From our night in Carlisle we enjoyed another short train ride, taking in the Fall countryside.
8082 Country Life
Now heading West we soon met the coast, turning South along stretches of dry stone wall.
8092 Return to the Sea
Along the way we passed, and on this slower local train – more often stopped at, small towns and villages like Workington.
8094 Approaching Workington
Nearing the village of Seascale we saw a woman strolling the deserted beach, with … could that be her pet Nero dei Nebrodi at the bottom-left?
Soon we stepped off the large comfortable electric train and back in time, greeted by the whistle of this magnificently restored narrow gauge R&ER steam train pulling small open cars into its parallel station.
153255 Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
Thus began our two nights relaxing in Ravenglass. After walking a block to our cozy B&B and dropping off our luggage we went back and bought a ride on the last round trip train out. Alas, it had a newer diesel engine so being only a few cars back we’d occasionally get a waft of exhaust. With ominous rain clouds gathering we chose one of the hard bench seats (bring a cushion) that has a roof and front window with open sides. Others enjoyed an unencumbered vista from the refreshing open bench seats, perhaps knowing the rain on our window would remain a collection of occasional droplets.
155901 Happy Family
That’s the conductor standing in the next car forward to monitor our passage over switches. It was fun passing the last steam train (engine nameplate Whillan Beck) making its way back to the station.
161337 Whillan Beck
We saw many ruins and stoneworks left over from the Industrial era, when it all presumably looked very different. This water wheel is one of the spiffier examples.
8140 Water Wheel
My love of rock formations and lush multicolored vegetation was also well nourished by the big variety on this small ride. Plant life gnawing at the wizened stone seemed unchanged since long before human eyes first beheld it.
8146 Timeless Shapes & Colors
Dalegarth Station ends the line, allowing me to unfold from the cramped car and savor the look of a stout home beneath carved mountains.
8190 Rugged Beauty
Riding back we chose the last car, spared any whiff of diesel on our gently wobbling roll through a moist verdant paradise, imagining a virgin forest here.
8224 Where Giants Stood
Too soon we arrived back in Ravenglass. Strolling down Main Street past our lovely Rosegarth B&B we stopped in at the quiet and friendly Pennington Hotel dining room for an excellent light dinner and a toast of delicious Strongbow Cloudy Apple on tap.
8252 Relaxing Day’s End
John & Anne Wiley 
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