The Ravenglass Railway Museum showcased a new addition to their collection at the Gosforth Show on August 19.
The museum team travelled to Yorkshire in June to collect a model railway from renowned railway model maker Peter Kazer.
The model is a reflection of the Owd Ratty, the forerunner to what is today known affectionately in Cumbria as La’al Ratty, the original Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway built in 1875. The model represents the railway's most active period in 1880.
Since photographic evidence from this period is scarce, Peter used available images and visited the site to create an accurate representation of the railway.
Peter's model layout of the Owd Ratty, including Boot Station, will be his last creation as he plans to retire. He wants to find homes for his model masterpieces and believes it is only fair for the railway to benefit from them during the models' retirement.
The model is built to a scale of ¼” to 1’ and features a working model of Nabb Gill, one of the locomotives that operated on the 3ft railway.
Dave Simpson, the museum's archivist and volunteer said: “This will be the model layout’s first outing since Peter kindly donated it to us and we are already looking at other ways that we can share it at future events and in the museum itself”
“We will be taking just one section to the Show as space will be limited in the History Tent. However, it will give visitors the opportunity to appreciate just how this model really brings the Owd Ratty to life”.
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