Aim: Augusta Needs You! 35 years of hard work, being the flagship locomotive has taken it's toll on her and now The Lady Augusta Need You!

35 years ago two friends sat together over a drink and decided to build a railway, alongside the track they needed a locomotive and that is where 'The Lady Augusta' came to life with the help of Ravenglass and Eskdale as well as Kirklees Light Railway from the designer Brian Taylor.

The history

'Lady Augusta' was named after the Lady Augusta Fitzclarence of Etal Manor who drove her own horse and trap along the river bank where Etal station stands to this day. The Joicey family named the locomotive, and the railway that we know and love was opened on 1st July 1989.

Challenges we have faced

In 35 years we have weathered and faced many a challenge.

We have faced natural catastrophies caused by the River Till. In 2008 the whole railway was submerged by the rising river. Clive, the diesel locomotive, had been totally immersed in water, the “ Lady Augusta” was left covered in silt, and two of the coaches had been washed off the track, left on their side. The rest of the coaches were in a sorry state, covered in mud, to say nothing of the flooded ticket office and buildings.

The railway had reached the lowest point in its history and the business would not have survived without the tireless efforts of the management, staff and friends who pitched in to help. When the river level had dropped sufficiently, the track was examined only to reveal that a large chunk of the bank had been washed away, leaving the track dangling six feet in the air. A new section of track needed to be laid a further ten metres away from the river bank at that point. However, after only a month of downtime, the railway resumed full service.

In 2020 we, like many in the tourism industry, were hit with the Coronavirus pandemic putting great financial strain on the railway. Close to bankruptcy, we set up a crowdfunder appeal to save the Heatherslaw Light Railway. Thanks to our loyal customers and friends of the railway raised over £13,000 allowing it to survive the first lockdown. The staff then worked hard to adapt the railway in accordance with the new requirements to make the railway as safe as possible in COVID restrictions.

The railway then faced more flooding in 2021, 2023 and most recently in 2024 when a major event for the railway was impacted. Throughout all of this The Lady Augusta stood strong, riding through flood water and keeping our journey going.

The Lady Augusta

Nestled along our beloved 15 inch railway, 'The Lady Augusta' has been the beating heart of our heritage line for decades. This majestic steam enguine, with her gleaming brass fittings and proud plume of steam has delighted visitors, young and old alike. Time has taken its toll and she now stands silent, in desperate need of repairs to bring her back to life.

Our dedicated small team of staff and volunteers have kept her spirit alive but restoring our flagship locomotive is no small task. The cost of these repairs are beyond the means of our small railway without your help.

Testimonials

'We had a very pleasant trip on the Heatherslaw light railway. We bought our tickets at the Heatherslaw station and traveled to Etal. '

'We keep coming back because we love it. You are never too young or old to enjoy a trip along the river on a miniature train. '

'What a fantastic place if u like trains'

Our plan

Augusta Needs You to help to restore the former beauty and get her running on our tracks once more. Looking into the furture Augusta will need to have new frames, wheels, axles, side rods, and potentially pistons, cylinders and valves and a repaint into her original livery.

We also aim to rebuild one of our sheds to create the forever home for the Lady Augusta, creating a museum space to have her displayed to allow all visitors, of any age, the chance to see, interact and explore the workings and the history of her.

All of this comes with a great costs which is where you come in.

'ANY' value, large or small will put us closer to being able to do the repairs and allowing us to hear 'The Lady Augusta' steam proudly once again.

Funding Milestones

All of this will be carried out by our trusted partner Denver Light Railway Ltd.