Category: News

Owing to Storm Darragh, the Corris Railway had to cancel its weekend of Santa specials on December 7th and 8th. This was a decision that was taken by many of the other heritage railways in the country and rightly so.

Many of the volunteers who help run the railway travel from across the country from as far south as the Isle of Wight and as far north as Scotland. They had completed the setting up on Friday 6^th and were looking forward to welcoming excited children on a trip to Santa’s grotto.

Saturday morning revealed that the plans of mice and men ‘gang aft a-gley’. There were landslips on the road north and south of Corris, a total loss of electricity at Corris and Maespoeth Junction and the overwhelmed road drains of the A487 meant that rain water was flooding off the road and cascading into the machine shop, engine shed and loco inspection pit. A line inspection revealed 3 trees blocking the line in various places. By Saturday afternoon, local volunteers had cleared the road drains and stopped any further water ingress into the loco shed at Maespoeth.

Corris volunteers embarked upon a clean-up process in order to undo the damage caused to the infrastructure of the railway, something which will be undertaken in the run up to Christmas. 

Other larger heritage railways tend to run Santa specials over multiple weekends. Owing to the small size of the CR volunteer base this is not something that the Railway can currently undertake.

Historically the Corris has relied upon the income gained over a busy weekend of Christmas running to help provide a financial cushion for the winter months when it is not open. The non-running of the specials meant the railway was faced with the loss of this income, plus the additional loss of the not inconsiderable monies spent on setting up, including children’s presents and the food and drink which are part of the visitor experience. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of one volunteer, all the pre-booked passengers had received a complete refund by midnight on Saturday the 7th December, excepting those kind and generous people who had asked the railway not to refund them, but to keep the money instead, in the form of a donation to General Funds.

Other local businesses had suffered too, such as the Corris Café and the Slater’s Arms – both supporters of the railway with whom it enjoys a symbiotic relationship.

The 2025 Corris Railway Santa Specials are scheduled for Saturday 13^th and Sunday 14^th December.

There are just a few days to go now before Santa pays his annual visit to his grotto in the carriage shed at Maespoeth Junction where he is looking forward to welcoming children and parents arriving on the Corris Railway Santa Special Trains from Corris station. On arrival at the Junction there will be the chance for the children to meet the man in the red suit and receive a present, whilst there will be some seasonal refreshments for all.

There are four trains scheduled to run on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th December, leaving Corris at 11.00am, 12.30pm, 2.00pm and 3.30pm on both days. Fares are £7.50 for adults and £10.00 for children. With limited seats available on each train advanced booking is advisable at www.corris.co.uk/tickets, particularly if planning your day around a particular train time. The journey will be in the recreated 19^th Century carriages and with a steam engine pulling them passengers will get a brief taste of travel along the Dulas Valley 100 years and more ago.

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, and the area generally or to buy some late items of clothing, books, cards or children’s gifts ahead of the festive season and 2025. The range of children’s books includes “Hugh Goes Sliding” by Christopher Awdry, author of some of the “Thomas” tales about steam locomotives on the Corris and tales about the Friendly Engines written by one of our volunteers.

When it was announced that the Warley Model Railway Society were ceasing to organise their major Annual Exhibition at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham it looked like the end of a major event for modellers and also an end to the long association with the show for the Corris Railway Sales and Information stand.

However the baton has been picked up by the publishers of British Railway Modelling magazine and on November 23rd and 24th Hall 5 at the NEC 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 stand will be at stand No. 166 and will have a range of books, souvenirs, cards and other items to tempt buyers seeking something for themselves or perhaps a Christmas gift.

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 and as seen in the photograph above. However in 2024 a newer engine will be taking a starring role at the head of the trains and no doubt featuring in family photographs and videos.

This is Corris No. 10, a “Falcon” class machine delivered new to the Corris in 2023. After a spell as Britain’s newest steam loco it has 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 new build 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 20^th 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 seasonable refreshments for everyone. The round trip will take around an hour.

There are four trains scheduled to run on December 7^th and 8^th, leaving Corris at 11.00, 12.30, 2.00 and 3.30. Fares are £7.50 for adults and £10.00 for children. With 70 seats available on each train early booking is advisable, particularly if planning your day around a particular train time. Advance booking can be done online via www.corris.co.uk/tickets

The Museum and Shop at Corris station will be open on both days allowing visitors to see artifacts from the history of the Railway, which once linked Machynlleth and Aberllefenni, and the area generally or to buy some late items of clothing, books, cards or children’s gifts ahead of the festive season and 2025. 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.