The Toy Train

Wishing a everyone a Happy Holiday and Merry Christmas

On the Edge of X

In mathematics the letter X denotes an unknown quantity.  In nature this X is also a bit unknown as it  is in a place that is neither sea or land, the salt marsh.  Continually changing it is a rich salt tolerant biology feeds birds, mammals and amphibians.

But what have I noticed here, footsteps in the mud

Sheep crossing? The sheep like to munch on the saltmarsh although this little group with two keeping a wary eye on me are on the embankment. (Their compatriots can just be seen near the horizon).     Also just seen in the distance further down the embankment is a place to take your ease.

The seat, now with the tide covering the salt marsh behind it. Unusually for the UK where you can nearly guarantee wherever you stop on the coast there will be someone gazing out to sea whatever the weather, this seat faces in the entirely different direction.  Either because of the contrariness of the local settlement of Millom (its name of Norse origin means 'between' as it sits between two rivers and the tide)

Black Combe

or perhaps the view of the hills is thought to be more restful. The Millom Embankment was built to protects both this low lying farmland

and the railway that wends its way up the coast.  Northern Rail paint some of their trains with views from the north of England, the area they cover.   I'm a bit too far away for this to be very detailed. The embankment where I stand is also part of a long distance walk, the Cumbria Coastal Way.  The train is the ideal alternative way to do it in chunks as linear walks (except at its very northern end when the train track bends away).

The perfect journey for sea lovers. The water laps the embankment. If you have noticed the difference in colour  of the sea grass, the first three photographs were taken in February, the others last November when rain had nourished the grass. This winter and late spring was one of attrition for the wildlife so on the February walk there were a few remains but this one took my eye:

Did the duck fall from the sky or did it become entangled in the hedge?  It was a sad sight but although dead at least in winter there were no flies buzzing around and only the effects of xeransis (the drying of tissues).

An entry to ABC Wednesday - a journeys through the alphabet that has reached X

Vintage Vapour Viewpoint

I've shown a steam train from this vantage point before but this is a much more powerful locomotive than the Castle Class I showed for another letter of ABC Wednesday..  Stopping for water at  Appleby this Britannia 70000 is building up steam.  I know nothing about trains but apart from the joy of seeing them clatter along the tracks my favourite part is this moment, and one that no diesel or electric train can emulate. The only place to experience it is here, track-side.

 The Britannia 70000 was built for fast traffic in 1951, has a superheat boiler and is about to depart, the fire is going the water has heated the vapour is building and then rather than the soft hiss of steam while it has vented and  idled by the water tower, it now builds to pressure

the engineer lets all that power go, the overwhelming awe of pure steam power, the air screams and vibrates, the warm

 water warm vapour surrounds us.  Has it vanished into thin air?

 No the gleaming vintage vehicle is on the move.

 A veritable vision of  steam

it continues on its journey to the sound of clicking cameras.

 The  route the Britannia's has taken on this occasion is a popular one for the enthusiast as it travels on a track through beautiful countryside with no overhead wires or any other visual distraction.  This You Tube video of the same loco (taken the week before my photographs) gives a flavour...

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet. This week it is parked at V

Lakeland Weekend

In the rhythm of the seasons the beaches in the Rusland valley are always the last to change colour which usually coincides with the first frosts, the prelude to winter. All though of winter are put aside for clear skies and sunshine this weekend have been perfect for

cycling club

who soon whizzed by towards their destination

Sailing on the lakes. The ferry Miss Lakeland was packed as it came to disgorge its passenger at Lakeside and fill up with more to travel down back down Windermere.

whereas the sailing boats were enjoying tacking across the lake. The smaller visitors to the Lakes were steaming

from Haverthwaite to Lakeside on Thomas the Tank Engine

ABC Wednesday - Traffic Cones

Why are there always lines of traffic cones but no sign of anyone working on the road?  I pass a line of them every morning with the added twist of temporary traffic lights. No sign of anyone doing anything, maybe they will disappear as mysteriously as they came. Perhaps to take a relaxing bathe in the local reservoir

Or have a group hug while waiting to come into action in Trafford Park

On the road again.  Coming to a highway near you.

Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway

But not when travelling by train. 

Travel to ABC Wednesday where there will be lots more words beginning with T

ABC Wednesday - Eskdale

This old advertisement was in the little history centre which tells the story of the Ravenglass and Eskale Railway, from its 1875 beginning in industry when it took iron ore down the valley to the port of Ravenglass, and  its history of  carrying passengers and eventually holidaymakers, on this miniature railway track.

 River Mite (2-8-2) Steam Engine

It is still a popular tourist ride down, what this poster calls "the most beautiful valley in Lakeland", now there may be some dispute and other contenders for that title, but it is a very pretty ride on the train.

Eskdale is one of the starting routes to climb England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike, part of  the group of mountains know as the Scafell range.  The reason I took a photo of this poster is the marketing of the area  as 'The English Alps' which I found quite amusing, it should have added, 'in miniature', for the highest point is only 3,209 feet.

An annotated view of the Scafell group (where would we be without Wikipedia info) the photo is taken from Crinkle Crags which is part of another valley, Langdale, this also could be another good contender for "most beautiful valley" .  Here is Eskdale's upper end,

verdant valley and small fells which eventually lead out and up to the higher reaches. Being lakeland of course I have to include the

 

local  hill sheep of the valley.  

The River Esk flows down the valley

on its way to the coast where it will join two other rivers to flow into the Irish Sea.  Many streams run down from the tops to fill the river, the most well know of which is the

one mentioned on the poster, Stanley Ghyll, which always has a steady stream (don't groan), of people strolling up and down, in various stages of fitness to look at the run of many  little

waterfalls. 

Time to take the train home? 

 Climb Aboard. Perhaps don your anorak, I've got mine on;  and watch the trains

Entertain yourself with a visit to ABC Wednesday where there will be lots more words starting with E

ABC Wednesday - Just In Time

Joyce of Whitchurch, clock-makers since 1690 and still going strong all over the world. Supposed to be the oldest tower clock makers in the world. This is probably an equivalent of a wrist watch to them, but it is one of their most famous.  Have we time, are we just in time

to jump on board the train....the doors are open.  Or should we go underground to the other platform

out into the light. What is this,  is it the cavelry

no, just in time to see the Oliver Cromwell steaming as the Cumbrian Mountain Express as it takes on water and then crosses the tracks to join the main line for the run up to Shap Summit en route to Carlisle.  A train built in 1951, the Britannia class was part of the  railway post war revival.  It was also chosen in 1968 to be the last passenger steam train to run between Liverpool Lime Street and Carlisle as 'The Fifteen Guinea Special'.  Just take a minute to watch a minute of that last trip, the commentary is just of its time, with its  juicy vowels.




Are you thinking what about the Joyce clock.  Built in the 1890s it has had a tough times in those past years (there is a rather wonderful poem by Lynne Alexander on its five ages just by the clock on the wall) but it was made famous by David Lean

in Brief Encounters, filmed in February 1945 on Carnforth station.  Here is Celia Johnson getting a speck of dust in her eye, ready for Trevor Howard to come to the rescue with a handkerchief.  The station and the clock is a major part of the film, although the clock was actually given a false face to prevent continuity errors, so the clock  showed the right time for the plot.

It you ever visit Carnforth station you can go into the cafe this 'still' shows, it is identical to the film, not only that there is not a tea bag in sight, proper pots of tea.  That this exists is testament to the Carnforth Station and Railway Trust formed 1996 in attempt to rejuvenate the station after years of decline, which started in the 1970s with the electrification of the west coast main line (those pesky wires on my train photos). Carnforth was no longer part of the main line, one of its platforms was demolished, and it became just a branch line.  It was a sad sight as paint flaked, the station became grubby and the cafe was boarded up, it only needed tumble-weed rolling across it to complete the picture.

After fund-raising, including a donation from the David Lean Foundation, and with Railtrack's assistance work started in 2000, and was completed in 2003.  The cafe and visitor heritage centre was opened.  So not only can you see lots of railway memorabilia, Brief Encounters playing on a loop, old photographs and browse round the shop, but there may be some live music in the cafe.  The owner is ex RAF and as he says never thought he would end up on a railway station, but he always wanted to run a tea shop and wishes everything to be made fresh as it would have been in the 1940s.   He has recently installed equipment, purchased from a bakery that was closing down, so they can make their own bread. While we were there one of the volunteers from the Trust was playing the piano, the atmosphere was relaxed and cheerful, so unlike the time of quiet desperation that Lean filmed so long ago. 

Celia Johnston and Trevor Howard would re-unite in 1980 in Staying On as an elderly couple in India but they will always be remembered for the wonderful intense Brief Encounters.  Lean was a film-maker who could portray the intimate and the immense with equal skill.

Jump over to the ABC Wednesday meme for more words beginning with the letter J