: The duration of the conflict, and the steam locos were mothballed. Granite trains continued to run to support the war effort. In 1946, passenger trains began to run again using one of the diesels, with River Irt returning to service in 1947. River Esk did not return to service until the early 1950s, whilst the first River Mite had been permanently withdrawn and dismantled. In 1949, the last of Sir Aubrey's business partners died, and

2310-641: The entire line had been converted and trains were running along the whole length to Boot. However, the gradients on the final section of the line proved to be too steep for the smaller locos, and the railway was cut back to Beckfoot in 1918. Initially, services were operated using the Bassett-Lowke -built, 1/4 scale 4-4-2 Sans Pareil . This was later joined by another Bassett-Lowke loco, Colossus (a 4-6-2 version of 'Sans Pareil'), as well as 2 locos and rolling stock from Sir Arthur Heywood 's Duffield Bank line, following Sir Arthur's death in 1916. These were

2376-569: The first two instalments in the RollerCoaster Tycoon franchise of theme park simulation series, RollerCoaster Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 , the model for the basic "miniature railway" ride is based on the engine No 10 Northern Rock . Fifteen-inch gauge railway Railway track gauge (381 mm) [REDACTED] Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway [REDACTED] Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway [REDACTED] One of

2442-524: The line ^ "The Blakesley Miniature Railway" . The SMJ Society . Retrieved 30 March 2022 . ^ "Home" . Evlr.co.uk . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ "Home" . Kirklesslightrailway.com . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ "Sadness as last remnants of Markeaton Park Railway to be demolished" . Derbytelegraph . Derbyshire Live. 2018-11-02 . Retrieved 3 November 2018 . ^ "American Heritage Railroad" . Americanfarmheritagemuseum.org . Archived from

2508-414: The line transported goods and mail to and from the valley. In 1922 a granite quarry was opened at Beckfoot, and the railway was used to transport the granite between Beckfoot Quarry and a crushing plant at Murthwaite . From 1929, the track between Murthwaite and Ravenglass was converted to dual gauge , with 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ( 1,435 mm ) standard gauge track straddling

2574-445: The line were relaid with surplus rails from World War 1 light railways, and the railway was realigned in several places to remove some of the steepest gradients and sharper curves. The station at Ravenglass was rebuilt to better handle the increasing number of passengers, and new steam and diesel locomotives were purchased to work the line, including River Esk (built in 1923), whilst the older locos were withdrawn and either rebuilt (in

2640-489: The line with three on Sundays. In 1905, a passenger train was derailed at Murthwaite due to a combination of a defective locomotive and defective track. By 1908 the track-work was in such poor condition, it was declared unsafe for passengers by the Board of Trade. The railway closed to passengers that year. Goods trains continued to run whilst attempts were made to raise money to rebuild the railway. These attempts failed, and

2706-564: The line, with financial backing by Sir Wavell Wakefield , Member of Parliament (MP) for Marylebone and owner of the Ullswater Steamers , and Colin Gilbert, a stockbroker . These efforts were successful, and at the auction in September 1960, the society made the winning bid and saved the railway from closure. Control of the railway passed to a new private company, with the backing of the preservation society, an arrangement that

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2772-514: The minimum standards of the Board of Trade, and the first passenger trains ran in November 1876. It was the first public narrow-gauge railway in England. However, the cost of upgrading the line for passengers left the railway company with substantial debts which it was unable to pay off. The company was forced to declare itself bankrupt in 1877, although trains continued to run under the control of

2838-9446: The minimum that he felt was practical. Railways [ edit ] 15 inch gauge railway installations Name Country Location Notes Bush Mill Railway [REDACTED] Australia Port Arthur Closed Donauparkbahn  [ de ] [REDACTED] Austria Vienna Prater Liliputbahn [REDACTED] Austria Vienna Bear Creek Park Train [REDACTED] Canada Surrey, British Columbia Pindal Electric Tramway [REDACTED] Canada London, Ontario Formerly in Montreal Springbank Express [REDACTED] Canada London, Ontario Chemin de fer Touristique d'Anse [REDACTED] France Anse, Rhône Dresden Park Railway [REDACTED] Germany Dresden Killesberg Park Railway [REDACTED] Germany Stuttgart Leipziger Parkeisenbahn [REDACTED] Germany Leipzig Difflin Lake Railway [REDACTED] Ireland Cygnus wood-land Railway [REDACTED] Japan Osaka Sakuradani Light Railway [REDACTED] Japan Toyono District of Osaka Prefecture Shuzenji Romney Railway [REDACTED] Japan Niji-no-Sato (Rainbow Park) in Izu, Shizuoka Driving Creek Railway [REDACTED] New Zealand Whangaparaoa Narrow Gauge Railway [REDACTED] New Zealand Closed Adventure Railway [REDACTED] UK Alton Towers (defunct, 1982–1992 - park still operating) Bellevue Park Railway [REDACTED] UK Belfast, Northern Ireland Closed 1950 Blackpool Zoo miniature railway [REDACTED] UK Lancashire Blakesley Miniature Railway [REDACTED]   UK Blakesley Hall , Northamptonshire Opened 1903, closed c.1944. Blenheim Park Railway [REDACTED] UK Oxfordshire Brocklands Adventure Park [REDACTED] UK Cornwall Closed 2007 Bure Valley Railway [REDACTED] UK Norfolk Standard gauge line closed 1982. 15-inch gauge line opened 1990. Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway [REDACTED] UK Lincolnshire Conwy Valley Railway Museum [REDACTED] UK Betws-y-Coed , North Wales (short tramway) Craigtoun Miniature Railway [REDACTED] UK Craigtoun Park , St. Andrews Duffield Bank Railway [REDACTED] UK Closed 1916 Eaton Hall Railway [REDACTED] UK Closed 1946 Evesham Vale Light Railway [REDACTED] UK Evesham Country Park , Twyford, Worcestershire Fairbourne Railway [REDACTED] UK Wales (now converted to 12 + 1 ⁄ 4  in or 311 mm gauge) Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Branch Railway [REDACTED] UK Battersea Park , London Closed 1975 Gulliver's Land [REDACTED] UK Milton Keynes Gulliver's World [REDACTED] UK Warrington, Cheshire Haigh Hall Miniature Railway [REDACTED] UK Greater Manchester Heatherslaw Light Railway [REDACTED] UK Northumberland International Garden Festival Railway [REDACTED] UK 1984 Whistlestop Valley (Formerly Kirklees Light Railway) [REDACTED] UK Clayton West, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire Knowsley Safari Park ( The Lakeside Railway ) [REDACTED] UK Prescot, Merseyside Lakeside Miniature Railway [REDACTED] UK Southport, Merseyside Lappa Valley Steam Railway [REDACTED] UK Cornwall Lightwater Express Rio Grande [REDACTED] UK Ripon, North Yorkshire Theme Park Longleat Railway [REDACTED] UK Markeaton Park Light Railway [REDACTED] UK Derby Closed September 2016 Marwell Zoo [REDACTED] UK Colden Common, Hampshire Oakwood Theme Park [REDACTED] UK Narberth, Pembrokeshire Paradise Park [REDACTED] UK Hayle, Cornwall Paultons Park [REDACTED] UK Ower, Romsey, Hampshire Perrygrove Railway [REDACTED] UK Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway [REDACTED] UK Cumbria Rhiw Valley Light Railway [REDACTED] UK Manafon, Powys, Wales Closed 2022 Rhyl Miniature Railway [REDACTED] UK Clwyd, Wales Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway [REDACTED] UK Kent Saltburn Miniature Railway [REDACTED] UK Cat Nab, Cleveland Sand Hutton Miniature Railway [REDACTED] UK Yorkshire Closed 1922 Sherwood Forest Railway [REDACTED] UK Nottinghamshire Waveney Valley Railway [REDACTED] UK Bressingham Steam and Gardens Norfolk West Midlands Safari Park [REDACTED] UK Worcestershire Closed 2014 Windmill Farm Railway [REDACTED] UK Burscough, Lancashire Wildlife Park Cricket St Thomas [REDACTED] UK Chard, Somerset Wotton Light Railway [REDACTED] UK Wotton Underwood, Buckinghamshire American Heritage Railroad [REDACTED] USA Illinois Amusement Rides [REDACTED] USA City Park , Iowa City B.A.D. Great Northern Railroad [REDACTED] USA California Eden Springs Park Railroad ) [REDACTED] USA Benton Harbor, Michigan Gage Park Railroad [REDACTED] USA Gage Park, Topeka , Kansas Glenwood, South Park & Pacific Railroad [REDACTED] USA California Hillcrest & Wahtoke Steam Railroad [REDACTED] USA Reedley, California Joshua Tree & Southern GSD [REDACTED] USA California Kansas City Northern Miniature Railroad [REDACTED] USA Kansas City, Missouri Laurel Run Railroad [REDACTED] USA Pennsylvania Little Toot Railroad [REDACTED] USA Rough and Tumble Engineers Historical Association , Pennsylvania Look Park [REDACTED] USA Northampton, Massachusetts Miniature Railway at Silver Lake, Ohio [REDACTED] USA Silver Lake, Ohio Defunct Miniature Train at Monarch Park [REDACTED] USA Oil City, Pennsylvania Defunct Nickel Plate Railroad [REDACTED] USA California Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation [REDACTED] USA Ohio Orland, Newville and Pacific Railroad [REDACTED] USA California (operating) Paradise & Pacific Railroad [REDACTED] USA McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park , Scottsdale, Arizona (separate 7 + 1 ⁄ 2  in or 190.5 mm railway named Scottsdale Live Steamers also present) (operating) Phoenix & Holly Railroad [REDACTED] USA Oregon Pint-Sized Pufferbelly [REDACTED] USA Strasburg Rail Road , Strasburg Township, Pennsylvania (operating) Redwood Valley Railway [REDACTED] USA Tilden Regional Park , California (operating) Riverside and Great Northern Railway [REDACTED] USA Wisconsin Riverview & Twin Lakes Railroad [REDACTED] USA Wyoming Safari Train [REDACTED] USA Milwaukee County Zoo , Milwaukee , Wisconsin (operating) Sonoma TrainTown Railroad [REDACTED] USA California (operating) Sullivan Railroad [REDACTED] USA Horseheads, New York Tiny Town Railroad [REDACTED] USA Colorado Waterman & Western Railroad [REDACTED] USA Illinois See also [ edit ] [REDACTED] Trains portal Bassett-Lowke British narrow-gauge railways Heritage railway List of British heritage and private railways List of track gauges Minimum-gauge railway References [ edit ] ^ Heywood, A.P. (1974) [1881, Derby: Bemrose]. Minimum Gauge Railways . Turntable Enterprises. ISBN   0-902844-26-1 . ^ Donaupark ^ Bear Creek Park ^ "CEC: Closed Canadian Parks - Springbank Park" . Cec.chebucto.org . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ Going again ^ "シグナス森林鉄道" . Nose Electric Railway . Retrieved 10 June 2017 . ^ Tripadvisor ^ End of

2904-466: The original on 12 August 2013 . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ "City Park" . City of Iowa City . Retrieved 7 June 2017 . ^ "City Park (Iowa City)" (PDF) . Uni.edu . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ "Eden Springs Park Benton Harbor Michigan Formerly The House of David" . Edenspringspark.org . Retrieved 18 November 2017 . ^ "Glenwood, South Park & Pacific Railroad" . Traill.us . Archived from

2970-655: The original on 21 May 2014 . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ "Hillcrest" . Hillcrestreedley.com . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ "Joshua Tree & Southern GSD" . Home.easrthlink.net . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ "Kansas City Northern Miniature Railroad" . kcparks.org/places/kansas-city-northern-railroad . ^ "Reading Society of Model Engineers" . Rsme.org . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ Sayre, Dave. "McCormick - Stillman Railroad Park" . Arizonaandpacificrr.com . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ "Flower Farmer and Phoenix & Holly Railroad - Welcome to

3036-499: The passage of a train when entering the points from a trailing direction when the points are set for the other rail line. Elements of the operation were used by British Rail to cut costs on remote lines. What became known as Radio Electronic Token Block signalling shared features with the Ratty, such as centralised control, automatic points at loops, and on-train equipment rather than fixed equipment at remote locations. On peak days in

3102-409: The present company discovered a sleeper from before the line closed, with spacings between holes made by track spikes confirming the gauge was the wider one. The confusion probably stems from the fact that the line was built under the condition that it was "of a gauge not less than 2' 9" ". Following requests from the residents of the valley for a passenger service, the railway was upgraded to meet

3168-452: The railway closed completely in April 1913. In 1915, the abandoned railway was taken over by the model maker Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke and his business partner Robert Proctor-Mitchel. They began converting the line to the 15 in ( 381 mm ) gauge that it is today. The first train operated over the regauged line on 28 August 1915, running initially to Muncaster Mill. By 1917,

3234-637: The railway was forced to temporarily suspend all trains due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent UK-wide lockdown. This was the first time since the Second World War that passenger trains had been forcibly suspended for such a prolonged period. Following the relaxation of lockdown restrictions in July 2020, passenger trains resumed on 30 July. After passing Spout House Farm the line reaches Gilbert's Cutting. Until 1964, trains were forced to follow

3300-481: The railway was sold to the Keswick Granite Company, who wanted to gain control of the quarrying side of the business. However, due to the lack of investment since the 1920s, much of the equipment in the quarry and crushing plant was worn out and in need of replacement. Rather than make the required investment, Keswick Granite chose to close the quarry in 1953, but kept the passenger trains running in

3366-403: The replacement of the wheelsets or the bogies . In May 1892, wagons and coaches were converted when the 7 ft  1 ⁄ 4  in ( 2140 mm ) gauge of the Great Western Railway was abandoned. During or after gauge conversion work, some stations and branch lines may become "gauge orphans". This occurs especially when it is not considered economically worthwhile to go to

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3432-419: The society, has been on permanent loan to the company ever since. The two existing steam locos would be rebuilt with new boilers and tenders in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1968, the death of Colin Gilbert led to the railway company becoming the property of Sir Wavell Wakefield, who by that stage had become Lord Wakefield of Kendal. In the early 1970s it became apparent that, with passengers rising, another locomotive

3498-467: The station's platforms, which doubles as the datum for mileage markers on the line. Ravenglass houses two locomotive sheds, on the southern side of the track, and a carriage shed on the northern side. There is a carriage & wagon workshop beyond Platform 1, opposite the signalbox. The Turntable Café is situated on Platform 1. The car park has spaces for 100 cars, as well as coaches. There are holiday accommodation facilities for weekly use, which consist of

3564-399: The steam locomotive's tenders. The current fleet comprises: The operational passenger stock of the railway currently comprises the following – Open coach 287 is owned by the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Preservation Society and is hired to the railway. The permanent way department currently utilises nine four-wheeled flat wagons, eight of which have removable tops for ballast carrying,

3630-528: The steam locomotives River Irt , River Esk , River Mite and Northern Rock , while the Sudrian diesels Frank , Sigrid of Arlesdale and Blister 1 & 2 are the Cumbrians Perkins , Shelagh of Eskdale and Cyril . The Arlesdale Railway stations are also visibly based on the Ravenglass ones: Arlesburgh is Ravenglass, Ffarquhar Road is Muncaster Mill, Marthwaite is Irton Road, Arlesdale Green

3696-563: The summer months, two trains depart each end of the line per hour. Capacity on the railway allows for a service run at 20-minute intervals. The railway company is in common ownership with the Ullswater 'Steamers' , a company that operates lake cruises on Ullswater in the north-eastern part of the Lake District. Both companies form part of the Lake District Estates group, which also owns various tourist oriented properties in

3762-482: The summer months. From 1958 attempts were made to sell the line as a going concern, but the asking price was too high. Finally in 1960, Keswick Granite announced that the railway would be sold by auction in September of that year. It was also announced that if a buyer could not be found for the line as a whole, then the railway would be closed and sold off as 60 separate lots. Locals and railway enthusiasts formed Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Preservation Society to save

3828-404: The train is within the loop and is clear of the preceding single track. To leave the loop, the driver contacts control to gain authorisation to enter the next single track section. No semaphore signals are used outside Ravenglass station. Points at passing loops are weighted with direction indicators, meaning that no human intervention is required and the points reset themselves automatically after

3894-696: The two appear in the book as the Thin Clergyman and the Fat Clergyman, respectively. The Arlesdale Railway was also the focus point in Jock the New Engine , with an incident that was inspired by an accident that happened on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, when Perkins crashed in the back of the shed, and with cameos in other books. The fictional railway's locomotives are each based on Ravenglass locomotives: Bert , Rex , Mike and Jock are

3960-421: The winter months. Disabled passengers and cycles can also be conveyed by the trains. The locomotives are 1 ⁄ 3 scale models of mainline locomotives and are air-braked at 50 psi. There are over a hundred regular volunteers that help with the running of the railways, which include guarding the trains, carriage shunting and selling tickets at the major intermediate stations along the route. The railway uses

4026-453: Was converted (when in preservation). Two unanticipated conversions to occur were the ten locomotives of the South Australian Railways 740 class (from standard to broad gauge) and five 1067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) narrow-gauge T class locomotives, which became the Tx class on the broad gauge before they were eventually converted back again. Gauge-change in steam locomotives has

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4092-453: Was formerly known as Hollowstones , after the adjacent farm. There is a passing loop within the station and, consequently, two platforms. It has three sidings which branch off from the "up" loop – two of which run into a small shed, and the third of which is used for ballast and log traffic. There is a station building, which dates from 1875. The Green, also known as Eskdale Green, is 4 + 3 ⁄ 4 miles (7.6 km) from Ravenglass. It

4158-461: Was formerly known as King of Prussia after a local pub, then Eskdale Green, and since has changed between Eskdale Green and The Green several times. Has recently received a new picnic area. Fisherground is accessible via a public footpath, adjacent to Fisherground campsite. It is 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (8.9 km) from Ravenglass, just east of Fisherground loop. Beckfoot is 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (10.5 km) from Ravenglass. Setting down

4224-406: Was interested in what he termed a minimum gauge railway for use as estate railways or to be easy to lay on, for instance, a battlefield. In 1874, he described the principle behind it as used for his Duffield Bank Railway , distinguishing it from a "narrow-gauge" railway. Having previously built a small railway of 9 in ( 229 mm ) gauge, he settled on 15 in ( 381 mm ) gauge as

4290-561: Was removed and about 700 feet of track was re-laid. By diverting the line through the new cutting the length of the line was reduced by 87 + 3 ⁄ 4 feet making the total length 6.91 miles. On Friday 27 March 1964, the 11:20am train from Ravenglass hauled by River Irt and driven by the managing director of the Railway Company Colin Gilbert, stopped at the Western entrance to the cutting. Mr Patrick Satow,

4356-464: Was required. This time the company constructed the locomotive itself. Northern Rock ( 2-6-2 ) was complete in time for centenary celebrations in 1976. A further addition was made in 1980 when the company constructed the B-B diesel locomotive Lady Wakefield . Other significant locomotives include Bonnie Dundee , built in 1900 as a 2 ft ( 610 mm )-gauge tank locomotive before being donated to

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