The volunteers of the Corris Railway are continuing to press ahead with track work at Maespoeth Junction ahead of the Corris 150 celebrations which will take place in 2009.

The work thus far has included the removal of temporary storage track, levelling of the ground, building up trackbed shoulders where necessary and laying recently acquired track on a bed of new ballast. Some 40 metres of track has been laid and together with a 1 in 6 and 1 in 8 points this will complete the basic loop layout, which will play a key part in the planned periods of 2 train operation in 2009. The points are currently 2’ 6”” gauge and will need re-gauging to the Corris’ 2’ 3””.

Other work has included excavating for the extended passenger platform and back filling with concrete, this being the foundations for a low block wall for the vertical front face of the platform. The track laid will be levelled, aligned, and ballasted up to sleeper height once the new platform wall has been finished.

Further work in the months to come will include connecting point rodding from the new track layout to the signal box and having everything commissioned in time for next year.

Corris Railway Society Chairman David Coleman commented: “We are putting the final details to our plans for 2009 and the programme is planned to include horse and gravity working of trains on selected dates as well as steam services, all of which means that we need more operating flexibility at Maespoeth. There is a lot of work still to be done and anyone who would like to assist, including those with site and tracklaying experience will be more than welcome. So too will anyone with no particular skills but who fancies some good exercise in the open air! Anyone who is interested should contact us via our volunteer co-ordinator Paul Bailey on 07967 493789 or paulbailey@corris.co.uk.”

FOR COMMENT ON THIS RELEASE CONTACT: John Simms on 01823 323106.
Corris is five miles north of Machynlleth and eleven miles south of Dolgellau in Mid-Wales.
Station Yard, Corris, Machynlleth, Powys, SY20 9SH