There are many
lake sides but unlike most of the names in the south lakes area which are Scandinavian or Celtic in origin and sometimes obscure, this ones meaning is in no doubt, because says exactly what it is in plain English,
Lakeside. In Victorian times tourists would come into the area by train but only so far as the margins of the
lakes, the narrow valleys and mountains were the barrier. The
London Midland Region trains travel travelled up from
London Euston to Carlisle and branches ran off, all change to the Furness Railway to get to
Lakeside, but not today.
This heritage line is now cut off from its original route and only travels from Haverthwaite to
Lakeside but the train seen here arriving is one that might have got you all the way in 1949 for it is an
LMS Fairburn Tank
loco. 277 were built and this is one of two owned by the
Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway still steaming up and down the line. Dismounting from the train cross the platform and round the corner
is the steamer terminal, in this case of the boat variety rather than locomotive.
a pleasant place to wait for the journey down the lake
or watch the boats laid up by the jetties
All aboard. Well not when I took this picture as it was
laid up, but they are steaming every hour from 9:15 onwards now as we enter the tourist season. Wonder what the weather is like? Check the
web-cam, although not as I post this as it is rather
late in the day but hopefully it will be in sunlight on Wednesday.
