Northern Rock

From Ratty

Northern Rock was built in 1976 by the railway company as a 2-6-2 tender engine at their Ravenglass workshops, to the design of the CME at the time, Ian Smith. It is considered to be the strongest 15" gauge locomotive in the world, and trials for its construction were undertaken with the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway's No. 1, Northern Chief.

Unlike River Esk and River Mite, the engine has a narrow gauge outline, similar to that on River Irt. The engine was commisioned at the R&ER centenery of passenger services in 1976 and was funded by Northern Rock, the building society after which it is named.

The design has proved to be very reliable, and there have been two near-identical locomotives, named Northern Rock II and Cumbria constructed for a tourist railway in Japan.

The engine's livery is Highland Railway Muscat Green, lined in red, white and dark green.