Rheilffordd Corris Railway

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Category: Photographs

Photographs taken between 12th and 19th April 2024

24th April 202423rd April 2024 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Southern Extension. Pont y Goedwig Deviation Project. Friday, 19.4.2024. Fresh geotextile has been laid out prior to re-shaping much of the material already delivered, but it is still very wet - but drying up nicely! The viewpoint here is roughly, at the height of the proposed trackbed formation.

Friday, 12.4.2024. Adrian cuts a bar to help create a couple of fabrication stands for use in the Carriage Shed.

Saturday, 13.4.2024. A group collect around the steam locos outside the Engine Shed ...

... as No. 10 is steamed ...

... to test the third iteration of design for the safety valves ...

... with adjustments being made while the fire is stoked for another test. All concluded satisfactorily, ready for the boiler inspector (in due course).

Tuesday, 16.4.2024. Adrian has nearly completed the second fabrication stand ...

... while in unusually sunny weather, No. 6 propels a waggon up the line to carry tools and materials to adjust the gate arrangements at Maes y Llan, a job planned to be tackled some weeks ago but delayed by persistent rain.

Having determined detail requirements, No. 6 returns to Maespoeth to join those enjoying lunch ...

... and afterwards, another waggon is added to carry more tools and materials to head up the line once more.

Upon return to Maespoeth, it was found that the velocipede inspection trolley has advanced in construction ...

... and the fabrication stands are complete, ready to start on a replacement set of steps for the Signal Box.

Southern Extension. Pont y Goedwig Deviation Project. Friday, 12.4.2024. Wear and tear at the site access has been made good ...

... while vegetation and topsoil are scraped down on to boards for clearing later ...

... and the drain area is stoned up as further filling material deliveries arrive.

Saturday, 13.4.2024. More material has been delivered, but it is very wet and the recent work is saturated so will have to be dug out again. Apart from a very few deliveries ...

Friday, 19.4.2024. ... work is abandoned temporarily due to continuous rain until today ...

... where after two days of (mostly) dry weather, attention is given to the foot of the access ramp ...

... to widen the foundation and fill up with drainage stone at the side ...

... before excavating down to the previous step in the drainage layer ...

... all ready for fresh drainage media to be spread to lift the access track base once more.

Meanwhile, fresh geotextile has been laid out prior to re-shaping much of the material already delivered, but it is still very wet - but drying up nicely! The viewpoint here is roughly, at the height of the proposed trackbed formation.

Photographs taken between 3rd and 11th April 2024

12th April 202412th April 2024 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

10.4.2024. Nearly there?

Southern Extension. Pont y Goedwig Deviation Project. Wednesday, 3.4.2024. More material is delivered, tipped ...

... spread and rolled to form the bank below the foot of the access track.

Thursday, 4.4.2024. Boards have arrived ...

... but the sun has come out (briefly!) ...

... so every effort is made to press on, tipping material progressively further back and spreading it while the going is good.

Last thing, a partial load is tipped at the foot of the access track, shaped and formed to divert surface water expected from heavy overnight rain, off the new fill and into the drainage media under it.

Friday, 5.4.2024. The boards are put to use, covering the drainage media so that vegetation and loose material can be scraped down on to them where the bank is too steep to create a practicable shelf, with the surplus material being taken away by dumper.

By the end of the day, the bank is cleaned up ready for drainage stone right back to the far end of the current embankment ...

... but travelling over the surface has turned the top skim quite liquid!

Saturday, 6.4.2024. Today is dry, so no time is wasted, filling the drainage material (at the far end) to near the final level ...

... trimming the next section of embankment slope (as seen from the other side of the culvert - Pont y Goedwig) ...

... and then moving the boards (trapping them against the tracks to get the bucket underneath) ...

... with Dai following up with the small machine to remove the last vestiges of loose material ...

... while adjacent, Richard pushes down sticky sub-soil to enable him to trim the very top of the new embankment ...

... before recovering the subsoil and spreading it evenly over the new slope face.

More drainage stone is then brought up and tipped carefully ...

... tidied and tamped down ...

... covered over and the excavated bank trimmings spread up to and over it ...

... so that the whole lot can be rolled just as it starts to rain heavily again! The pipe in the foreground is a water main washout, which needs to be extended across the formation in the next (and final at this point) layer of fill - but only when it is dry!

Monday, 8.4.2024. Two lorries are carrying again today (after the blue one required a new clutch fitting last week) ...

... and soon there is plenty of material to spread, level and track in ...

... which enables them to tip progressively further back ...

... to the work completed on Saturday.

Tuesday, 9.4.2024. More trimming work is undertaken by the small excavator, while the larger one spreads delivered fill ...

... before moving the boards as before ...

... and cleaning up again.

A very warm sun makes an all too brief visit as a ski jump is formed ...

... as the foot of the access track is excavated (it is very hard!) ...

... drainage stone tipped ...

... and after spreading and covering with geotextile, fresh filling added.

Photographs taken between 28th March and 2nd April 2024

4th April 20244th April 2024 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Southern Extension. Pont y Goedwig Deviation Project. Thursday, 28.3.2024. A contractor has been brought in ...

... to fell a tree whose roots are in the way of the new embankment construction ...

... and to dispose of the brash responsibly.

Saturday, 30.3.2024. Drainage stone is tipped carefully on the next step in the embankment foundation ...

... which requires good nerves ...

... while more of the small branches from the tree are chipped.

Tuesday, 2.4.2024. The penultimate drainage layer is filled at the south end of the current embankment works ...

... and tidied up with a small excavator.

More geotextile is brought forward ...

... is cut to length and laid out (the last section we require on this part of the embankment). The adjacent edge is excavated and filled up to the new drainage stone ...

... with a gap to continue northwards with both sections rolled to seal against anticipated rain.

More material is tipped (and spread) ...

... with another shelf being excavated below the access track ...

... and filled with drainage stone in a repeat of work elsewhere.

Work for the day is then effectively abandoned in late afternoon, as it has started to rain heavily and movement of machinery will turn the work into a quagmire.

Good Friday, 29.3.2024. No. 7 simmers gently outside the Engine Shed ...

... and later, departs from Maespoeth's South Platform on the first public train of the new season ...

... with the refurbished Brio set all ready for our visitors. Note the "old" and "new" Dyfi bridges!

As ever, watering the locomotive creates most interest!

Meanwhile, in the Carriage Shed, Andy is working on the clerestorey roof of carriage No. 24 ...

... and all too soon, the day is over and the stock is put away.

Saturday, 30.3.2024. Towards the end of the day, No. 7 is watered in the late afternoon sunshine ...

... while during the day, the signal post has received the first coat of gloss white paint.

The last train of the day heads back towards Corris.

Easter Day, 31.3.2024. The former tramway arch at Machynlleth has at last been opened to the public for use by pedestrians and cyclists.

Later in the day, Bill gives passengers a Shed Talk ...

... while Guard John cleans the carriage windows between other duties!

All trains today are run Eggspress ...

... while Nos. 6 and 11 are on display for the benefit of our visitors ...

... who can take a (distant) peek at No. 10, residing in the back of the Engine Shed.

Photographs taken between 24th and 31st March 2024

1st April 20241st April 2024 John Arnold 0 Comment Photographs

Sunday, 24.3.2024. It's that time of year again as the forthcoming Easter weekend sees the first passenger trains of the season on the Corris railway and member Jack makes his annual trip to Wharf Station with dad John to display the new Corris poster.

Sunday, 31.3.2024. Jack and Jane are in the museum today

The thing is you don't often see Jack washing up at home.

The "Eggspress" train is getting ready to go on it's first trip to Corris ...

Jack "mans" the counter while Jane records the event whilst tidying the shelves and waiting for the first visitors to arrive.

Andrew checks in with Paul that all is well,

Waste not want not. David finds some lumps in the Ash piles that will reburn.

Paul and Andrew water the loco.

Photographs taken between 21st and 27th March 2024

29th March 202429th March 2024 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Wednesday, 27.3.2024. View North from Pont y Goedwig.

Southern Extension. Pont y Goedwig Deviation Project. Monday, 21.3.2024. The two excavators work together to spread incoming supplies of (drier) stone fill as rapidly as possible ...

... with a step being created to place material over the west side drainage layer ...

... but it cannot be compacted, as the roller has broken down (although a chipper has arrived)!

Tuesday, 22.3.2024. The roller owner has summoned assistance to get the machine going again ...

... and after replacing the instrument panel, it is soon put to use, drawing up water from the placed material.

More (drier) material arrives ...

... is immediately spread and rolled - in a brief, sunny interlude!

Filling work continues through the day, until the far end of the embankment is reached (as viewed from the old railway fence line).

In between loads, the next drainage layer is cut ...

... with the removed material being flicked on to the graded slope opposite to act as topsoil (with native vegetation).

Monday, 25.3.2024. More material is delivered ...

... while in the Carriage Shed, more barber's poles are prepared for overhead line protection measures.

Having filled back to the end of the embankment ...

... filling resumes northwards again, while existing material is rolled as soon as it has been tracked.

Tuesday, 26.3.2024. A smaller excavator has arrived to carefully clear over-spill from the geotextile ...

... and is then used to tidy up after another drainage shelf has been excavated and a start made on filling with stone.

The embankment has received another layer of stone to the far end ...

... and then it is time to clear to the geotextile at a step in the embankment, where it meets the access track ...

Wednesday, 27.3.2024. ... completed by mid-morning ...

... with drainage material soon placed ...

... and covered with geotextile and the start of fill. A third shelf was prepared but Aberllefenni Quarry's loading shovel broke down and so work was held up on that layer for 24 hours until it was fixed ...

... but the pressure was on to keep accepting deliveries of more general fill.

The next drainage shelf was instead dug out right to the end of the embankment ...

... and looking back from the other side of Pont y Goedwig, the new construction is very clear. It is being filled level, whereas the road (and railway) climbs at 1in 30.

Friday, 22.3.2024. No. 7 is prepped outside the Engine Shed ...

... to partner No. 10 for a steam test tomorrow.

Saturday, 23.3.2024. Both locos have been fired up ...

... with No. 7's safety valves soon tested!

However, No. 10 is struggling ...

... so is shunted to the side to enable No. 7 to have a little exercise after its winter lay-over to ensure all is well.

Photographs taken on 16th & 17th March 2024

24th March 202421st March 2024 John Arnold 0 Comment Photographs

Saturday, 16.3.2024. A brief pause is taken to offer cakes around as it is Sara's birthday.

Waggons are despatched to collect trimmings ...

... from Pioneer Curve.

No. 6 puts the waggons back into the Carriage Shed for the night ...

... in a murky evening light

Sunday 17.3.2024. Tickets are needed as there are multiple movements today.

Although cloudy a period of brilliant sunshine helps to forget the rain for a while.

A team have been breaking out concrete to release the signal post for refurbishment and moving to another position.

The concrete pad in the ground does not want to give up easily.

But these guys do not give up easily either.

Photographs taken between 14th and 20th March 2024

23rd March 202421st March 2024 David Coleman 0 Comment Photographs

Southern Extension. Pont y Goedwig Deviation Project. Thursday, 14.3.2024. First loads arrive and are tipped ...

... on the embankment ...

... and spread and tracked in immediately.

Friday, 15.3.2024. The embankment has been raised to within shoulder height of finished level at the far end ...

... but the 8-wheeler lorry (after being loaded in Machynlleth) has taken a sulk and refuses to show any signs of life, holding up work.

Monday, 18.3.2024. After a very wet weekend, filling work continues with the one lorry in deceptively sunny weather ...

... and John prepares to fly his drone to photograph the works in progress.

Following a request, this is the view of the embankment from the bottom, where we assembled and filled the gabions 4 years ago!

More steps are cut ...

.. and filled with drainage stone ...

... but travelling over the wet fill draws water to the surface, and the saturated stone has to be dug out and placed to one side to dry ...

... so that continued deliveries have to be stock-piled by the yard headshunt.

Tuesday, 19.3.2024. Is this the white lorry restored to service? No, but work continues anyway ...

There is a brief break as more geotextile is delivered - just in time!

More saturated material has to be dug out and placed to one side for drying ...

... to form a windrow. It will be usable - but just not right now!

Wednesday, 20.3.20024. With a new box of tricks, a new code and re-programmed, the 8-wheeler is restored to service (at 5.00 am!) and starts to make up for lost time ...

... bringing drainage stone (amongst other things) to add to the next layer ...

... so that it can be covered ready to move the current embankment base over. However, today's deliveries are even wetter than earlier in the week - what we need now is a few days of warm, sunny weather (preferably with a breeze)!

Friday, 15.3.2024. Andrew has arrived to work "from home" ...

... as No. 6 is fired up to collect weighty items ...

... in the form of single line instruments as a trial demonstration.

Meanwhile outside, the access scaffold has been set up to attend to the signal post at the north end of Maespoeth site.

Later, Jay is wiring up the single line instruments ...

... at opposite ends of the Carriage Shed ...

... with bespoke tokens all ready!

Saturday, 16.3.2024. Training weekend starts with a general meeting to go over principles ...

... before moving on to details - such as preparing locos ...

... culminating in No. 11 emerging to join the passenger train brought up from the Carriage Shed ...

... before setting off up the line.

Photographs taken on 18th March 2024

21st March 202421st March 2024 John Davey 2 Comments Photographs

Monday, 18.3.2024. Southern Extension. Pont y Goedwig Deviation Project. Do you recall volunteers bending over into the gabions to carefully place fill material not so long ago? Although there is still substantial fill needed the levels along the embankment are now approaching where they need to be.

A brief discussion takes place on where the next load of fill should be tipped.

The digger profiles the bank above the new alignment.

The digger works away quietly towards the northern end of the works.

The "Lesser spotted cameraman" is moonlighting and assisting with the dumper truck on the Southern Extension

Monday, 18.3.2024. The signal post formerly positioned at the north end of the northern platform is taken down for painting and subsequent re-positioning. Here seen before primer is applied...

The signal post is primered in situ.

The children's Brio receives a much needed and life-like makeover courtesy of Laura.

The Brio is assembled and readied for Easter.

Even though all of the banks in Machynlleth have now closed John designs his own "hole in the wall" (ATM) in the East wall of the Maespoeth engine shed.

Photographs taken between 6th and 12th March 2024

14th March 202414th March 2024 David Coleman 1 Comment Photographs

Wednesday, 6.3.2024. After a (rare) frost this morning, the early sun gets the railway steaming!

Friday, 8.3.2024. No. 10 is warmed up while a group concentrates on air pump problems ...

Saturday, 9.3.2024. ... and No. 10 is steamed again while access is cleared around the Shed's air compressor ...

... and cleaned up components of No. 7's boiler fittings are neatly laid out for the boiler inspector.

Later, a plume of steam indicates No. 10 is ready for its steam test ...

... with the boiler inspector keeping an eye on things.

Tuesday, 12.3.2024. No. 10's safety valves have been dismantled, to allow modifications to the new arms ...

... while the trailing truck has been positioned back under No. 7 as re-assembly commences after having passed its cold exam.

In the Carriage Shed, Adrian is welding in strengthening plates to tipper bodies ...

... while nearby, a box is modified to form shelves for the Engine Shed workshop ...

... and work continues on the velocipede inspection trolley replica.

Meanwhile, outside in the (occasional) rain, the water crane has been cleaned of algae, and the delivery hose lengthened to better cope with No. 10's lower tank filler.

Southern Extension. Pont y Goedwig Deviation Project. Wednesday, 6.3.2024. The excavated shelf next to the drainage layer has been thoroughly rolled ...

... as fresh supplies of filling material are tipped ...

... until a new layer is formed, tracked and rolled.

In the afternoon, the Gas main monitoring helicopter takes a close interest in our work!

Thursday, 7.3.2024. The site cabin facilities receive a routine service.

Friday, 8.3.2024. Fresh supplies of drainage stone have been delivered, and the dumper filled ready ...

... and there is a good supply of stone fill awaiting distribution!

Saturday, 9.3.2024. No. 6 pops down to have a look at recent activity ...

... as the various machines are refuelled.

The first task is to move a large tree stump out of the way ...

... so that unsuitable sub-soil can be excavated (and carted away) to form the next drainage foundation level while in the background ...

... the side slopes are being trimmed.

The two excavators then work together ...

... to distribute the trimmed material on the top of the embankment ...

... and the whole lot rolled to take advantage of the recent dry weather.

Monday, 11.3.2024. It is still dry(-ish) despite the forecast, so more material is tipped ...

... from different lorries ...

... ready for spreading. Lost in the hedge on the left can just be seen a slate fence post which once formed part of the east boundary fence of the railway (on the line of what will be the west fence of the new railway). This photo gives an idea of how far the embankment has grown in recent weeks!

Photographs taken between 26th February and 5th March 2024

7th March 20247th March 2024 David Coleman 1 Comment Photographs

Tuesday, 5.3.2024. A view from the Climachx Trail overlooking our site.

Southern Extension. Pont y Goedwig Deviation Project. Monday, 26.2.2024. A second excavator has arrived on site, and is being used to grade the slope of the new embankment ...

... with the excavated material being used to increase the height of the embankment ... (RE)

... and in between times, more lorry loads of material arrive and are deposited and spread. (RE)

Saturday, 2.3.2024. There is quite an accumulation of suitable fill alongside our yard headshunt, plus a couple of loads of drainage stone - and the means to load and transport it to where needed!

At the fill site, further plant has arrived (the small excavator to carefully search for geotextile to ensure an overlap without tearing it) ...

... and further along, there is a quantity of drainage stone awaiting deposit ...

... while beyond, the next drainage layer has been placed and awaits covering with geotextile.

Monday, 4.3.2024. There is great activity on site, as another load of fill material is tipped ...

... the junction of geotextile layers at the base of the access track has been uncovered, new drainage material has been laid so that the new, overlapping geotextile can be covered once more ...

... and the other excavator eased across ...

... to draw the recently tipped material down in layers ...

... to enable it to be rolled.

Existing ground is then excavated ...

... and tipped into a dumper for removal to another part of the site ...

... which dumper (after cleaning out by hand) is used to bring down and deposit fresh drainage material.

Tuesday, 5.3.2024. There is a brief lull in the morning, so opportunity is taken to view the site from the Climachx Trail overlooking our site. Pont y Goedwig is the square structure below the road at the left-hand side of the picture. Following to the right, below the first excavator can be seen a dark horizontal line, which indicates the line of gabions erected in 2020 (during Lock-Down). Above that is a green area, representing the material deposited behind the gabions in 2020 - 2022. Above that (dark grey) can be seen the amount of material deposited in the past 3 weeks. Further to the right can be seen a group of yellow machines, where the ground level was raised (in layers) about half a metre yesterday. Below the house above the road to the right, is the other excavator, sitting on top of the pile of material alongside Maespoeth Yard headshunt.

Later, the excavator picks up a fresh roll of geotextile and tracks it to the far end of the site ...

... so that it can be unrolled and lapped with the existing material and made ready to receive fill against it.

The next section is then prepared.

The excavator is then used to carefully excavate existing material and place it alongside the geotextile so that the whole can be rolled up to the drainage media ...

... while a small deposit of drainage stone is loaded into the dumper for transfer back to the deposit by the Yard headshunt.

Friday, 1.3.2024. St. David's Day. Peter Kazer's superb model of Corris ... (PJ)

... has been briefly re-assembled (albeit still in storage boxes) ... (PJ)

... so that measurements can be taken to determine how best to display it in the Museum. (PJ)

Saturday, 2.3.2024. Light steam is being raised in No. 10 ..

... now that a new fusible plug and new safety valve arms have been fitted to comply with boiler inspector's requirements.

It is good to see steam rising from the chimney once more!

Last week, the frames of the replica inspection trolley were assembled and glued up ...

... while further down the Carriage Shed, work on one of the platform benches is approaching completion ...

...and another has been completed, including the reinstatement of the dedication plate.

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