The sound of the train whistle, which carries far on the wind, is a familiar sound to anyone who has walked the Eskdale Fells and if your arrival in Boot coincides with that of Little Ratty you may disagree with the description of Eskdale as quiet, but it is only a momentary flurry of activity before the valley resumes its siesta. The railway was started in 1875 to carry ore from the Nab Gill Mine, and also slate from the local quarries, to the main line at Ravenglass. After a hesitant beginning, and although it became a major tourist attraction, it was uneconomical and closed in 1913. In 1915 the line was converted to a 15 inch narrow gauge and in this form served the nearby Beckfoot granite quarry until, with the quarry, it shut again in 1953. The railway was saved at an auction in 1960 by a band of local enthusiasts. The present Dalegarth terminus was built 1926, and before that the line extended past the village to mines higher up the valley which were worked from 1870 to 1884. A section of this old trackbed is passed if you follow the riverside path to the Youth Hostel. Relaxing in the warm sunshine with a cream tea outside Brook House we learned that it was the 75th anniversary of the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway. Hurrying down to the station we were in time to see one of the trains arrive with the staff in period costumes and the driver wearing a red neckerchief and black top hat. Open all year and the scenic seven mile journey to the coast takes about 40 minutes.
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