Rheilffordd Corris Railway

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Author: David Coleman

Photographs taken between 1st & 5th July 2020

8th July 20208th July 2020 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Wednesday, 1.7.2020. That’s more like it! No. 7 is steamed for its annual Hot Boiler Test – successfully passed …

… so it just had to be taken up the line to check that the work done on the motion over the winter was not in vain!

On return, Trefor has to pat his charge – well done!

And so to bed …

… after a quick rub down (it had been raining).

Thursday, 2.7.2020. The second bogie has been positioned under carriage No. 23 …

… but before it can be moved over the pit for bolts to be inserted, the Heritage waggons have to be removed – as seen from the brake van …

… and the carriage carefully moved as part of a four carriage train …

… over the pit, where 23 is separated off.

That is two fitted bolts in the north end bogie mount, as Adrian struggles with the other two bolts. Then it is the south end bogie – not easy, with limited room!

An hour and a half later, and we have a four carriage train …

… in the sunshine, in the South Platform.

Although stock has been swapped around from the usual, they all look “just right” in the late afternoon sunshine.

Sunday, 5.7.2020. No. 6 has been fired up to finish off last Sunday’s business …

… before heading up to Corris to work on the lineside vegetation …

… including some small trees …

… to leave our site looking tidier than for quite some time.

Almost done!

The smokebox door for loco No. 10 has been formed by Purdie Dished Ends of Bradford

Nothing to do with Corris but while collecting the smokebox door I was given a look inside their works and was interested to see just how big some of the dished ends they produce are.

The bare pressing now needs hinges, handles and a dart bar making.

5.7.2020. The sidebars for No. 10 are being assembled ...

... at Alan Keef's. (Final two photographs courtesy of Patrick Keef).

Photographs taken between 19th June & 1st July 2020

3rd July 20202nd July 2020 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Tuesday, 23.6.2020. Lez has been back, and finished the block wall supports for the grating around the water column – it was very warm!

While Lez was working, Tony replaced a rotten plank in the drop-side door of the infrastructure waggon.

Wednesday, 24.6.2020. With blue skies and high temperatures, Richard has returned to try and undertake more work on the Pont y Goedwig Deviation …

… but finds the soil too wet, so starts to negotiate his way out …

… with a push!

Despite the heat, puddles are not evaporating …

… so instead, he places stone in the bottom layer of the new embankment …

… until the stock-pile on site is largely exhausted.

Thursday, 25.6.2020. Adrian switches on the magnet of the (heavy!) magdrill, to complete the drilling and fixing of items under the frames of carriage No. 23 …

… until, with a re-arrangement of packing, one bogie can be run underneath to its approximate final position.

In the meantime, Tony has cleaned up and re-primed the grating to fit around the water column …

… followed by painting the new block work with black bitumen.

After lunch, it is a spot of weedkilling for Tony …

… followed by painting the edge of the grating white.

Meanwhile, Adrian has been really struggling in the heat and humidity, to drill for and fix remaining items under carriage No. 23’s frames …

… but by evening, the second bogie has been run under, and the body lowered – but not yet on to the bogies.

Throughout the day, 2m Social Distance markers have been measured out and painted on the floors of the Carriage and Engine Sheds, in accordance with the Risk Assessment prepared for re-opening the sheds to volunteers from further afield – in due course!

Sunday, 28.6.2020. Patrick and Trefor have arrived to fill No. 7’s boiler and tanks in anticipation of its steam test next week.

A walk up the line reveals piles of cut vegetation …

… but in Corris, the scene is more reminiscent of 1949 (after the railway had closed)!

At the station site, Jack and Tony are cutting back more aggressive growth …

… before returning to Maespoeth to empty the waggons …

… and swopping locos …

… plus adding ballast and other waggons …

… while locos 9 & 5 (plus waggons) wait patiently at Maespoeth for their return.

Work included ballasting around the accommodation crossing treated last weekend …

… removing cut vegetation from earlier works in Corris, and extra ballasting after the earlier P. Way works pre-Lock Down.

The tip up seat for the north compartment of carriage 24 has been fabricated.

Hinges being fitted to join the seat and leg. The same design was used as for carriage 23 but this time one three quarter length seat to accommodate the guards compartment instead of two half seats.

The finished seat frame ready to go to Richard Saffery's shed for painting and the wooden parts to be made.

Photographs taken between 18th & 20th June 2020

22nd June 202022nd June 2020 David Coleman 1 Comment Photographs

Thursday, 18.6.2020. With Covid-19 Risk Assessments in place to enable a safe return to some work inside the sheds, Ade has taken the Guard seats out of carriage No. 21, and cut steel to replicate them for carriage No. 24 …

… which involves a fair bit of cutting and grinding.

Meanwhile, a jack is positioned to lift carriage No. 23 …

… but we don’t have enough sleepers for packing, so the Heritage waggons have to be moved out …

… so that more sleepers can be brought in on a trolley, and the carriage lifted sufficient to clear the waggon chassis currently under it (one had already been removed).

With a sleeper crib at the north end for stability, the remaining waggon chassis can be removed, leaving the way clear for various tasks to be completed under the carriage.

Amongst other things, the holes in the bogie mounting plates had to be checked to ensure they could take the fitted bolts.

The waggon chassis were moved back down the shed, ready to be put under carriage No. 24 in due course …

… and by the end of the day, there was a good pile of piece parts ready for welding up as No. 24’s Guard seats.

Friday, 19.6.2020. An appropriately registered crew turn up in the rain (in multiple vehicles)…

… to fell the tree suffering from Ash die-back disease at the back of the Engine Shed, Maespoeth …

… which involves a lot of hanging around …

… until it is time for morning tea break, and a chance to shelter in the dry!

By mid-afternoon, only one trunk remains to be felled – and it is still raining …

… leaving the site tidy and very different to that we have been used to.

… but an hour later, all is cleared up …

Saturday, 20.6.2020. Jack and Tony are up the line, tackling a job long promised, but not followed up – until now …

… of creating a safe vehicle crossing for farm traffic by the P Way dump. First, the rotten cattle grids had to go, and an accumulation of leaves blown away …

… so that different arrangements for timbers in the “two foot” could be tried.

With agreement on the best layout, and extra tooling fetched, the timbers were quickly screwed down …

… and it is “all aboard” with a good job done. Just ballast needed to finish it off!

Photographs taken between 8th & 13th June 2020

18th June 202018th June 2020 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Friday, 12.6.2020. The rain forecast for the past two days has largely failed to materialise, so locally resident volunteers finish off levelling stone and stitching the lids down of the gabion baskets.

Monday, 8.6.2020. It rained on Saturday, as illustrated by the work site at Pont y Goedwig …

… but it has made no difference to the very low river levels!

Dai levels the material piled behind the south end of the gabions last week …

… and during the afternoon, contractors for Scottish Power arrive to change signs on their poles, and add extra barbed wire to the stays.

After most had finished for the day, Richard starts creating a new access to the rear of the gabions …

… as we can no longer get stone to them.

Tuesday, 9.6.2020. Using the new access, Jack supplies stone for Dai to spread as foundation drainage layer …

… with the dumper being loaded by Richard. Two scoops is enough!

This allows very easy access to fill the gabions!

After a grand shunting move to swop machines around, Richard rolls the material deposited last week – before more rain is forecast to arrive.

By evening, we have some stone in every remaining basket, as we try to reduce pressure on the cross-diaphragms as the gabions step up …

Wednesday, 10.6.2020. With easy access, the baskets are filling up quickly …

… and Gareth reckons he has found a stone resembling a shark. Maybe?

We are almost there …

… when the heavens open! The last dumper load of the day was all hand-picked small stone, and when tipped had a high proportion of liquid content!

Friday, 12.6.2020. The rain forecast for the past two days has largely failed to materialise, so locally resident volunteers finish off levelling stone and stitching the lids down of the gabion baskets. That’s it – for a while.

The line of completed gabions stretch into the distance …

… from whichever angle you look!

Meanwhile at Maespoeth, Richard commissions new CCTV cameras to cover blind spots that have become more apparent since Lock Down.

Saturday, 13.6.2020. More stone has arrived, and most plant has been removed from the site. It will be big machinery work from now on!

Is life gradually returning to a new “normal” at the Slaters’ Arms?

Photographs taken between 1st & 5th June 2020

10th June 20209th June 2020 David Coleman 1 Comment Photographs

Tuesday, 2.6.2020. In the background, the larger machine excavates stone while the smaller one makes more room in which to tip it. Gabion filling has reached the first step up.

Monday, 1.6.2020. It is lunch time, and the dumper is full of rock, being emptied by hand into the adjacent baskets (when staff are present!).

Meanwhile, Lez has been excavating foundations for a continuous support to the grating around the water crane in Maespoeth Yard, but has given up for the day – it is far too hot!

Afternoon drinks break. Richard Evans’ new B I G JCB – as every Welsh child knows – is a Jac Codi Baw (Jack Lifts Earth)!

Tuesday, 2.6.2020. In the background, the larger machine excavates stone while the smaller one makes more room in which to tip it. Gabion filling has reached the first “step” up.

By the end of the day, the site has been considerably tidied, and all is ready to receive more stone – but the weather forecast for tomorrow is not good!

Thursday, 4.6.2020. After a day’s break due to rain, fresh supplies of stone have been delivered …

… after a load of blinding stone arrived from Aberllefenni Quarry, which has been spread and rolled to form the foundation and drainage layer under the first part of the future embankment.

More loads of stone arrive …

… and then it is all hands to roll out geotextile …

… which is tied to the back of the gabions. Suitable material is excavated and placed on the geotextile to keep it down in the breeze, which is then lapped back over again, and the next layer of foundation stone laid beyond.

While we are working, inspectors on the Trunk Road have marked one of our trees above us as needing attention – an Ash suffering from die-back.

Friday, 5.6.2020. By evening, the gabion wall filling has advanced further – about a week’s work still to go!

Meanwhile, Lez has finished the excavation, and concreted the foundations for the dwarf wall around the water crane in Maespoeth Yard.

Photographs taken between 26th & 29th May 2020

3rd June 20203rd June 2020 David Coleman 2 Comments Photographs

Tuesday, 26.5.2020. The first of three lorries of stone (today) arrives for gabion filling …

… and a delivery of materials has arrived at Maespoeth for use around the railway.

Wednesday, 27.5.2020. Stand clear! Another load of stone is tipped …

… before being lifted by machine into the baskets. It is then a case of getting inside, and arranging the stones to give a good face to the outside, and minimise voids.

Before going home, time for removing the waggon of building supplies from the roadside ...

… to a location handy for work to continue elsewhere on the railway.

Friday, 29.5.2020. After working in sweltering temperatures elsewhere yesterday, Dai takes no chances of overheating today!

At lunchtime, opportunity is taken to lift the grillage around the water column within Maespoeth Yard …

… so that more permanent (and attractive) support arrangements can be made ...

… and Steptoe’s horse passes by to check on our progress.

Congestion! You could smell the brakes to inform us that a lorry had stopped to deliver Richard’s “new” excavator to make a real impression on the earthworks next week …

… but before then, more gabions need to be filled – urgently!

Photographs taken between 18th & 22nd May 2020

26th May 202026th May 2020 David Coleman 1 Comment Photographs

Monday, 18.5.2020. Under the porch of The Insitute, Corris, a swop shop food bank has been established – with necessary sanitisers wipes, of course!

Dai has been sweating this morning …

… cleaning out behind the gabions ready to take a drainage pipe with a connection under the gabions.

Gareth rolls out geotextile as Richard positions it in the trench, and Jack stops it sliding down too far!

With the geotextile in position, the pipe can be fed in …

… followed by clean stone, the pipe being held in position with feet as the stone is gently dropped in place …

… until the whole of the length behind the gabions has been filled.

The geotextile is then folded back over the stone (to prevent pollution by soil) as the excavation at the end of the gabions is widened to take to solid ground – and in the distance, a lorry load of stone is delivered.

Tuesday, 19.5.2020. Today starts with a bit of tidying …

… the big pallet neatly fitting in the waggon positioned in the car park at Maespoeth, ready for the delivery of building materials next week.

The (currently) surplus gabions are removed to store elsewhere on the site, ready for their story to continue!

Richard and Jack then start stripping top soil on the next lowest section of the new embankment …

… followed by excavating the sub-soil down to a firm foundation, levels being checked constantly.

Coarse stone is riddled to provide a drainage layer, and levelled off. No action took place on site on Wednesday and Thursday.

Friday, 22.5.2020. Dai prepares stone to commence filling the top row of gabions …

… interrupted by two deliveries to the railway, one of which was of geotextile for the start of the embankment.

By the end of the day, the first of the top gabions had been filled …

… but there is a long way to go!

Photographs taken between 11th & 16th May 2020

18th May 202018th May 2020 David Coleman 1 Comment Photographs

Monday, 11.5.2020. A riddling bucket has arrived for the small excavator, which should remove the remaining earth from the gabion stone …

… which is delivered almost to the site by dumper …

… before being passed to the baskets by machine, and placed by hand. Preparation for the next step up of gabions is in progress, rolling by machine but next to the end gabion, by hand punning.

Tuesday, 12.5.2020. Access by machine to fill the baskets is getting difficult, so stone is brought down to hand pick from the dumper, Dai moving choice stones forward as Richard places them in the basket.

A few big stones are separated out for alternative use in due course.

Wednesday, 13.5.2020. Dai is wary of the camera as he cuts bracing wire, and Richard tops up the sub-base by hand to obtain the necessary level for the next lift of gabions.

By the end of the day, a start has been made on filling the last gabions at the north end of the wall.

In Corris, Idris Stores is only doing take-aways during limited hours, but meanwhile displays thanks to essential workers.

Drainage pipe for the Pont y Goedwig Deviation project is delivered to go behind the gabion wall.

Friday, 15.5.2020. After a day off yesterday, a start is made on filling in front of the gabions for safer access for personnel, and cleaning the track behind them ready for access to fill the top row of gabions …

… as the last of the bottom row of gabions (at the north end) has now been filled.

Saturday, 16.5.2020. The top row of gabion baskets is assembled and wired to those below …

… at both ends of the wall. Curving square baskets is not easy!

To give some perspective to the overall scheme, this is the view from the (temporary) slate waste deposited on the south side of the Nant Goedwig last year. The culvert is the structure just beyond the tipped slate waste, with the new gabion wall stretching away in the middle distance. Disappearing under the tree canopy beyond, is the access track to the site and just beyond the end of that, is the end of the headshunt in Maespoeth Yard.

Photographs taken between 4th & 8th May 2020

11th May 202011th May 2020 David Coleman 3 Comments Photographs

Southern Extension. Pont y Goedwig Deviation Project. Monday, 4.5.2020 – Star Wars Day. A site radio has arrived to boost productivity – complete with battery and unburnt aerial!

We are rapidly going through MoT Type 1 sub-base as we step up the gabions …

… so Richard fetches more – from Arthog!

After shaping and rolling, levels are checked at front and back …

… so that the next batch of gabions can be assembled and a start made on filling the end one …

… while the next row of gabions is assembled on top.

Tuesday, 5.5.2020. It’s a cold start, filling gabions at the north end of the existing wall …

… but it soon warms up! A magnificent day, and the erection of the next layer of gabions enables check levels to be taken – 19mm too high. That will do!

By the end of the day, we are two-thirds of the way with the first lift of gabions.

Wednesday, 6.5.2020. Laser levels are checked for the next section of gabions …

… but there is nothing to beat the human eye!

Access to machine fill the baskets is getting awkward, so a lower access track is formed with the machine operators packing stone by hand in between deliveries. It is a hot day!

Thursday, 7.5.2020. It is a very tight fit to get the dumper down …

… and after rolling, small adjustments are made by hand (before rolling again).

More stone arrives for filling gabions …

… but it is so quiet (apart from bird song) that the sound is noticeable when one of the few aircraft heading across the pond leaves a vapour trail. The RAF continue low flying, however!

By the end of the day, we are well on the way with the next step, and ready for the following one.

Friday, 8.5.2020. No site work today, but in Machynlleth, a sign of the times – a Rainbow and Thanks for NHS and essential workers, and VE Day celebrations.

Photographs taken between 27th April & 1st May 2020

7th May 20204th May 2020 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Southern Extension. Pont y Goedwig Deviation Project. Monday, 27.4.2020. After the recent superb weather, it is cooler as Socially Distant work continues, assembling gabion baskets and filling them by hand …

… which stretch out ever further, but by the end of the day …

… progress has clearly been made.

Tuesday, 28.4.2020. It has lightly rained much of the day, but work continued regardless.

Wednesday, 29.4.2020. By afternoon, the sun had re-appeared, making site conditions much more pleasant!

Thursday, 30.4.2020. With steady rain for much of the day, opportunity was taken to fetch more stone for filling the gabions.

Preparatory to the re-location or replacement of reptile / silt fences, a remote control flail has been brought in …

… which attracts interest from the gabion fillers!

By evening on a mostly wet day, there is one stone in the southernmost (for now) gabion basket as the men pack up …

… but the flail is still going – by now, in the pouring rain!

Friday, 1.5.2020. More stone is delivered to the work site, but clingy mud is a very real problem.

A surveyor has arrived to set out the rest of the Phase 3 works …

… which requires ferreting around in the undergrowth!

The batter boards to the left indicate the side slope (+1.00m), while the blue painted crosses and red flags slightly to the right, indicate the line of the edge of the proposed embankment.

As a final check (as we were using 3 different surveys stitched together), the surveyor checks our existing track and infrastructure for position – all within readily acceptable tolerances!

By the end of the week, we had reached the southernmost (for now) end of the gabion wall …

… and started the step up to the next phase at the north end.

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Photographs taken between 1st & 5th July 2020
Photographs taken between 19th June & 1st July 2020
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