Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway 2-8-2 No. 'River Mite'
Ravenglass, Cumbria, UK 		Location: Ravenglass & Eskdale Light Railway
Status: Operational
Posted: May 12, 2025 @ 14:05:30 by Russell Newman
The Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway 2-8-2 "River Mite", is operational again and will be visiting the Talyllyn Railway for their Awdry Extravaganza on the 18th to 20th July 2025, celebrating the life of Rev. W. Awdry himself and marking the 80th anniversary of Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends making their debut in the Railway Series books by the Rev. W. Awdry from the first volume "The Three Railway Engines" back in 1945. For the event "River Mite" will operate on a short section of 15inch gauge track and decked out as the famous Thomas the Tank Engine character ‘Mike the Small Engine’.
Posted: Jun 24, 2020 @ 10:06:07 by luke
status should be overhaul.
Posted: Apr 27, 2018 @ 13:04:50 by Russell Newman
The Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway s 2-8-2 "River Mite" is to be the star visiting locomotive at the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway in Kent for there Steam and Diesel Gala on the weekend of May 12th to 13th 2018.
Posted: Apr 20, 2005 @ 13:04:48 by

Driver Diameter: 17.5"

Boiler Pressure: 165 lbs psi

Posted: May 14, 2003 @ 11:05:59 by
this locomotive is currently in service and painted Indian red.
Posted: Apr 17, 2003 @ 18:04:44 by Steve Frost
The British never went in for Mikados on their main lines much. They built them for export, but very few were run by the main line companies. The Great Western ran some 2-8-2T tank engine, but they were really 2-8-0Ts with an extended bunker and a radial axle to support it - not true Mikados.

On the LNER, Gresley built some fine 2-8-2s for the line from Edinburgh to Aberdeen - the P2s. His successor, Edward Thompson rebuilt them as ungainly Pacifics. None survive. Gresley also built some heavy freight Mikados, the P1s, but none of them survived either.

So it is on the minimum gauge of 15 inches that you can see the British Mikados. In fact, River Mite looks a little like a quarter scale replica of a Gresley P1 in style. It only has 2 cylinders, though, but its not a scale model, its much more robust than that. See also River Esk, and some RH&DR locos.