Will Red or Black or the Esk Factor win the ratings war?
Will Red or Black win the ratings war and which will have the Esk Factor? These questions are nothing to do with Simon Cowell and his two programmes hitting TV screens again on August 18, but focused instead on the gorgeous stable of locomotives at the Lake District’s iconic narrow gauge railway, Ravenglass and Eskdale.
The Lakes visitor attraction has chosen to make 2012 the year that it puts its locos up to the public vote, to determine which of them is the most loved loco of them all. The locos in contention for this honour are River Esk, River Irt, River Mite and Northern Rock, Synolda, Lady Wakefield, Douglas Ferreira, Perkins, Quarryman and Shelagh of Eskdale and anyone visiting the Railway can make their own mind up which has the Esk Factor.
The hot money is on the first four, these being the locos that are most regularly seen by passengers of all ages, who travel between the nine station stops on the glorious seven-mile line running between Ravenglass on the Lake District coast and Dalegarth, near Boot, in the shadow of England’s highest mountains.
Each loco has its own characteristics, but colour is the most obvious one, River Esk being black, River Irt green with a black and yellow lining, River Mite red and Northern Rock muscat green/yellow. For most children, this is going to be the deciding factor and the Railway is banking on red or black being the top two choices and River Esk or River Mite winning the junior vote.
For nostalgia lovers, however, Synolda is the most likely choice. This stunning royal blue engine is celebrating her 100th birthday this year and has already been to the York Railfest to drum up support in the vote. She also has a touching story, having been rescued from a derelict state from Belle Vue Zoo in 1978. She will take centre place on the turntable at Ravenglass during the August 25 to 27 action-packed Family Fun Day being hosted by the Railway, so will have her chance to shine and grab some votes.
Anyone who knows the Railway well, could be nailing their colours to the funnel of Douglas Ferreira, named after the longest serving general manager of the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway and commissioned in his honour in 2005.
Coming up on the rails is River Irt, possibly the loco of choice for railway enthusiasts given that she is the oldest working 15”gauge locomotive in the world. River Irt will also attract the vote of all Muriels, as that was her original name.
If, however, the only way really is Essex, River Esk will be laughing, having been designed and built by Davey Paxman of Colchester.
The vote is set to get really interesting, boosted by the availability of an online poll, accessed by an Esk Factor button at facebook.com/Ravenglass.Eskdale.Railway Facebook comments left in support of a vote will all be entered into a prize draw to win the chance to ‘meet’ the locomotive voted for.
All those casting a vote in person, over the Family Fun Day Weekend, could put themselves in contention for a fabulous prize.
The ‘live shows’ for some of the locos will go on all season, right through to December, with opportunities to ride in carriages pulled by some of them being on offer up until the last Santa train has hauled its excited band of children. This means voting will not close until the ‘fat vote controller’ has sung his last song of the season!
Get to know the engines more and your enjoyment of Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway’s steam and diesel-powered journeys will go through the roof. Get voting and by Christmas, you could have made them your number one!
