Rheilffordd Corris Railway

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Author: David Coleman

Photographs taken between 17th & 28th March 2020

2nd April 20202nd April 2020 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Tuesday, 17.3.2020. Practicing social distancing, Chris cuts up steel channel as part of a process to manufacture more track jacks …

… from the material delivered last week ...

… to leave a pile of material to work on once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

Meanwhile, in the Carriage Shed, Bill and Charles are rough-sawing the running boards for carriage No. 23 …

… or not

Thursday, 19.3.2020. With the carriages normally used in the passenger train safely out of the way …

… No. 8 and the boiler for loco No. 10 are drawn out of the Carriage Shed to release the two plank Heritage waggon …

… and other stock moved (with advantage being taken to clean the floors!) …

… and the body of waggon No. 5 mounted temporarily on a trolley …

… so that carriage No. 23 can be swapped (carefully!) …

… with No. 24 …

… so that they are in suitable locations …

… for the next phase of work on them.

All the “restored” Heritage waggons are now all together.

Friday, 20.3.2020. Dave calls by, and by evening …

… he has started the remaining painting work within the vestibule of carriage No. 23.

The finish machined slide valves and ...

... crossheads have arrived with Alan Keef.

Photographs taken between 8th & 14th March 2020

16th March 202016th March 2020 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Sunday, 8.3.2020. The Carriage Shed is a hive of activity, with some working around carriage No. 23 …

… Tony giving one of the picnic tables some winter tlc …

… and Richard testing the train communication system on all the carriages (including No. 23).

By lunch time, work on the roof of carriage No. 23 was quite appealing …

… with a brief pause while other projects were discussed …

… and bell pushes were wired up.

Lunch could then be taken …

… as another load of cuttings from Corris churchyard hedge arrive for disposal.

By late afternoon, the roof sheeting on carriage No. 23 is all but finished …

… and it is time for those travelling afar, to pack up their tools …

… and homework for the next few weeks …

… to leave the Shed nice and tidy!

Tuesday, 10.3.2020. Bob & Chris have adapted more track jacks …

… while in the Carriage Shed, Pete is fixing slats to the vestibule seat in carriage No. 23 …

… and Tony is finishing off preparation of the picnic table.

Pete takes a break while Bill and Charles fuss around other details in the vestibule …

… before Graham lends Bill a hand, securing leather straps to the drop light windows …

… and a waggon is shunted to the car park, ready for deliveries later in the week.

Friday, 13.3.2020. Deliveries have arrived for various projects, some placed on the ground …

… others in the waggon …

… while others have already been moved inside the Engine Shed.

The vestibule seat has (temporarily) been removed to allow varnishing – and painting the supporting frame within the vestibule …

… while waggon No. 5’s body has received a coat of gloss finish.

Saturday, 14.3.2020. All is peaceful in the Engine Shed, as Dave and Trefor (under the loco) gently bring No. 7 into steam while also checking for leaks.

A working party sets off up the line …

… where the track is carefully slewed into a straight line to improve appearances!

By the time lunch is ready, No. 7 is simmering gently outside the Shed after the safety valves have been tested.

The movement of No. 7 enables No. 6 to be released to fetch the waggon from the car park …

… just as the P Way gang arrive at the Stop Board, having been thoroughly rained off from their task up the line.

No. 7 can then be gently pushed back into the Shed, with all stock where we want it for the next week or two.

Photographs taken between 3rd & 7th March 2020

11th March 202011th March 2020 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Tuesday, 3.3.2020. Bob starts modifying a track jack …

… to reduce the height and make them less liable to be tripped over!

Meanwhile outside, Tony is shunting waggons …

… to position the Lydd bogie …

… on the car park, ready to receive a delivery.

In the Carriage Shed, Charles throws some light on the subject of re-fitting vestibule doors and partitions after painting.

The end top panels have also been fitted and varnished, ready for finishing.

Thursday, 5.3.2020. Adrian busies himself, making brake gear components for waggon No. 5 …

… and shortly afterwards, a delivery of blocks appears on the bogie

Friday, 6.3.2020. The sheets outside the Carriage Shed look startling …

… while Ian and Andy fix the end capping on carriage No. 23.

By evening, some of the roof covering is at least laid on the roof …

Saturday, 7.3.2020. … even if they have not been fixed yet.

The frame for the vestibule seat has been delivered …

… and is soon fixed in position (if only temporarily at the moment).

The slats for the seat have also been cut and sanded, ready for fixing …

… with the work being undertaken by a good gang of jolly volunteers …

… overseen from his vantage point by Andy!

The top end panels have been fixed together with mirrors …

… with the Carriage Shed a hive of activity.

Meanwhile outside, No. 5 has been started and the bogie waggon collected, enabling some blocks to be off-loaded where required.

However, the rail is wet and the load heavy, so Trefor places some (very!) lumpy sand on the rail to control our descent …

… but all is safely negotiated …

… enabling the blocks to be stacked handy to the work site ...

… and covered to allow them to dry out.

In the Engine Shed, Trefor is filling No. 7’s boiler with water while checking for leaks …

… followed by the saddle tank.

He is also much relieved to receive a delivery of spare brake blocks for the loco!

Delivery has been taken of a headboard for a Special later in the year (April 26th).

Photographs taken between 26th & 29th February 2020

3rd March 20203rd March 2020 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Wednesday, 26.2.2020. Dave cleans up the dust after rubbing-down the first coat of gloss paint on vestibule components for carriage No. 23 …

… and clears away his vacuum cleaner, prior to having lunch and giving most parts, a second gloss coat in the afternoon.

Thursday, 27.2.2020. Adrian has fabricated a temporary frame and is removing part of the sleeper stack …

… so that he can turn the body of waggon No. 5 on end …

… so that he can sit comfortably …

… and begin finishing work on the inside end of the body.

With the body righted, Tony is quick to apply primer to all the exposed steel work …

… while Adrian puts the (loose) end door on to finish the effect ...

… which in total, looks good! All it needs now is a set of frames!

Meanwhile, a coat of priming varnish has been applied to the drop windows and inside top end panels for carriage No. 23.

Friday, 28.2.2020. Dave has been by …

… finishing off the second gloss coat on those items he did not finish on Wednesday.

Saturday, 29.2.2020. Trefor and Ifor are finishing off the re-assembly of No. 7 …

… including the re-assembly of the motion complete with appropriate bushes and spacers.

Meanwhile outside, Tony is digging holes for posts to support the roof of a waggon shelter, and Richard tidies up.

An SOS is then received from Stevie, who is being swamped by the cuttings from the Churchyard hedge …

… so a train is made up and despatched …

… up to Corris, where the scene of the massacre is terrible to behold!

Never mind – it was not long before the train was loaded, and about to set off back to Maespoeth for disposal. Another train was run on Sunday.

Photographs taken between 20th & 25th February 2020

26th February 202026th February 2020 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Thursday, 20.2.2020. Adrian has finished the loose end door for waggon No. 5, and Tony has already started to paint it!

Adjacent, the waggon body is on its side to ease access for some work.

Elsewhere, Tony is trimming fence post off-cuts …

… to provide posts to retain hungry boards on waggon No. 218.

He has also completed fixing new dumb buffers on the waggon.

Also in the Carriage Shed, the Tuesday gang have completed trial fitting of the end windows and skirtings in the North saloon of carriage No. 23 …

… while the South saloon is not far behind.

Saturday, 22.2.2020. Dave called yesterday, and painted the end drop-lights in gloss …

… together with the vestibule in carriage No. 23 ...

… and other components to fit around the vestibule.

In the Engine Shed, No. 7 is slowly being put back together …

… after passing its annual (cold) boiler examination …

… although it appears more of the motion has been dismantled, pending fitting of new bushes.

A lonely waggon sitting on the main line within Maespoeth yard …

… suggests that a working party is active up the line …

… jacking up the track to remove undulations …

… and packing ballast under …

… before laboriously shovelling fresh ballast out of a waggon to place carefully …

… around the sleepers, thereby emptying one waggon …

… so that another one had to be fetched – and emptied!

Job done and passed by Molly, tools are loaded …

… to return everything back to Maespoeth.

The absence of the waggons enables access to the back of the roadside hedge to finish trimming it after the visit of the tractor-based contractors …

… but there is a lot more to do!

Meanwhile, two waggons were despatched to Corris to collect hedge clippings …

… with three waggons making another trip to where Stevie was radically trimming the churchyard hedge …

… which were duly filled and sent back to Maespoeth.

Sunday, 23.2.2020. Trefor is still clean, and is fetching paint …

… for Richard to apply to the inside of the smokebox door and baffle, when Richard has finished cleaning them down!

Outside, John is lost in thought as he builds shelves into the fuel store …

Photographs taken between 31st January & 13th February 2020

13th February 202013th February 2020 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Friday, 31.1.2020. Dave has arrived …

… to sand down and prepare paintwork in and around the vestibule of carriage No. 23 …

Saturday, 1.2.2020. … for which he has had to remove items fitted on Tuesday …

… which he has placed separately until he has finished painting them.

Wednesday, 5.2.2020. Dave returns …

… to extract a skin-full and continue with undercoating on carriage No. 23.

Adjacent, a pile of timber has been prepared for dumb buffers on waggon No. 218 (ex-Lydd Ranges).

Thursday, 13.2.2020. Adrian takes a breather …

… after finishing the loose end door of waggon No. 5 …

… before fitting it in position for demonstration purposes.

Nearby, much of the vestibule area in carriage No. 23 has received gloss paint …

… while inside the north saloon, the Tuesday Gang have made up and fitted the cover for the coupling spring …

… and made up (but not fitted) the cover for the opposite end of the carriage.

Photographs taken between 24th & 30th January 2020

5th February 20205th February 2020 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Thursday, 24.1.2020. Adrian starts drilling for rivets on the loose end door of waggon No. 5 …

… and assembles most of it …

… before reverting to the waggon body, which is turned on edge to ease access to some parts.

Well prepared for the visit by a barber! These are the refurbished posts as part of overhead line protection south of Maespoeth Yard.

Saturday, 26.1.2020. Trefor is de-greasing components from No. 7 …

… but to ease access, locos have been partially pushed out of the Engine Shed, here guarded by Mollie!

Tuesday, 28.1.2020. Bill, Bob & Chris discuss work …

… with Charles, who is adding timber to the door pockets on Carriage No. 23.

In the Engine Shed, Trefor has stripped down part of No. 7’s motion so that wear can be measured with a view to manufacturing new bearings …

… while nearby, the brake shaft has received primer ready for re-painting …

… and the hedge-cutters have arrived for their annual visit, trimming the back of the roadside hedge …

… as well as the top and road side.

Thursday, 30.1.2020. Adrian continues his work on the body of waggon No. 5 …

… before righting it again …

… to fit the (loose) end door, nearly finished.

Southern Extension Works. Pont y Goedwig Deviation Project. Tuesday, 28.1.2020. We need to clear scrub prior to receiving any material for filling the embankment, so advantage was taken …

… of the hedge-cutters …

… to clear as much as they could safely reach. The rest will have to be done by more manual methods!

Photographs taken between 9th & 21st January 2020

22nd January 202022nd January 2020 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Thursday, 9.1.2020. A few sleepers have been borrowed to make up a work-bench for Adrian to carry on work on waggon No. 5’s body …

… the Tuesday gang having been in, adding to the work in the vestibule of carriage No. 23 …

… while outside, Tony is cleaning up the frames of waggon No. 218 (ex-Lydd Ranges).

However, to accelerate progress, Tony hand shunts the waggon nearer to the S&T Shed …

… to de-rust it more efficiently with power tools and then apply a suitable primer …

… until the whole waggon top is done.

Meanwhile, the inside of the north compartment of carriage No. 23 (including seats) has received a second coat of varnish …

… and Adrian has made good progress with adding previously fabricated sides to the floor of waggon No. 5 …

… so that the end can be placed in position (for demonstration purposes).

Monday, 13.1.2020. Trefor has been in over the weekend, and amongst other things, painted the trailing truck and yoke from No. 7, black …

… while Tony has done the same to waggon No. 218.

Wednesday, 15.1.2020. Tony has made a start on fixing new deck planks on waggon No. 218 …

… and when it is raining, is touching up the paintwork on the handrails of carriage No. 23.

Thursday, 16.1.2020. Sparks fly …

… in a flash …

… until Tony calls to advise that the kettle is on!

Lunch over, Adrian leisurely continues his work on waggon No. 5 …

… while nearby, Tony finishes treating the cut ends of new planks for waggon No. 218 …

… so that by the end of the day, the end of waggon No. 5 is fixed in position …

… the inside of the south saloon of carriage No. 23 has received its second coat of varnish …

… and the last of the planks for waggon No. 18 have been cut and drilled but some still need more work indoors.

Saturday, 18.1.2020. In bright sunshine, Ben, Sam, Owen and Tony work up the line, slewing and packing the track …

… while Mike cuts down the vegetation on the bank out of the Carriage Shed ...

… before they all head off to lunch in Idris Stores, Corris!

Whose mug could this be

After lunch, it is more packing …

… while Mike has transferred his attention to Maes y Llan bank, Corris.

The debris thereby created is loaded up for transport to Maespoeth …

… and after emptying all the waggons, they are put away …

… beneath a magnificent sun-set.

Photographs taken between 19th December 2019 & 8th January 2020

10th January 202010th January 2020 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Thursday, 19.12.2019. Adrian continues the weekly grind …

… and for good measure, adds in a bit of welding …

… and drilling …

… to further progress the body of waggon No. 5.

Monday, 23.12.2019. Further dismantling of the contents of No. 7’s smokebox have taken place, and the boiler washed out …

… with the spark arrestor nearby for cleaning and repairs.

Tuesday, 24.12.2019. Over the run-up to Christmas, and for the 12 nights afterwards, Corris residents and businesses have been encouraged to display Christmas advent light scenes in their windows, one for each night star

… past No. 3 …

… and 4 …

… past 7 …

… and 8 …

… to more humorous ones (No. 9) …

… while others were more general (No. 10) …

… and some had to be sought out up side streets (No. 15) …

… keeping an eye out on both sides of the road (No. 16)!

Other windows appeared to be inward-looking (No. 19) …

… while Idris Stores was well lit up …

… and other windows appeared to have no numbers displayed …

… but nevertheless added to the general atmosphere.

Corris put on a splendid Christmas tree, decorated by the school children …

… while a natural tree in the middle of Ceinws was illuminated such that it was very noticeable from the nearby Trunk Road.

Monday, 30.12.2019. The body of Ifor lies partly under No. 7 inside the Engine Shed …

… while under the loco, Trefor is removing various items …

… such as the trailing truck, here being guarded by Mollie!

Over the holiday period, Tony has painted the floor of the S&T Shed, which should ease the task of cleaning it. Mollie checks that the paint is dry.

Friday, 3.1.2020. It looks like Stevie has opened a new garage in the village, but for the moment, it is difficult to spot “the pump” referred to!

Saturday, 4.1.2020. Tony has collected some treated timber to re-deck waggon No. 218 (ex.-Lydd bogie) and placed it in the Carriage Shed to dry out …

… and emptied the waggon of stored items so that the existing deck can be removed.

Wednesday, 8.1.2020. Yesterday, the deck of waggon No. 218 was removed …

… and the timber cut to length ready for treating cut ends and fixing them to the waggon frames.

Photographs taken between 10th & 17th December 2019

19th December 201919th December 2019 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Tuesday, 10.12.2012. It has not taken long to remove decorations, dismantle the gazeebo’s …

… and start to remove items to storage, thus allowing carpet to be rolled up for re-use …

… and re-locate machinery …

… so that the Carriage Shed can be used as a workshop once more!

Sunday, 17.12.2019. Trefor has started to dismantle No. 7 for its annual boiler exam, by removing the safety valve whistle assembly …

… the boiler feed …

… and the contents of the smokebox.

Monday, 16.12.2019. After a number of delays, a waggon body recovered from Aberllefenni Quarry in the early 1970’s was offered for our use restoration from its present site in Llanuwchllyn.

It had been mounted on a 2’ gauge Hudson chassis, and the securing bolts first had to be cut to separate the two …

… before the body could be loaded for road movement to Maespoeth.

There it was unloaded …

Tuesday, 17.12.2019. …before being re-loaded on to a trolley …

… to be off-loaded for (temporary) display purposes on the North Platform, well away from being a tempting roadside target for metal thieves!

There was then the small matter of tidying up, and emptying the loco watering system at Maespoeth for the winter.

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