An outing on Ratty, 1925

HOW WE REACHED DALEGARTH
An Adventurous Journey on the "Ratty", 1925

This is taken from an article in the "Whitehaven News", 13 Aug 1925

What follows shows that an ocasional run of misfortune may give rise to incidents which add a touch of humour to an extremely picturesque journey.
It was a fine Saturday afternoon, so the family decided to take father up the "Ratty". Our train reached Ravenglass at 1-40 and we were due out on the little line at 1-45, so we hurried across to book and take our seats. The booking office was closed and a queue was waiting. Inquiries elicited the fact that it was "the young lady's afternoon off" and Mr. ___, who had gone for his dinner, would be back before long. Mr. ___ turned up at 1-55, issued tickets, added one or two coaches to the standing train and we started at about five minutes after two.
"Sir Aubrey Brocklebank" puffed along fairly well until just after leaving Muncaster station where a gradient was evidently too stiff for the rather long train. We slowed down and finally came to a standstill. After a consultation the authorities decided to retreat to beyond Muncaster once more and then, having got plenty of "way" to attempt to rush the gradient. This effort failed, and we again halted. For half an hour the furnace was coaxed in an effort to get up a greater head of steam. Finally the effort was abandoned and we were coolly informed that we must await the arrival of another engine.

"THE BEST LAID SCHEMES---"

Then a brilliant idea seized a number of passengers- they would supplement Sir Aubrey's limited powers by their own muscular efforts and drag the unwilling train to Irton Road station. A start was actually made on this herculean task, but the scheme was nipped in the bud when it was realised that the train leaving Dalegarth for Ravenglass at 2 o'clock had probably already left Irton Road, and the only place where the two trains could pass was the siding at the granite crushing plant near which we were halted. Sir Aubrey was therefore uncoupled and withdrawn ignominiously to Ravenglass. The passengers were abandoned to gather flowers and survey the landscape until another engine turned up from somewhere. There being no signalling apparatus on the line the guard was sent forward to Irton Road to warn the approaching train. Then took place the event of the day. The unsuspecting train was diverted into a siding, her engine uncoupled and hitched onto our train, and we steamed off leaving the amazed passengers in the other train to their fate.
We landed at Dalegarth at 4-15pm without further incident, one hour and forty minutes late. The rumour had gone round that there was a late train back at 7-30, but none of the railway officials at Dalegarth had ever heard of such a train- they were unanimous and emphatic in their declaration that the 5-5 was the last. However, a few hardy spirits took the risk, had tea and went off to visit Stanley Ghyll Falls and other beauty spots in the neighbourhood. the 7-30 turned out to be a reality and with the "River Esk" as our engine we set out for Ravenglass. Beyond knocking over a stray sheep and going back to succour the dazed animal, nothing unusual occurred on the return journey. Ravenglass was reached in record time shortly after 8pm. Here passengers for Whitehaven direction were agreeably surprised to find a train signalled on the down line. It turned out to be the 7-6 running an hour late and arrived within two minutes of the little train getting in.
Altogether it was a gloriously exciting and enjoyable half day's excursion.