Category: News

The beginning of February brought welcome news for those awaiting progress with the building of the embankment that will eventually see the doubling in length of the revived section of the Corris Railway, south of Maespoeth Junction.

The works have been awaiting the availability and delivery of suitable material to allow the construction to proceed. With the completion the new road bridge over the River Dyfi at Machynlleth the Corris has been able to take delivery of material from the project and it was hoped that the first deliveries would mean that there would be more lorries making their way up the A487 to the unloading point. This turned out to be the case with up to twenty lorry loads a day arriving and discharging in mid-February.

Once the load has been discharged from the lorry it requires spreading and moving to allow work on raising the height of the new embankment. This means the deployment of suitable plant and machinery plus people to operate it and progressing apace to allow more material to be delivered.

On receiving the material, the first move is to prepare the ground on which it is to be tipped. This requires the topsoil and sub-soil to be excavated to sound material to form a level bench in the steep sidelong sloping ground. These benches form a series of steps along the hillside, upon which is placed drainage stone replicating the steps. Over this foundation/drainage layer geotextile is laid, upon which the general fill being delivered can be tipped, spread and rolled in.

In anticipation of an influx of very suitable material such as this, the Corris’ contractors had cut benches above the level of the general fill then available, over the past year or so, so that the embankment could come up almost a metre before having to cut any further benches. With a few loads to begin with, followed by a week of intensive operations, this pretty much reached the limit of what what could be coped with until new benches were cut. As a result, 4 loads were stock piled elsewhere on site. More benching was planned for the third weekend of February ahead of more loads of material being delivered.

This news has other wider implications for the Corris revivalists in 2024. The material has to be paid for and there will be other bills to be met arising from the use of the plant and machinery. The Corris has accumulated a good sized fund to meet the costs of the Southern Extension but with more work to be done including providing a crossing over the Nant Goedwig stream more money will need to be raised via trading and donations. Anyone who feels able to help and to eventually enjoy a longer journey by narrow gauge train in the Dulas Valley can donate via www.corris.co.uk or by sending a cheque, payable to Corris Railway, to Corris Railway (SE), Station Yard, Corris, Machynlleth, SY20 9SH.

With the arrival of the new “Falcon” 0-4-2ST locomotive in August 2023 the locomotive shed at Maespoeth Junction on the Corris Railway houses two steam engines on a permanent basis for the first time since 1948 and both should be available to head steam trains from Corris station in 2024. It should be noted that normally only one locomotive will work on each operating day.

However the Corris’ older steam loco, “Tattoo” No. 7, which entered service in 2005 will fall due for its second “10 Year” overhaul during the winter months. As with all of these stoppages it is uncertain how much this work will cost and its likely duration. Both will depend on how much of the work can be carried out by the railway’s own volunteers.

Winter work has been carried out on both Nos. 7 and 10 at Maespoeth. For those who saw No. 10 working in September and October a pair of visible differences will be the lining-out of the paintwork and less obviously adjustments to the buffer fittings.

Public train services on the Corris will resume on Good Friday and will then run on selected days until the end of October. As always the number of days is limited by the number of volunteers available to operate the trains and staff the Museum and Shop at Corris. Anyone interested in joining in can contact the Railway via volunteering@corris.co.uk or 07785 765874.

For the second year running the Corris Railway’s new Falcon steam locomotive is in the running for a Heritage Railway Association Award which is chosen by the readers of “Steam Railway” magazine. In 2022 the locomotive was nominated following its initial steaming at Alan Keef Ltd and for the 2023 awards it is again on the list following its entry into traffic in September, meaning that there are now two steam locomotives permanently based on the line for the first time since 1948.

There are nine other projects that were completed in 2023 up for voters’ consideration. These include the Ffestiniog Railway for their new steam locomotive “James Spooner” and the Llangollen Railway for completing their extension of the running line and construction of a new station at Corwen.

The Corris members are delighted that the Falcon has made the nominations list twice in two years and hope that people will vote for them via www.steamrailway.co.uk/read/hra-awards

Voting will close on January 8th 2024.

The Corris Railway has produced a 36 page booklet, illustrated throughout in colour, telling the story of the “Falcon” locomotive from its beginning to its completion. It costs £3.00 and can be purchased from the online shop at www.corris.co.uk.

Public service trains on the Corris will resume at Easter but the volunteer workforce will be busy with maintenance and restoration work ahead of the new season.