Rheilffordd Corris Railway

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Author: David Coleman

Photographs taken between 21st April & 14th May 2022

18th May 202218th May 2022 David Coleman 1 Comment Photographs

Thursday, 21.4.2022. Phil is drilling down into our inventory of tools!

Meanwhile, in the Carriage Shed Tony has painted inside the P Way van.

Sunday, 24.4.2022. On a gorgeous, sunny morning, No. 7 is steamed ...

... ready for a Special.

In Corris while running-round, Ben approaches the train with No. 7, ready for its return trip ...

... but he clearly doesn't scale compared to previous generations of engine men!

Returning to Maespoeth, the newly varnished, lined and lettered carriage No. 23 is added to the train.

Tuesday, 26.4.2022. Stock is shunted as Dick distributes ash to form a path ...

... while Bill milks it as he and Mark (inside) bolt floor planks down in the P Way van.

Thursday, 28.4.2022. Lez lays blocks ...

... which are then filled with concrete to protect the gantry base from collapsing soil - and (to an extent) salt spray from passing vehicles.

Meanwhile, Andy has been preparing timber sections to fit to carriage No. 24 ...

Friday, 29.4.2022. ... to enable glass to be fitted.

Chairs from Corris Institute form a (fairly) orderly queue to get into the Carriage Shed ...

... as the Shed is set up as one of the venues (after 2 years' absence) for the Machynlleth Comedy Festival. Tony tries out some lines as Andy (in the shadows) practices his laughter in anticipation.

Set up complete, it is then back to work on carriage No. 24 ...

... to fit glass in the other side of the South compartment.

Saturday, 30.4.2022. The first train heads down towards Maespoeth ...

... with a good complement of passengers heading towards the Comedy Festival venue ...

... to be led down the garden path by Mr. Controller!

The first act introduces everybody and gets the party started ...

... followed by others in due course.

Meanwhile, having run round, No. 7 simmers gently in the sunshine, supervised by Richard ...

... with headboard prominent ...

... and Nos. 5, 6 & 7 lined up in echelon.

All too soon, the event is over and passengers make their way back to the train for photos - or just to take their seats ...

... followed by the comedians, while others utilise the facilities.

The train then heads back towards Corris ...

... in the brilliant sunshine!

Before the next train returns, the chairs have been cleared ...

Photographs taken between 5th & 19th April 2022

27th April 202227th April 2022 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Tuesday, 5.4.2022. Adrian cleans up for Bill and Mark, as he otherwise fabricates steelwork for the Engine Shed smoke hood ...

... while Mark and Bill continue working on the inside of the P. Way van ...

... and Tony has cleaned the ex-Corris station lamp column, and primes exposed steel ...

... before re-priming sections of steel for the smoke hood cleaned of primer to enable welding to take place.

By the end of the day, the lamp column has received undercoat ...

... another section of body plank has been shaped and glued up for the P. Way van ...

... and the new floor of the P Way van is effectively, complete.

Friday, 8.4.2022. Following a further delivery from Dyfed Steels, Adrian has generated a good quantity of swarf as he welds more brackets for revised waggon buffer arrangements ...

... while Tony cleans up inside the P Way van, priming exposed timber as necessary ...

... before painting the lamp column black.

Sunday, 10.4.2022. Sara gives the bodywork of newly lined and lettered carriage No. 23 a coat of varnish ...

... while Sam and Phil have been working on revising arrangements to the North loop turnout at Maespoeth.

Monday, 11.4.2022. Two tower scaffolds are deployed with most locomotives outside ...

Tuesday, 12.4.2022. ... as the remaining smoke hood steelwork is erected and aligned in the roof of the Engine Shed ...

... which necessitated some adjustments!

Meanwhile, Phil has been bending point rodding to produce a neat, revised locking arrangement for the North loop turnout.

Wednesday, 13.4.2022. The first of the sheets for the smoke hood have been fixed in position. Another set went up before we had to call "time"!

Bank Holiday Monday, 18.4.2022. No. 6 is securely stabled on the Engine Shed cross-over as No. 7 backs down on to its train ...

... before departing for Corris with the first "Up" train of the day.

Once clear, Sam tests the revised locking arrangements at the North loop turnout to ensure it meets safety standards - successfully!

The new rodding arrangement is much neater than hitherto.

Meanwhile, Sara has been rubbing down the body panels of carriage No. 23, and has commenced applying a second coat of varnish.

The new operating arrangements of running around at each end of the journey attracts a great deal of interest ...

... and it is not long before the train heads north again.

Meanwhile, Richard re-wires loco No. 6 to easily take train communication system wiring at both ends of the loco ...

... after fitting a manual klaxon to loco No. 9. No longer do drivers have to blow their own trumpet!

No. 7 makes a spirited start from Maespoeth.

The weather this weekend has been very suitable for outdoor activities, with Y Mochyn possibly participating with Bike Corris

Tuesday, 19.4.2022. A work bench has been fitted within one end of the internally re-painted P Way van ...

... as Bill and Mark prepare more replacement body planks for it.

Photographs taken between 6th March & 3rd April 2022

8th April 20227th April 2022 David Coleman 1 Comment Photographs

Sunday, 6.3.2022. The driver's side motion of loco No. 7 has been reassembled over the weekend ...

... together with some parts of the fireman's side.

Elsewhere in the Engine Shed, roller stool supports for point rodding in Corris have been fabricated ...

... together with an indication where holes are require to be drilled.

Monday, 7.3.2022. One side of the concrete support pad for a (slightly) re-located lifting gantry pad has been cast ...

... soon followed by that for the other side.

Meanwhile, Phil is machining a new taper key for No. 7's motion ...

... and Jack, not tired after mixing concrete for much of the day, finishes off by cleaning up the paintwork on No. 7's smokebox.

Tuesday, 8.3.2022. Jack propels the Civils waggon up to the end of the North Platform at Maespoeth ...

... where he and Dick are laying platform coping stones recovered from Corris to complete the end of the platform ...

... which looks a lot tidier than hitherto!

Meanwhile, we have had a delivery from Dyfed Steels ...

... and Bill and Mark have been gluing up replacement planks for the body of the Permanent Way van ...

... drilling for tie bars in the frames of the replica slab waggon ...

... while Tony fettles the new roller support stools ...

... prior to priming them.

Meanwhile, Adrian has fitted one dumb buffer to the south end of the P Way van as a trial, while working on others.

Friday, 11.3.2022. Having sorted the Driver's side motion of loco No. 7 Phil tries the gauge rod he had made on the Fireman's side, with a view to correcting minor faults there ...

... and tries it with the cross-head in position.

Monday, 14.3.202. Not many sleepers left on the Lydd waggon (indicating a good weekend in Corris) ...

... and No. 7 has acquired a new receptacle for ash ...

... and the Fireman's side motion has been re-assembled - with various corrections as necessary ....

... but the lathe has stripped a gear!

Tuesday, 15.3.2022. Dick re-paints the edge line on the North Platform at Maespoeth ...

... while Tony paints the rodding stools for Corris ...

... before moving on to the van buffer arrangements fabricated by Adrian ...

... who has been modifying the brake arrangements on the Trestle Waggon for improved effectiveness.

Tuesday, 22.3.2022. Jack removes the diesel locomotives from the Engine Shed ...

... while Adrian welds brackets in the Carriage Shed ...

... so that the access platform can be erected (sometimes placed on the Lydd waggon) ...

Photographs taken between 14th February & 13th March 2022

14th March 202214th March 2022 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Monday, 14.2.2022. Jack cleans up a motion bearing from No. 7 in Pendre works (Talyllyn Railway) ...

... to enable Dai to skim it ...

... while Jack prepares the next white metal casting by using fire cement where white metal is not required!

White metal is then heated in the wok ...

... and the bearing heated up ...

... so that it can be tinned to ensure the white metal adheres to the brass.

The white metal is poured into the bearing ...

... and after a pause, the whole assembly is cooled ...

... with rags soaked in water ...

... so that the core of the mould can be knocked out - and the process started again!

Tuesday, 15.2.2022. Bill fits more window moulding to carriage No. 24 ...

... as a rare Super Galaxy aircraft makes an exceptionally low pass down the valley!

Tony helps mix base concrete for the gantry support beams ...

... before reverting to painting components (previously fabricated by Adrian) in the Carriage Shed.

Friday, 18.2.2022. The storms have ripped through the area - but we appear to have got off lightly!

While the storms were going on, our roadside hedges got cut ...

... but our advertising sign took flight!

Adrian cleans up after welding new floor edge support angles in the Permanent Way van ...

... and a plank is trimmed as a sample for the new floor.

Tuesday, 22.2.2022. Phil has made an over-size rod to check (and adjust) the alignment of the piston rod on No. 7 to ensure it aligns with the slide bar ...

... the lever frame for Corris has been reassembled ...

... more sleepers have had clips fixed to them ...

... and more rails are ready for transporting to Corris.

In the Carriage Shed, Glenn is lettering carriage No. 23 ...

... before chalking out the outline of the blocking ...

... so that it can be filled in. You could say he is a Class act!

Lettering done, time for soaking and setting the garter transfers in place ...

... very carefully!

Meanwhile nearby, Adrian welds a new buffer assembly on to the Permanent Way van ...

... and aligns the next one ...

Photographs taken between 21st January & 8th February 2022

14th February 202214th February 2022 David Coleman 1 Comment Photographs

Friday, 21.1.2022. Adrian has been going into production mode to create proper buffering arrangements on our three ex-Trecwn vans ...

... with two ready for initial painting - when they have cooled down!

Meanwhile, the second buffer has been temporarily bolted on to the north end of the S&T van (No.223).

Monday, 24.1.2022. Over the weekend, the bearings have been removed from No 7's coupling rods for re-metalling ...

... and the driver's side piston and covers removed for closer inspection.

In the platform are the loaded waggons preparatory to re-laying track in Corris.

Tuesday, 25.1.2022. In the Carriage Shed, the frames of the Trestle waggon (sans trestle) have been turned over and placed on a bench ...

... to allow the holes for the axle boxes to be positioned and drilled ...

... so that the frames can be put back (temporarily) on a waggon chassis.

Friday, 28.1.2022. Adrian continues fabricating brackets for standardising buffing arrangements on the ex-Trecwn vans.

Tuesday, 1.2.2022. Over the weekend, clips have been fitted to more sleepers for use in Corris ...

... and freshly painted components have been returned ...

... to allow re-assembly of the lever frame for Corris.

Today, the brake arrangements for the Trestle waggon were assembled ...

... and work resumed on fitting out components on carriage No. 24 ...

... requiring great concentration!

Friday, 4.2.2022. There is quite a line-up of fabrications to provide buffer mountings on the ex-Trecwn vans ready for painting.

Sunday, 6.2.2022. Trefor has wasted no time re-assembling boiler back-head components on No. 7, after successfully passing its cold boiler examination yesterday ...

... as well as the safety valve assembly.

Tuesday, 8.2.2022. After the proposed smoke hood support angles have been cleaned down, Tony gives them a coat of primer ...

.. in between painting the various buffer assembly fabrications created by Adrian.

Southern Extension. Thursday, 8.1.2022. Yesterday, a start was made on removing the fence around Jurassic Park, above the road between Pont y Goedwig and Esgairgeiliog Station ..

Monday, 24.1.2022. ... with steady progress being maintained, working southwards (here, opposite Pont Evans). Almost all traces had been removed by the end of the week.

Friday, 28.1.2022. A lorry loaded with Aberllefenni stone suffered a steering pump hose failure and was coaxed into our site entrance to await a repair crew to arrive, rather than block the main road in a dangerous position. He was on his way again within a couple of hours.

Photographs taken between 4th & 17th January 2022

20th January 202220th January 2022 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Tuesday, 4.1.2022. Y Mochyn is dressed up for the cold - but bright - weather!

No. 7 has had its trailing truck removed for the annual boiler inspection ...

... while the whole loco is suspended in the air to better enable other works to be performed on it this winter.

The Tuesday Gang have the frames of the Slab Waggon back up on the bench ...

... to cut out mortises to take the trestle members ...

... while under the latest Covid restrictions!

By the end of the day, all four trestle members have been loose fitted, together with the top beam.

As light relief, the yard was shunted with No. 5 to place waggons in working positions.

Wednesday, 5.1.2022. The rotten door to the Gent's at Maespoeth is in the process of being replaced to musical accompaniment, with one prepared earlier ...

... and by evening, it is hung, complete with lock.

In the meantime, Phil has made a jig to hold loco slippers flat so that they can be ground ...

Thursday, 7.1.2022. ... with good results!

Sunday, 9.1.2022. Trefor is working on the gauge glass fittings in the cab of No. 7.

Tuesday, 11.1.2022. The metalwork has been prepared and later added to the Slab Waggon trestle ...

... enabling the sloping floor boards to be secured ...

... and treated.

Before the end of the day, some sheets are cut for the Engine Shed smoke hood ...

... and Andy arrives with copious quantities of pre-prepared roof boards for carriage No. 24 ...

... followed by Angela and Richard - on their first visit in over 2 years!

Wednesday, 12.1.2022. Phil is making a superb job of restoring our point fittings to good working order ...

... while outside, Bro Cader have arrived to excavate footings for support beams (amongst other things) for our lifting gantry ...

... and fill waggons ...

... with ballast.

Meanwhile, Andy has finished fixing roof boards on the east side of carriage No. 24 ...

... while Ian beds the first timbers on the clerestorey ...

... before joining Andy, who is making a start on the west side roof boards.

Friday, 14.1.2022. Yesterday, a good start was made on the west side roof of carriage No. 24. ...

... and a jig prepared for the assembly of the clerestorey roof window frames.

Adrian is welding the feet and handles to new threaded height adjusting bars on the gantry spreader beam ...

... before preparing more packing pieces for standardising buffing arrangements on the ex-Trecwn vans.

Photographs taken between 14th & 31st December 2021

3rd January 20223rd January 2022 David Coleman 1 Comment Photographs

Tuesday, 14.12.2021. Mark, Dick and Tony do not take long to dismantle and pack away ...

... the temporary arrangements for Santa and put the benches back ...

... plus shunt the rail vehicles around ...

... so that normal work can resume in the Carriage Shed.

Recently, Phil has been busy, cleaning out the heavily polluted base tray of the milling machine. (Photograph courtesy of Phil)

Saturday, 18.12.2021. Adrian has called by to do a bit of welding for Phil, to modify coolant arrangements on the refurbished milling machine.

Monday, 20.12.2021. Yesterday, Trefor washed out the boiler of No. 7 and commenced dismantling the boiler fittings, ready for its annual boiler inspection ...

... while outside, plates were bolted to the new plastic sleepers for Corris Station, and stacked on the North Platform at Maespoeth ready for collection in due course ...

... and a hand lever was again fixed to the south loop turnout to enable the cross-over to be readily used once more.

Wednesday, 22.12.2021. After loosening edge blocks yesterday, Jack lifts paviors at Corris and loads them up ...

... in the pouring rain, leaving just a few stubborn edge blocks to be removed (all loosened on Christmas Eve).

The paviors and edge blocks were neatly stacked on pallets at Maespoeth by Jack and others on Tuesday, 28.12.2021.

Saturday, 31.12.2021. Track on the the platform road at Corris was lifted on Wednesday, 29.12.2021 ...

... including as far as the turnout ...

... which now resides on a pair of trolleys at Maespoeth, ready for re-use there.

Recent Engineering Work at Maespoeth. Phil has added a cover to protect the interlocking ... (Photograph courtesy of Phil)

... bars for the refurbished ground frame destined for Corris ... (Photograph courtesy of Phil)

... and made a new key and weatherproof cover for the slot. (Photograph courtesy of Phil)

Photographs taken between 5th & 12th December 2021

14th December 202114th December 2021 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Saturday, 11.12.2021. The Santa Train pauses for photographs on a very busy weekend for the Corris Railway with all trains fully booked.

Sunday, 5.12.2021. Trefor is on hand to help start No.6 ...

... to shunt stock around ...

... to place Santa's grotto in to its correct location ...

... and put the newly lined carriage No. 23 back into its correct location in the passenger train.

All this was done in bright sunshine, but the clouds were becoming rather threatening!

The two Heritage Waggons being worked on were temporarily mounted on Hudson waggon chassis, and were returned to the Carriage Shed behind the locomotives, to guard against any runaways!

Y Mochyn has been dressed for Christmas!

Tuesday, 7.12.2021. Ian has arrived bearing gifts, while Dick and Stevie are on hand to help set up remaining infrastructure for the coming weekend.

Meanwhile, a waggonload of scrap has been transferred for removal to help raise funds ...

... but not to waste movements, the empty waggon was used to move more timber destined for the P. Way van's floor.

By early afternoon, much of the basic arrangements for the weekend had been completed and lights tested ...

... while in Corris, the village Christmas tree had been erected, decorated and illuminated.

Saturday, 11.12.2021. Trefor and Jack experiment with wire ...

... to put a holly wreath on the smokebox of No. 7 ...

... while Laurie polishes the paintwork.

Outside the Signal Box, this photo is reminiscent of a similar photo taken of No. 4 (and train) at Machynlleth, in the 1920's!

The morning is gloomy, but very atmospheric ...

... as Santa checks his satnav and diary to make sure he is in the right place at the right time!

The first (empty) train heads north to pick up passengers ...

... and soon returns with a full train, who head off down to Santa's grotto just as it starts raining!

Later, the Guard gives the right away as Santa's elves wave the passengers off ...

... to head off back to Corris.

The elves and Santa pose for a quick photo ...

... before Santa pops up to the road to wave to passing traffic, who respond with hooting and waves (including from passengers in a passing coach!).

On the next train were Malcolm's children, partners and grandchildren ...

... who handed over a plaque ...

... in memory of Malcolm, who was our regular (steam) driver from 2005 to 2010.

For the next train, Santa poses with the loco crew ...

... and for the last northbound train of the day, lamps are lit.

The return (empty) train approaches in the dark - an opportunity to practice giving (and receiving) hand signals at night!

Photographs taken between 27th November & 3rd December 2021

6th December 20216th December 2021 David Coleman 3 Comments Photographs

Saturday, 27.11.2021. No. 7 is gently steamed to test the work undertaken on it recently ...

... with Trefor ...

... and Jack cleaning it up prior to it's outing.

The weak winter sunshine adds to the atmosphere in the Engine Shed!

Meanwhile outside, waggons are shunted in anticipation of track lifting in Corris in a few weeks' time ...

... and in the Carriage Shed, Tony has just finished application of gloss black to parts of the Trestle Waggon.

Last night, Storm Arwen passed over, bringing down our road sign directing visitors down to Corris from the main road ...

... as well as electricity cables across our track, which limited the length of line that No. 7 could traverse on test ...

... caused by a tree being blown down on to the cables, and cutting off power to the Maespoeth site (as well as other properties).

As a result, work to fix plates to sleepers for Corris Station, had to be undertaken outside in freezing conditions, using a generator.

Meanwhile, Jack waters No. 7 as Trefor adjusts packing on the air pump ...

... before No. 7 is put away before it gets too dark!

Sunday, 28.11.2021. 8 sleepers were completed yesterday ...

... and the rail carrying waggons assembled together.

Scottish Power cut sufficient of the tree to enable power to be restored to the Sheds by late afternoon.

Monday, 29.11.2021. Heaters have been hired ...

... to enable Glenn to make a start on lining carriage No. 23 ...

... starting with masking templates for the corners.

By the time it is getting dark, masking for the lining has been added ...

... while in the Engine Shed, Phil has reassembled the vertical mill and got it working to his satisfaction (without spraying oil everywhere).

Tuesday, 30.11.2021. The next phase on carriage No. 23 is to mask clear of the proposed lining ...

... as the Tuesday Gang arrive ...

... moving furniture and equipment around and cleaning up ...

... so that the first gazebo can be erected, as directed by Bill.

The carriage is now completely masked up ...

... the gazebo is up ...

... and Bill can warm up by one of the heaters!

Glenn can then start spraying the first of three coats of paint on each line ...

...and after a short while, the completed work can be un-masked - carefully!

The next panel can then be sprayed, while carpets and trees are assembled in the reception area for Santa visitors.

Photographs taken between 16th & 25th November 2021

26th November 202126th November 2021 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Tuesday, 16.11.2021. Phil has trial re-assembled the ground frame destined for Corris ...

... while in the Carriage Shed, Adrian has placed all the components for the Slab Waggon together on the frames, and Tony has primed the buffer bands.

Nearby, Adrian has mocked up the arrangements for revised buffing gear on the P Way van.

Wednesday, 17.11.2021. Phil has disassembled the ground frame again, revealing the engineering effort that has gone into refurbishing it ...

... before moving on to machine out wafer thin phosphor bronze shell bearings from an axlebox destined for the Slab Waggon.

Thursday, 18.11.2021. The replacement spreader beam for the outside gantry is all white ...

... and the worn shell bearings in the other heritage axleboxes have also been machined out - one was only 1mm thick!

Saturday, 20.11.2021. Trefor and Jack are re-assembling the air pump, motion and fittings on No. 7 ...

... before lifting the pump onto the bench to give it a service ...

... before taking it outside to successfully test functionality on air.

Once complete, the pump is re-assembled on the loco using our new lifting bracket ...

... until the loco is (almost) ready to be trial steamed.

Meanwhile, Phil and Ifor have been dismantling the head of one of the vertical mills ...

... and working on its gearbox on the bench in an effort to rectify a persistent and prolific oil leak.

Sunday, 21.11.2021. Sam has put together a crew to work up the line ...

... having discovered a design defect in the supports of the landing outside the Signal Box door!

Tuesday, 23.11.2021. The landing supports on the Signal Box are soon beefed up.

Bill is cutting back the buffer on the Slab Waggon chassis ...

... and with one end done, Mark and Bill show off their common hair styles!

Ian calls by bearing gifts, and chats with Adrian ...

... before Adrian positions the buffer support assemblies for welding to the P Way van ...

... and trial assembling a buffer.

To finish off the day, Tony treats the newly secured buffer bands on the Trestle Waggon chassis, to undercoat.

Thursday, 25.11.2021. It's a grand shunt today, starting by lifting the Trestle Waggon frames off the work bench.

The mellow yellow gantry spreader bar balances on the heritage Drop-side Waggon as they meet the bright sunlight ...

... soon followed by carriage No. 24.

The passenger stock is split and runs-round other items temporarily stored outside ...

... with other stock awaiting re-positioning ...

... to place carriage No. 23 ready for attention to its livery ...

... and the waggons for the Santa trains assembled together.

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28th May 2022 11:00 am
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Photographs taken between 21st April & 14th May 2022
Photographs taken on 25th April 2022
Photographs taken between 5th & 19th April 2022
Footplate Sections Fitted To New Corris Steam Locomotive As Volunteers Produce Further Components

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