Rheilffordd Corris Railway

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Author: David Coleman

Photographs taken between 10th & 14th November 2020

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

Tuesday, 10.11.2020. Back to work after (the Welsh) Lock-Down, Chris & Bob continue the fabrication …

… of track jacks …

… with Chris drilling corner holes for the slot …

… the slots being machined hands free …

… while Bob bends rebar for the carrying handles.

Meanwhile, Bill has delivered clerestory window frames fabricated at home during Lock-Down, for carriage No. 24 …

… and sets to, chiselling out square, the mortises for a Heritage waggon underframe …

… under the watchful eye of Charles …

… who assists Dick in clearing axleboxes painted by Tony, to create space on a work bench.

By afternoon, the frames can be trial assembled …

… in a workshop full of activity!

By evening, everything is assembled, squared up and glued together.

Thursday, 12.11.2020. Adrian has fitted the new steel floor to the Drop Side Heritage waggon, and trial fitted the north end.

During the day, Bob from Brunswick Ironworks (Caernarfon) calls by to discuss rivets with Adrian …

… while Tony finishes painting the axleboxes to go with the frames of Heritage Waggon No. 5, created by the Tuesday Gang earlier in the week.

Friday, 13.11.2020. Early in the morning, the drop side door of the waggon is trolleyed up to the car park for collection by Brunswick’s later in the day, for them to remove the twist in it.

Saturday, 14.11.2020. Trefor has started to remove items from No. 7, ready for its cold boiler exam, even though it has not been steamed since its hot test in June …

… and catches up with the paperwork to suit.

Photographs taken between 18th & 23rd October 2020

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

Sunday, 18.10.2020. Tony has been quietly working his way through the dumped vegetation at Maespoeth, consigning it to the incinerator …

… when he is not painting the newly re-hung gate at Maes y Llan, white. The gate is here as a “last resort” to stop sheep getting into Corris – where they enjoy the flowers!

Tuesday, 22.10.2020. Work on the track jacks is progressing …

… while in the Carriage Shed, internal panelling in carriage No. 23 is steadily being re-fitted after temporary removal to fit external items, like ventilator covers and air brake pipes.

Thursday, 22.10.2020. Dyfed Steels make a delivery …

… which requires a quick shunt to load and remove the steel to the Carriage Shed …

… after first removing the carriages.

While shunting moves are going on, it allows the Waggon Shelter to perform its designed task!

The new steel is quickly put in position to mock up the new end (with the new floor leaning against the side – it is heavy!).

Meanwhile, Adrian is fabricating brackets …

… to retain the end door of waggon No. 5 …

… and Richard is sorting wheelsets and axleboxes for the next underframe – with interesting results!

Friday, 23.10.2020. Dave arrives to rub down the outer panels of carriage No. 23, ready for their final coat of gloss paint.

Photographs taken between 24th September & 15th October 2020

19th October 202019th October 2020 David Coleman 1 Comment Photographs

Thursday, 24.9.2020. Before finishing last weekend, John completed repairs to the platform fencing at the far end of the North Platform, Maespoeth.

In the Carriage Shed, Adrian is welding up and dressing off holes in the one side of the Drop Side waggon body …

… before drilling holes elsewhere – when the cutter allows!

Tony has completed repairs to the body end of the Infrastructure waggon.

By the end of the day, work on two sides of the Heritage Drop Side waggon are largely complete, once the mis-shaped side is brought back into line.

Saturday, 26.9.2020. It is the annual “Railways on the Air” weekend, with a camper van set up on the car park at Maespoeth …

… and a fine aerial array erected to receive and send messages. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, only one operator was on duty all weekend.

Sunday, 27.9.2020. At the end of the day, it was all hands to dismantle the arrangements.

Thursday, 1.10.2020. Adrian has fabricated two brake lever hangers for use on the frames of Heritage Waggon No. 5 – with the pattern alongside.

He then makes adjustments to the second tip-up seat fabrication in the Guard’s compartment of carriage No. 24 ...

… so that the new steel can be finish painted.

Meanwhile, Tony has added a section of fence to abut the waggon shelter roof to guard against the drop below.

Tuesday, 6.10.2020. Bob and Chris have continued to manufacture track jacks, the basics of 6 new ones being added to the 4 existing ones to help align track in the future.

Meanwhile, in the Carriage Shed, Tony assists Charles drilling out the mortises on the new frames to go under the body of Heritage Waggon No. 5.

Thursday, 8.10.2020. Adrian continues to struggle to drill out holes for rivets on the Drop Side waggon body (the cutters don’t like the heritage steel!) …

… but is more successful fitting a new hinge (fabricated earlier by the Tuesday Gang).

Thursday, 15.10.2020. Adrian resorts to brute force to straighten the top of the waggon end …

… and the long side, before getting the end square – with a few tricks!

By the end of the day, the drop side can be (temporarily) clamped in position to try it for size.

Meanwhile, holes have been drilled in the brake hanger brackets …

… the Sundae Gang arrive to work up the line …

… and the stop blocks are all white.

Southern Extension. Pont y Goedwig. Deviation Project. Sunday, 27.9.2020. Two more (very wet!) loads of material have been delivered …

… but given persistent wet weather and no let-up in sight, the machinery is gradually collected together and moved to another contract …

Thursday, 8.10.2020. … which is checked out by a (very) low flying Chinook!

Photographs taken between 18th & 22nd September 2020

28th September 202028th September 2020 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Friday, 18.9.2020. With a few dry days forecast, yesterday lorries have tentatively reached the southern end of the current embankment works without mishap.

Friday, 18.9.2020. Tony has painted a manrider, all ready for re-purposing in the near(-ish) future …

… while nearer the Sheds, John is partially enclosing the south end of the Waggon Shelter …

… having already partially enclosed the north end.

Saturday, 19.9.2020. Having already put a shift in elsewhere, Jack attacks undergrowth alongside the Upper Corris Tramway Siding …

… and John has stained the new timber on the Waggon Shelter to match the rest.

Sunday, 20.9.2020. A view not possible for quite some years! The Sundae Gang clear up after the chainsaw lopping of undergrowth south of the Signal Box, Maespoeth.

The tar planings have been removed from the car park, although some were spread to make good steps in the surface arising from heavy use of the right foot!

Tuesday, 22.9.2020. Tony is measuring up a plank to replace one missing from the end of drop side waggon No.213 …

… while in the Engine Shed, Bob is milling out sections of channel to make up more track jacks …

… while nearby, Chris drills them …

… so that a start can be made on assembly.

Before going home, John has replaced a post to restore the north end of the fencing on Maespoeth North platform.

Adrian is continuing to restore the Drop Side Heritage waggon body …

… preparing for a bit of riveting …

… and undertaking a bit of straightening! Tony has already given the finished surfaces a coat of primer.

Tony has finished replacing waggon No. 213’s end top plank.

Southern Extension. Pont y Goedwig Deviation Project. Friday, 18.9.2020. With a few dry days forecast, yesterday lorries have tentatively reached the southern end of the current embankment works without mishap …

Saturday, 19.9.2020. … and a further load arrives early in the morning … (Jack Evans)

… and with two lorries working for as long as driver’s hours allow …

… the activity attracts interest from videographers, here with Richard in the foreground and Andrew on the hillside …

… who changes position to get a different take on the works.

Jack loads lorries in Dolgellau … (Jack Evans)

… which, after encountering copious holiday traffic, reverses down to the embankment site (past the old railway fence) …

… to the embankment site – now about a metre higher than it was – where Dai spreads …

… and rolls it.

Sunday, 20.9.2020. Tar planings have been spread and tracked in at the road access to reduce the “footprint” of lorries departing our site …

… with Bro Cader personnel not taking a day off this week, Dai trimming back spilled material so that we have an overlap of geotextile for the next step up …

Monday, 21.9.2020. … with two more loads arriving …

Tuesday, 22.9.2020. … which are spread, tracked and rolled before the rain returns.

Photographs taken between 7th & 20th September 2020

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

Southern Extension. Pont y Goedwig Deviation Project. Monday, 7.9.2020. Quarry rejects from Aberllefenni have been fetched and spread …

… to blind the coarse stone foundation drainage layer – in the rain.

Thursday, 10.9.2020. Fill from Dolgellau is spread on geotextile …

… and rolled to seal against water penetration.

Monday, 14.9.2020. It is dry at last, and more material has been delivered …

Tuesday, 15.9.2020. … and spread – but roadworks en route with convoy working, slow deliveries.

At last, lorries can back further down the site – double handling should be much reduced from now on!

After a good section has been spread, trimmed and tracked in, Jack rolls it …

Wednesday, 16.9.2020. … ready for more deliveries, but roadworks are still holding things up.

A bit of vegetation clearance reveals long forgotten pegs, indicating the approximate line and level of the proposed new track in relation to the embankment works …

… but with the ability to reverse lorries back almost all the way (of this stage), things should speed up – if the weather holds!

Tuesday, 8.9.2020. Andy pays a visit to work on carriage No. 23, here joining the others for lunch …

… before resuming work underneath to fit brake pipes – with light …

… while Richard manages without!

Nearby, Tony shows a leg while Charles cuts a waggon transom timber …

… which Bill finishes off …

… until three are completed.

It is then the turn of the longitudinals to have their mortises (roughly) cut out.

Meanwhile, in the Engine Shed Bob is preparing steel for another track jack …

… with the basics of another three prepared.

Wednesday, 9.9.2020. Ooops! This load of tar planings was supposed to have been delivered to Y Felin, Llwyngwern. A good job we have Bro Cader handy to shift them (on a wet day)!

Thursday, 10.9.2020. Tony gives the transoms for the next Heritage Waggon underframes, a coat of preservative …

… while Adrian continues work on the Drop Side Waggon body …

… in many …

… different positions, here (temporarily) on a separate waggon chassis.

Meanwhile, Richard is refining carriage No. 23’s brakes …

… which has by now had its brake pipes fitted, and the underframe painted black.

Sunday, 12.9.2020. Phil and Sam examine the ground frame from Corris, with a view to giving it a thorough overhaul …

… much to Sam’s delight!

Thursday, 17.9.2020. Adrian has continued work on the Drop Side Waggon body, here filling in holes and building up around them as appropriate …

Photographs taken between 1st & 6th September 2020

8th September 20208th September 2020 David Coleman 1 Comment Photographs

Saturday, 5.9.2020. Southern Extension. A mixture of material from the base of the access track is carefully placed in the skip of the dumper while Dai spreads stone further away.

Tuesday, 1.9.2020. The Waggon Shelter is coming on …

… with Richard, Dick, John and Charlie all lending a hand.

By evening, the roof sheets are on.

Meanwhile, Tony has been extracting a rotten wicket gate post leading down to the Carriage Shed …

… and excavating down to secure a replacement.

Wednesday, 2.9.2020. Ben, Sam & Richard take a walk past the Waggon Shelter to view stored waggons further down the line, with a tarpaulin over the Waggon Shelter roof to give protection from showers.

Thursday, 3.9.2020. It is dry-ish today, so a chance to get the underfelt on the roof – when the wind is not blowing too hard!

Steel has arrived for No. 10’s brake gear (to be manufactured in the Engine Shed) – but raising the bar is challenging …

… but eventually, it makes it to safety in the Shed!

The stock has been swopped around in the Carriage Shed as Adrian welds more steel to the drop-side waggon body …

… which is now looking somewhat tidier – at least, underneath!

The Carriage Shed looks quite full, with carriage No. 23 on the East road …

… which allows carriage 23 to receive its last (hopefully!) coat of undercoat on the frames.

By evening, despite the wind, the Waggon Shelter roof has been under-felted …

… and the Sunday Gang have arrived (after work) to set …

… access covers over manholes in Corris.

Friday, 4.9.2020. The new wicket gate post at Maespoeth has been set in concrete …

… and the Waggon Shelter now has a full complement of dagger boards on the East side.

Saturday, 5.9.2020. The Waggon Shelter roof has had temporary battens added to prevent the wind getting under the felt, and the rest of the dagger boards secured on the side …

… which leaves it a little dark inside – anybody got a light

In the Engine Shed, Phil is giving the radial drill some tlc …

… including changing the oil, and the oil level sight glass – which previously, was unreadable.

The locos have been swopped around …

… so that No. 7 is ready for its winter maintenance.

Sunday, 6.9.2020. Phil shows the new lid he made at home for the radial drill …

… and a cardboard gasket he made before opting for one from thicker card.

Up the line, the Sunday Gang are changing a sleeper, Sam drilling …

… Ben spiking …

… and Sam packing.

It is then back to Maespoeth …

Photographs taken between 25th & 31st August 2020

7th September 20207th September 2020 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Tuesday, 25.8.2020. Our fire extinguisher inspector demonstrates how to drop an extinguisher …

… which has his audience enthralled!

Meanwhile at Maespoeth, Tony has painted one of the tip-up seats for the Guard’s compartment of carriage No. 24 in black …

… while Bob works on some more track jacks under the watchful eye of Hugh.

Dick lends his weight to waggon frame manufacture in the Carriage Shed …

… while Pete sands the floor in carriage No. 23 …

… preparatory to varnishing.

Thursday, 27.8.2020. Adrian cleans up more parts on the drop-side Heritage waggon body …

… before welding more bits back on!

Saturday, 29.8.2020. Richard and John take a break from working on the Waggon Shelter …

… ready for more spectacular progress!

Sunday, 30.8.2020. Trusses are starting to be formed …

… while Jack experiments with adapting a quad bike sprayer to railway use …

… and Tony starts to dispose of our accumulated cut vegetation.

Storm Francis has brought a large branch down across the line – until cleared by Jack.

No. 6 sets off to retrieve waggons being used by the rest of the Sunday Gang as they pack sleepers …

… before returning to Maespoeth, re-arranging the train and viewing Waggon Shelter progress from the Signal Box.

Trefor arrives with weedkiller to load the waggon experiment …

… so that the ensemble can reach Corris and start spraying …

… leaving behind a wet track!

Monday, 31.8.2020. John appears to have difficulty hearing – or was he giving the photographer instructions?

The Sunday Gang (on a Monday) arrive in Corris …

… to recover S&T equipment for re-use …

… leaving the site clear of such items.

Southern Extension. Pont y Goedwig Deviation Project. Tuesday, 25.8.2020. Father & Son Machines have been moved in anticipation of Storm Francis …

… but more stone has been delivered!

Saturday, 29.8.2020. Material is tipped in a temporary store (for later use) …

… while the next stone layer has been placed at the southern end of the job …

… but Dai has to clear over-spill by hand …

… to ensure there is an overlap with the next layer of geotextile.

Photographs taken between 15th & 23rd August 2020

29th August 202029th August 2020 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

16.08.2020. Ground frame ex-Corris

Saturday, 15.8.2020. John is pausing for effect ...

… before securing timbers for the Heritage waggon shelter …

… while up the line, some intrepid explorers have unearthed parts of the original cab of loco No. 6 …

… after having extracted a waggon chassis with a view to renovation. Richard awaits a lift back up to Corris!

Returning to Maespoeth, John is clearly making progress.

Sunday, 16.8.2020. The Sunday Gang have removed the ground frame from Corris and covered over the hole previously occupied by it.

Thursday, 20.8.2020. The drop-side waggon body has been turned over to access the underside for restoration work, while in the background, paintwork of the frames of carriage No. 23 continues.

Sunday, 23.8.2020. Sam gives the point at the north end of Maespoeth Yard, some tlc …

… while further up the line …

… and at the north end …

We seem to have acquired a new buffer block at the south end of our headshunt in Maespoeth Yard!

Works on Ralltgoed Tramway embankment, Aberllefenni by Natural Resources Wales. Thursday, 20.8.2020. The embankment wall is being re-built in the middle …

… while another breach has been excavated ready to replace more broken soffit slabs in due course.

Sunday, 23.8.2020. The embankment over the first opening is effectively rebuilt, but high water levels from Storm Ellen have swept away some of the contractor’s safety measures …

… and put pressure on the remaining intact waterways under the embankment.

… a gang is clearing up the debris following a tree coming adrift from the ground during Storm Ellen.

Dai is riddling stone in Dolgellau to separate out the coarser, drainage / foundation layer material (his third wet day on that job this week).

Thursday, 20.8.2020. … so that he can fill up the recently excavated embankment base with stone in three separate layers, and thoroughly roll each one.

Photographs taken between 6th & 13th August 2020

17th August 202017th August 2020 David Coleman 2 Comments Photographs

Southern Extension. Pont y Goedwig Deviation Project. Saturday, 8.8.2020. After some precipitation – however light - every day for over a week, Richard tries a different tack using only imported material.

Southern Extension. Pont y Goedwig Deviation Project. Saturday, 8.8.2020. After some precipitation – however light - every day for over a week, Richard tries a different tack using only imported material …

… and rolling it but stopping before it gets too spongy ...

… before fetching more.

Tuesday, 11.8.2020. One tree removed and the next few “steps” have been cut ready to step up the embankment …

… once more material has arrived.

After a day sorting material, Dai has moved spoil behind the gabions almost their full length. The finished level (here) is the green line in the foreground.

Thursday, 6.8.2020. One of the seat frames for carriage No. 24’s Guards compartment has been painted in undercoat …

… as Adrian continues to work on the refurbishment of the body of the drop-side waggon nearby.

Saturday, 8.8.2020. Yesterday, the public phone box AKA Wil. John Lloyd office building outside The Institute was finally removed

Sunday, 9.8.2020. Tony points out that Andy has made a quick visit …

… bearing gifts of brake pipe connectors for carriage No. 23 …

… but can’t leave without drilling holes in the carriage body to receive some of them!

Tony, Ben and Sam discuss track issues at a social distance.

… before Tony resumes painting one of the manrider chassis, ready for another task.

Ralltgoed Tramway Causeway, Aberllefenni. Monday, 10.8.2020. Contractors working for Natural Resources Wales, position concrete soffit sections to repair the causeway …

… with the site being accessed by partially filling in the lake with stone.

Tuesday, 11.8.2020. Road and rail meet …

… to transfer timber for the next Heritage waggon chassis (waggon No. 5) for transfer to the Carriage Shed.

Before long, it is lunch time on a sweltering day …

… so it is difficult to get moving …

… although the waggon with No. 10’s boiler displayed upon it has been moved to the other end of the shed. Moves afoot?

Wednesday, 12.8.2020. Fresh notices have appeared on the Museum door explaining the current situation.

Thursday, 13.8.2020. Richard feeds No. 10’s firebox on a sweltering day …

… before the waggon bearing it is drawn out into the sunshine …

… to position it on the Upper Corris branch siding.

Meanwhile, Lez, Adrian and Richard discuss aspects of the restoration of the drop-side waggon body …

… before Steve arrives at lunch time!

No. 5 has been fired up to move some pieces of engineering equipment elsewhere and returns just as …

… a lorry arrives alongside No. 10’s boiler …

… and not hanging around, soon transfers the boiler …

Photographs taken between 29th July & 3rd August 2020

7th August 20207th August 2020 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Thursday, 30.7.2020. Tony primes the new steel work fabricated by Adrian last week in the Guards compartment of carriage No. 24 …

… until distracted by the need for a bit of shunting …

… to recover the drop side waggon body from the North Platform for work to commence on the waggons restoration. Adrian (or should that be Brian Rix) pushes the assemblage until stopped by his trousers falling down

Decorum restored, No. 9 is coupled up …

… and the waggon body arrives in the Carriage Shed.

Meanwhile, Tony is giving the block work to support the grillage around the water crane, another coat of paint.

Adrian then finishes off the fabrication and fitting of the second seat in the Guard’s compartment of carriage No. 24.

By evening, Adrian has removed the drop side (which had been fixed in position and the end removed for the waggon to be used as a rubbish waggon in Aberllefenni Quarry), and is about tuckered …

… with one original fitting safely recovered. The other one will have to be made from scratch …

… while outside, the underframes of carriage No. 23 have been rubbed down, and re-primed.

Sunday, 2.8.2020. Ben arrives after a healthy 25 mile bike ride …

… to hold a socially distant meeting at Maespoeth …

… where a number of jobs were completed, such as replacement of the grill around the water crane at Maespoeth …

… the replacement of the gate post at Maes y Llan …

… and the cleaning of leaf litter at Black Stump.

Just a few things to arrange before packing up for the day!

Southern Extension - Pont y Goedwig Deviation Project. Wednesday, 29.7.2020. With a brief spell of dry weather forecast, Dai and Richard arrive around midday to "sample the waters" …

… as there are still puddles on site!

Thursday, 30.7.2020. Socially distant lunch break for Richard and Dai!

They have blinded the stepped stone layers with “rejects” from Aberllefenni Quarry, which are just about to be rolled …

… and by evening, the filling beyond has been extended.

Friday, 31.7.2020. The geotextile is rolled out, with Dai anxious to be first on the newest attraction in Corris – but has forgotten his skis!

Granular material can then be gently positioned to stop the wind blowing the geotextile around …

… and filled over with more material to near width.

Having already done a day’s work elsewhere, Jack rolls the sub-soil behind the gabions but eventually has to stop as the moisture rises, causing the soil to stick to the drums.

But, by the end of the day, the site is looking somewhat different!

Saturday, 1.8.2020. A fresh shelf has been cut, enabling a steeped foundation stone layer to be placed …

… wide enough for the roller to operate.

More material arrives!

Monday, 3.8.2020. Dai puts the finishing touches to the stone layer after blinding …

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Photographs taken between 10th & 14th November 2020
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