Coniston Railway

The Coniston Railway was not built for tourists but to transport the copper mined at Coniston in the 19th century. As tourism grew in the Victorian era the carrying of passengers both as a service for locals and for pleasure became an important part of the railway's business. This led to the acquisition of two steam vessels to ply on Lake Coniston, one of which still operates. Robert Western's book tells the history of the railway, which closed in 1962, and its other operations.