Author: John Davey

The first steam locomotive commissioned to be built by the revived Corris Railway was a modern version of the Kerr Stuart “Tattoo” class locomotive, similar to locomotive No. 4 (now Talyllyn Railway No. 4 “Edward Thomas”). The Project was started officially on 1st February 1995 and with funding provided by members’ covenants plus many other fund raising initiatives. The new locomotive, numbered 7, entered service on 20th August 2005, bringing the sound of a steam engine at work back to the Dulas Valley after half a century.

Over the last two decades No. 7 has proved a reliable locomotive. Since the last “10 year” overhaul she has completed 3,978.5 miles, primarily on Corris metals, although this figure does include a couple of hundred miles working from Tywyn to Nant Gwernol on the Talyllyn Railway. No. 7 has suffered only one major failure whilst working Santa Trains in December 2018, that being whilst taking empty coaching stock back to Corris station to collect extra passengers when lubrication starvation caused a section of the valve gear on the driver’s side to seize. As the locomotive was working uphill with the regulator open this caused stress and damage to the valve gear as a whole. The locomotive was taken out of traffic immediately and repairs were carried out with the help from the Vale of Rheidol Railway. The “Tattoo” was ready just in time to work a photographic charter and a “Your Railway for the Day” experience package before passenger train services for 2019 were due to commence at Easter.

2025 marks the 20th year of service on the railway for No. 7 and the second “10 year” major overhaul of the locomotive is now well underway. An entirely volunteer force started the strip down of the locomotive between Christmas and New Year 2024.The same team will return between Christmas and New Year 2025 to start putting the locomotive back together.

During the summer the boiler was retubed and repainted at Maespoeth and has passed hydraulic testing. Hot testing will take place once the boiler is back between the frames. The frames were cleaned and repainted and the gauges were all sent away for re-calibration.

Alan Keef have reprofiled the wheels and fitted new crank pins and will be supplying a new stainless steel smokebox for the loco. It is hoped that the locomotive will be substantially complete by the New Year so that No. 7 can return to service in time for Easter 2026.

Therefore, this year No. 10 the second “new build locomotive”, which was delivered to the Corris Railway on 30th August 2023, will be at the head of the Santa Specials for the first time after Storm Darragh caused the cancellation and total loss of the 2024 Santa Trains. There are four trains scheduled to run on December 13th and 14th, leaving Corris at 11.00am, 12.30pm, 2.00pm and 3.30pm. Fares are £10.00 for adults and £12.50 for children. With 70 seats available on each train early booking is advisable, particularly if planning your day around a particular train time. Booking is available via www.corris.co.uk/tickets The last opportunity to see No. 10 in 2025 will be Saturday the 27^th December where she will be hauling a series post-Christmas afternoon services.

Anyone wishing to donate to the Railway to help with general running costs or the overhaul of No. 7 can do so via the Railway’s website – www.corris.co.uk – or cheques payable to Corris Railway can be sent to The Corris Railway, Station Yard, Corris, Machynlleth SY20 9SH.

For the full story of the construction of Locomotive No. 7 see The Tale of a “Tattoo”, written by Peter Guest and available from the Corris Railway online shop or from the museum sales counter at Corris.

For more information, please contact John Davey, Corris Railway Press Officer, at press@corris.co.uk

For most of the last twenty years the annual Santa Special trains on the Corris Railway have been headed by “Tattoo” steam locomotive No. 7, built new for the Railway in 2005. For the first time in 2024 the plan had been for a new engine to take a starring role at the head of the trains. However, Storm Darragh had other plans, and the fallen trees, loss of power to Corris village and Maespoeth as well as the flooding of the engine shed meant that the inaugural Santa services for No. 10 never came to fruition.

Corris No. 10, a “Falcon” class machine, was delivered new to the Corris in 2023. After a spell as Britain’s newest steam loco it had a busy 2024, starring in gala events on both the Corris and the Talyllyn Railways and also taking a leading role in the TR’s “Awdry Weekend” where it assumed the guise of “Sir Handel” from the “Thomas the Tank Engine” books. The crowning of the year was to be the Santa specials – an honour which it will now undertake this year.

The carriages, built by the Corris Railway’s volunteers, headed by No. 10, will give passengers a taste of everyday travel in the Dulas Valley at the start of the 20th Century as they are based on the Edwardian originals which ran until 1930, whilst the first “Falcon” locomotives were built for the Corris in 1878. The journey is from Corris station to Maespoeth Junction where Santa will be waiting with presents for the children whilst his helpers will have seasonal refreshments for everyone. The round trip will take around an hour.

There are four trains scheduled to run on December 13th and 14th, leaving Corris at 11.00, 12.30, 2.00 and 3.30. Fares are £10.00 for adults and £12.50 for children. With 70 seats available on each train early booking is advisable, particularly if planning your day around a particular train time. Booking is available via the www.corris.co.uk/tickets website.

The Museum and Shop at Corris station will be open on both days allowing visitors to see artefacts from the history of the Railway, which once linked Machynlleth and Aberllefenni. Available to purchase are items of clothing, books, cards and children’s gifts ahead of the festive season as well as a full colour A3 format calendar featuring historical and modern pictures of the locos and the Railway. The range of children’s books includes “Hugh Goes Sliding” by Christopher Awdry, author of some of the “Thomas” tales, plus other children’s books written by a Corris Railway volunteer.

For more information, please contact John Davey, Corris Railway Press Officer, at press@corris.co.uk

This year’s National Festival of Railway Modelling will be on November 22nd and 23rd 2025 at the NEC and will be packed with interest for modellers. There will be stalls from many manufacturers and sellers, plus stands from Societies including the Corris Railway.

And of course there will be award winning layouts in all scales and from various periods of the modelling hobby, extending back for a century in some cases and ranging forward to the current era of DCC and highly detailed locos, stock and scenery.

The Corris Railway are at stand No. 99 in Hall 5 and will have a range of books, souvenirs, cards and other items to tempt buyers seeking something for themselves or perhaps a Christmas gift.

Come along and talk to our volunteers about the Railway and the progress on our latest projects.

Those looking for spook-tacular fun this coming Halloween are being encouraged to check out  the ‘Trick or Treat Trains’ this half term on Friday 31st October.

Thrills, chills and sweet treats await passengers on the journey along the Dulas Valley this Halloween, with trains running from 1.30pm to 6pm. Booking is available via www.corris.co.uk/tickets.

Looking ahead, the railway will be running Santa Special Steam Trains taking passengers to meet Santa and his helpers in their grotto on December 13th and 14th from 11am to 3.30pm.

A regular feature of the August Bank Holiday weekend events in Machynlleth is returning. The Corris Railway Society Model Railway Exhibition will be held on the weekend of the 23^rd and 24^th at Y Plas, Machynlleth from 10.00 – 16.30 each day.

There will be 16 layouts in various gauges/scales from – N gauge, 009, 00, 0 and 16mm live steam.

In addition to the layouts to look at there will be a number of sales stands selling pre-owned railway ephemera, books, model trains and hand-made glass in various shapes and colours.

There will also be a Corris Railway information stand and Corris Railway shop. All  profits from the Model Railway Exhibition will be used towards funding the revival of the Corris Railway.

Trains will be running from Corris station on both days, leaving at 11.00am, 12.00pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm.

Tickets for both the Model Railway Exhibition at Y Plas, Machynlleth and the passenger train services at Corris may be pre-booked online on the Corris Railway website or purchased on the day at the exhibition or at Corris station – www.corris.co.uk/tickets

Light refreshments will be available at the show and there is parking close to Y Plas. The Exhibition opening hours are 10.00am to 16.30 on each day with admission for adults costing £5.00 and £2.50 for children. Family tickets (2 adults and 2 children) £12.50.