 his efforts, such as the Eastern and Midlands, and the Cambrian, came to Barrow with the valuable experience gained in the hard school of making bricks without straw.
The Furness Railway, fortunately, enjoyed good financial credit, so that the many improvements that were necessary to bring the system up to the standard of a first-class railway could be initiated as opportunity offered, and did not have to be deferred until such time as funds permitted.
It was at once seen that to make the railway remunerative it was necessary to develop it upon the passenger side. The district served by the Furness Railway lends itself splendidly to the purpose; the line has the practical monopoly of two of England’s finest lakes. One, Windermere, is by far the most charming of our own lakes, and Coniston is equal to most of the other sheets of water in the Lake district. With two such assets the Furness Railway offers strong inducements to the tourist and holiday-maker, but these are not the only scenic attractions the line possesses. Almost for the whole length its main line skirts the coast, first the beautiful northern shore of the extensive Morecambe Bay, and further north it traverses the shore of the Irish Sea along the coasts of Lancashire and Cumberland.
No time was lost in judiciously calling attention to the geographical advantages enjoyed by the Furness Railway, and at the same time steps were taken to provide suitable accommodation for the visitors it was desired to attract to the district.
THE FURNESS ABBEY HOTEL.
The passenger rolling stock was of a character suitable for the local traffic, four-wheel coaches of the first, second and third class; but as the visitors to the “Paradise of Tourists”, as the delightful district served by the Furness Railway is appositely styled, were to be drawn from afar, and would consequently travel over the London and North-Western or Midland Railways, it was highly desirable that their initial acquaintance with the Furness Railway should be of a pleasant character. It would have been bad business to offer tourists railway coaches inferior in character and luxury to those by which they had journeyed to Furness territory, so the light four-wheel coaches were speedily replaced by modern bogie vehicles, many of them corridor coaches, built and fitted in the best style, lighted by electricity on Stone’s system, comfortably upholstered, and in every way equal to, and in some respects superior to, the rolling stock of the Furness Railway’s big neighbours at Carnforth. The dingy livery of dull lake tint gave place to one of rich royal blue and cream — a combination of colours for coaches, surpassed for artistic merit by none of our railways, and only equalled by the cream and green of the Furness Railway’s neighbour, the Maryport and Carlisle Railway.
The second class also disappeared from the system, and it is thought by many that the second class will no doubt be abolished by all progressive railway companies in the near future—tourists and holiday makers even to the Lakes are of a democratic temperament in the Twentieth Century, and largely patronise the third class.
No time was lost in increasing the tourist facilities and providing liberal accommodation at extremely low fares. The whole district abounds in delightful scenery, and is crowded with memories of poets and artists and of men who have inscribed their name and fame upon the annals of our land. Wonderful ingenuity has been exercised in devising tours to the places of beauty and interest served by the Furness Railway. When Mr. Aslett assumed command the tours were not many in number; this summer they total twenty, and combine rail, steamer and coach travelling. The fares are extremely low, as will be seen by examples we give later on.
THE PADDLE STEAMER Lady Moyra.
We have already said that nowadays visitors to the English Lakes belong largely to the democracy, but across the broad Morecambe Bay — at Blackpool — are to be found in many thousands, on holidays bent, the dwellers of the manufacturing districts of Lancashire and Yorkshire. Why, queried Mr. Aslett, should not these sons and daughters of toil enjoy the pleasures of a visit to our beautiful English Lakes? The Furness Railway determined to give them the opportunity, so in 1900 the paddle steamer Lady Evelyn was purchased, and in the summer of that year she commenced to ply between Barrow and Fleetwood, with through bookings to and from Blackpool.
By means of judicious advertising at Blackpool, an interest in the beautiful Lake District was awakened amongst the visitors to Blackpool, and during the first year or so no less than 28,000 passengers were conveyed by the Lady Evelyn.
The popularity of the sea, train and lake trips from Blackpool by the Furness Railway steamers and trains speedily became known amongst the visitors to Blackpool, and in 1903 it became necessary to lengthen the Lady Evelyn so that she could carry a larger number of passengers. Two years later a second and larger boat, the Lady Margaret, was put on the Barrow-Fleetwood service, so speedily had the Lake tours grown in popularity. These two steamers continued to perform the service till 1909, when the Lady Margaret was sold, and a longer paddle steamer, the Philomel, took her place, only to be superseded in 1910 by the Lady Moyra, a still larger paddle boat. During last year no less than 128,000 passengers were carried between Fleetwood and Barrow by the Furness Railway’s steamers; whilst during the present season, last year’s huge total is expected to be surpassed.
Lady Moyra length 245 ft. ; Beam 29 ft. ; 2,900 h.p. ; Speed 19 knots ; 1,015 passengers.
Lady Evelyn length 200 ft. ; Beam 24 ft. 1 in. ; 1,600 h.p. ; Speed 16 knots ; 714 passengers.
The steamers perform three regular trips in each direction every day, the passage normally occupying hours, although the Lady Moyra has made the trip in 45 minutes.
FURNESS RAILWAY ADVERTISING for trips on Coniston Lake.
One of the most popular of the tours from Blackpool is that known as the “Outer Circular Tour”, performed by train, sea steamer, steam yacht on Windermere, and coach. The whole distance covered is 115 miles, the fare charged being but 8s. Leaving Blackpool at 10.5 a.m., the tourist is conveyed 11 miles by train to Fleetwood, followed by a 16-mile sea voyage to Barrow, then 20 miles by train to Lake Side, Windermere, next there is the delightful voyage of 11 miles by steam yacht down the lake to Ambleside, succeeded by a coach drive of 9 miles to Coniston, 21 miles in a train brings the tourist back to Barrow, the steamer leaving for Fleetwood at 6.45 p.m., Blackpool being reached at 8.27. It is hard to imagine a more delightful day’s outing; the many methods of locomotion employed preventing any feeling of travel fatigue. The coach ride from Ambleside to Coniston forms an important part of the programme, and when it is stated that on occasions 300 people make this tour at the same time, it will be seen that this number, although not large for the train or steamer, is important when coaching accommodation has to be provided, as many as fifteen four and six-horse coaches and char-a-bancs being necessary to carry so large a party.
Not only has the sea steamer traffic been developed, but very considerable improvements have been made in the Windermere and Coniston steam yachts. On Windermere a large and palatial new yacht — the Swift — was put into service in 1900. This vessel is certified for the large number of 780 passengers, her principal dimensions being:— Length, 150 feet; breadth, 21 feet; engines of 400 horse power; speed, 15 knots. The remainder of the Windermere fleet of the Furness Railway consists of the Tern, carrying 633 passengers; Cygnet and Seal, each 336 passengers; Swan, 442 passengers; and the Raven, a cargo steamer. All these boats are propelled by screws.
For some fifty years the service on Lake Coniston has been performed by the Gondola, a comfortable steam yacht of unusual outline, accommodating 225 passengers. In 1907 it was decided to increase the steamboat accommodation on Coniston Lake, and the Lady of the Lake was constructed for the service. She is a fine yacht of graceful outline, 90 feet long, with a breadth of 15 feet. Her engines develop 240 horse power, her speed being 11½ knots. The Lady of the Lake carries 380 passengers.
For the convenience of private parties wishing to cruise on Windermere, the Furness Railway recently acquired the steam yacht Britannia. The saloons of this vessel are handsomely decorated and furnished. She accommodates 122 passengers, and can be hired by the day or half-day at short notice, any station-master on the Furness Railway accepting an order for the use of the Britannia up to 5 o’clock on the evening previous to the day the vessel is required, provided she is not already engaged.
The cost of holiday travel on the Furness Railway and its lakes steamers has been made almost a negligible quantity. On Windermere one can spend a week on the steamers, all day long, for 6s., or 8s. saloon. Family parties are catered for on an even more liberal basis. A weekly lake steamer season for two is 10s., or 14s. saloon