Category: News

This year’s Corris Railway Gala Day on June 15th will be a special moment in the history of the revival of the oldest narrow gauge railway in Mid-Wales. For the first time in over a century two “Falcon” locomotives will be in steam and working trains between Corris station at Maespoeth Junction.

Following the completion of our new “Falcon”. No. 10, in August 2023 it has been a priority to see it working with Corris No. 3, the surviving and much rebuilt member of the original trio built in Loughborough by the Henry Hughes company in 1878. Since 1951, and following the closure of the original Corris route by British Railways in 1948, it has worked on the neighbouring Talyllyn Railway where it has been named “Sir Haydn”. It has visited Corris before during the revival period, the photograph shows No. 3 at Maespoeth Junction during passenger services in June 2003, but this will be the first time the two classmates have featured together.

No. 3 is the result of the work of Corris Railway Engineer Alfred Hulme who tackled the problem of the original trio wearing out after four decades of hard work by amalgamating components from No.s 1 and 3, whilst No. 2 stayed serviceable as back up to No. 4, delivered new from Kerr Stuart of Stoke-on-Trent in 1921. More work was done on the amalgamated No. 3 at Swindon in 1929, ahead of the Corris being acquired by the Great Western Railway the following year. No. 2 was then retired and scrapped along with No. 1.

With the Corris and Talyllyn sharing the two feet and three inches track gauge, which is almost unique in Britain, neither “Falcon” will be seen working elsewhere so this is a chance to witness and enjoy a bit of railway history. Why not come to see the event and take a train journey in this beautiful part of Wales with the sun at its annual zenith?

If you cannot make it on the 15th No. 3 will be in action on the Corris on the 8th, 22nd and 29th.

Advance tickets can be purchased online now.

The Corris will have publicity stands at two different events simultaneously on Saturday April 27th.

One will be at Narrow Gauge South, an annual event organised by the 009 Society and featuring some 30 layouts in the most popular of the narrow gauge modelling scales. There will also be trade stands with items to tempt the wallet to open or the card to be wielded. The venue is Barton Peveril College, Chestnut Cottage. Eastleigh, S050 5ZA and the doors will be open from 10am to 5pm.

The other is the National Garden Railway Show which is taking place at the National Agricultural Centre, Stoneleigh Park, CV8 2LG. It is between Coventry and Warwick. This is large scale modelling and is organised by the 16mm Society. 17 layouts are due to appear plus trade support. Opening hours will be 9.30am to 5pm.

Overcoming adversity in re-establishing a much loved line. Corris Railway Society member Chris Smith will be giving a talk about the Corris to the Shropshire Railway Society on Thursday 11th April 2024.

The venue is The Gateway Education and Arts Centre, Chester Street, Shrewsbury, SY1 1NB. The start time is 19:30 and the finish time 21:30 with a break for refreshments.

Guests are welcome but are expected to make a donation of at least £3.00 to help defray costs.

The first quarter of 2024 has seen rapid progress made with the construction of the new embankment that is a key part of the Southern Extension of the Corris Railway. Once completed the Extension will double the length of the journey along the Dulas Valley and mean that one and a half miles of the original six and a half mile route between Machynlleth and Aberllefenni will see train operations once again. All extension work will be south of Corris as post-closure development has been built over the trackbed north of Corris station.

The key factor in the acceleration of progress was the completion of the new road bridge crossing the river Dyfi at Machynlleth. In order to work on the banks of a river whose flow varies considerably as rain comes and goes in Mid Wales hard standing had to be created for the machinery to be used and with the completion of the bridge this is being removed to allow nature to re-establish itself.

Large tonnages of this material has been making its way up the A487 to the works site south of Maespoeth Junction. At one point in February a lorry was arriving every fifteen minutes although the pace slackened after that. After unloading the material was laid and new “benches” were cut in the hillside climbing towards the A487 ready for the next phase of building up the new embankment. These were then filled. Apart from drainage and embankment stone and material the new structure also has layers of geotextile laid.

The main enemy to progress was the wet weather continuing as winter moved into spring and some off loaded material had to be left to dry out after delivery. However the pace kept two diggers, a dumper truck and a roller at work on the 100 metres long section of embankment.

It was gratifying that by the end of March the new earthworks had risen by five metres and at the southern end of the site was coming tantalisingly close to a remaining section of the original railway fence which survived closure of the Corris in 1948 and the re-routing of the A487 which has made the new works necessary. At this point in the project the embankment is laid level level along its length but later works will be necessary to raise the northern end to the same height as the original route and the existing railhead south of Maespoeth Junction. That will reinstate a 1 in 30 gradient, and the prospect of the Corris’ steam locomotives climbing that will delight many enthusiasts.

Before that however the Nant Goedwig stream will need to be crossed followed by final grading and track laying.

View the progress here on the Southern Extension April 2024, available now on YouTube.

It goes without saying that this progress is expensive. The Corris has a healthy Southern Extension Fund fund but payments for the material, machinery and operators are quickly eating into that. Any donations toward these costs and keeping the project moving forward will be very welcome and can be made online via www.corris.co.uk. Alternatively cheques, payable to Corris Railway, can be sent to Corris Railway (SE), Station Yard, Corris, Machynlleth, SY20 9SH.