Ratty Not Tatty

Simon Stabler hops on board the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, to offer a brief history of the narrow-gauge line that is affectionately known as the La’al Ratty

- Simon Stabler

From the Ffestiniog Railway in Gwynned to Kent’s Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway, many of the UK’s narrow-gauge railways were built to service local industry. The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway in Cumbria is no different, having opened in May 1875 to transport iron ore from mines in the hills above Boot village to the main line station at Ravenglass.

Then known as the “Owd Ratty” – Cumbrian for “old rat track” – the 3ft gauge railway began carrying passengers from November 1876, making it England’s first narrow-gauge public railway. Unfortunately, the cost of upgrading the line to make it suitable for passengers saddled the railway with debts and from 1877, having declared itself bankrupt, the railway was put under the control of the receiver.

Although popular with tourists during the summer months, insufficient passenger numbers during the rest of the year, along with the closure of several mines, meant that the railway struggled to meet its running costs. A lack of maintenance led to the derailment of a passenger train in 1905, and three years later, unable to meet Board of Trade demands for improvements, the railway closed to passenger traffic. It struggled on carrying freight before closing to all traffic in 1913.

Two years later, the line was taken over by Narrow Gauge Railways Ltd, an offshoot of the Northampton-based miniature railway and model manufacturer Bassett-Lowke. Regauged to 15ins track, it carried passenger vehicles built by Bassett-Lowke and freight wagons acquired from the Duffield Bank Railway, Derbyshire.