Has the NWR reconnected with any preserved lines along the old Furness Railway? I know one was mentioned once.
Sorry for how long I took to answer this ask! I was on holidays in Far North Queensland to be with family - and yes, I am adding a picture cause *Cane Trains!*
To answer your question, I would say unfortunately not. The only preserved line along the old Furness Railway is the The Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, which is a heritage railway built along a former branchline of the Furness Railway - however there is a problem with connecting it to the Furness mainline and the NWR.
It's called the A590, which uses part of the trackbed of the former branchline between Haverthwaite and Plumpton Junction.
The A590 sort of blocks all plans to extend the heritage railway to rejoin the mainline, an issue which came up when they were first purchasing the line in the 1960s. Unfortunately, the road makes it rather difficult to rebuild the line and connect the two - however, it is likely that the NWR would have trains that run to the nearest mainline station (Ulverston) and would advertise taking a trip down on a shuttle bus. Might be a nice retirement option for Bertie!
Thank you for your ask!