Whilst April 2017 seems a very long way off, time is rapidly passing and exhibits are being invited to what will be the Great North Steam Fair once again, following its 2016 ‘Great War Steam Fair’ transformation.  In reality the event will retain the Great War themes, with a rough cut-off for exhibits being about 1930, with everything dating from before, or being in the spirit of (remember those words as you read on!) the era…

The first announcement regarding exhibits attending the event is a rather different one to previous years – this being 15 inch gauge steam locomotive ‘River Mite’ from the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway in Cumbria.  In fact, it will be the first locomotive of this gauge to visit the Museum.

Photo courtesy of Paul Ellis

River Mite was built in 1966 by Clarksons of York for the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Preservation Society, in December of that year was hauled to Ravenglass by Fowler Road engine Providence. River Mite was then commissioned in 1967 before entering service on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.

2017 will be its 50^th year so we are pleased to be able to welcome River Mite to the Great North Steam Fair.

Archive photos courtesy of Howard Stafford.

As regulars to our events will know the road engine Providence is a regular performer at these events brought to us by the Stafford Family, the same family which undertook the original move of River Mite in 1966.

We have been working with the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Preservation Society and the Stafford Family to recreate River Mite’s delivery journey as a road haulage feature of our 2017 event.

We are pleased to say that these discussions have reached a point where we can announce what is happening, so mark the 6^th – 9^th April down in your diaries to see River Mite once again hauled on a trailer by Providence.

We would like to thank both the Stafford Family and the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Preservation Society for making this possible.