Members of the team from Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway in the Lake District recently travelled to Festiniog in Wales to sign off their brand new first-class carriage, Ruth, the latest to arrive in the Europe Regional Development Fund project that started in 2016.
Built by the engineering team at Festiniog Railway Company, Ruth is a beautiful semi-enclosed Directors bespoke carriage. With extra head room, comfortable padded seats inside for eight people and semi-open balcony seating and a roof for two on each end, it is also the first carriage at the Railway to have USB speakers. Featuring partition panels in the middle, the space can be split into two separate internal compartments, or can be hired as a whole carriage for up to 12 people.
The carriage has been named in memory of the Honorable Mrs Ruth Adorian. Her daughter Georgina Townsend commented, “My mother was the youngest daughter of Lord Wakefield in Kendal and a Director of Lake District Estates for over 50 years. She was devoted to serving all 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 elegant new carriage is wheelchair accessible with a fold-down table providing a flexible space in each compartment. Mrs Adorian’s son James Clarkson-Webb said, “Fighting motor neurone disease for the last 12 years of her life meant she was particularly keen on incorporating wheelchair accessibility wherever possible, and this carriage is a fitting tribute to the ongoing legacy which she leaves behind.”
Head of Marketing and Business Development at Lake District Estates, Rachel Bell, added “This marks a milestone in our carriage upgrade programme and we look forward to welcoming Ruth to the Railway in the Lake District.”
Ruth is the latest carriage to be completed as part of the ongoing rolling stock upgrade programme at the heritage steam railway in the Western Lake District, which also includes the stunning observation carriage Joan and first class saloon 140. Once Ruth has undergone extensive safety testing on the line at Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway she will be available to book for the 2022 spring season.
For more on the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway visit ravenglass-railway.co.uk.
