On Saturday August 20th 2005, the revived Corris Railway ran its first official steam-hauled passenger service train, hauled by its all-new steam locomotive, Corris No.7. The date was significant as it was fifty-seven years to the day since the last train ran on the original Corris Railway. It was particularly fitting that among those present on the train was Selwyn Humphries, whose late father Humphrey drove the last train in 1948.

The occasion was marked by a speech from Councillor Gretta Jones, of Gwynedd County Council and Corris Community Council, who mentioned that the revival of the railway had been undertaken primarily by volunteers, and that it showed what could be achieved by volunteer efforts. She then cut a ribbon and saw off the 11:00 train – which, in keeping with an old Corris Railway tradition, actually departed about ten minutes late !

The new steam locomotive was constructed over a ten-year period, with members of the Corris Railway Society undertaking fund-raising activities to meet the costs. The design is based on the “Tattoo” class of locomotive builders Kerr, Stuart & Co, which first introduced the design in 1904. Examples of this class of locomotive could once be found all over the world, but now it is a rarity – although one original example survives not far from Corris, the former Corris No.4, now Talyllyn Railway No.4 “Edward Thomas”. No.4 was delivered new to the Corris Railway in 1921, before migrating to the Talyllyn in 1951, and No.7 is probably the first all-new steam locomotive to be built for service in the U.K. on the rare 2’3” gauge since then – eighty-four years later.

No.7 was delivered to Corris on May 17th 2005, and in the intervening period it has undergone running trials and commissioning, while the railway’s volunteer drivers have undertaken an intensive period of training in the operation of steam locomotives before being passed by an independent examiner. The final piece of the jigsaw, permission to operate the locomotive on passenger trains, was received from H.M. Railway Inspectorate a few days before the first passenger train ran.

The Corris Railway hopes to be able to operate No.7 on all passenger services, which run daily until Monday 29th August, and thereafter on Saturday September 3rd and on Sundays until the end of September, but cannot guarantee steam operation on every running day in case of unforeseen circumstances. Intending passengers can call 01654 761303 on the day to confirm whether steam is operating.

Corris is situated in Southern Snowdonia, five miles north of Machynlleth and eleven miles south of Dolgellau. All passenger journeys start and finish at Corris Station; trains leave on the hour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the round journey takes 50 minutes.
 

Please click here to see photos of the locomotive taken on 20th August 2005
or
For more information visit our web-site at :
"www.corris.co.uk"

RSG August 2005