On the 20th of August 1948 a short freight train made its way up the Dulas Valley on the narrow gauge line between Machynlleth and Aberllefenni. The route was once the Corris Railway but it was by then a small branch line operated on three days a week by British Railways who were keeping an eye on the way bank erosion of the River Dyfi was encroaching on the lineside at Machynlleth. As concern grew the decision was made that the railway would have to close and that small train was to be the last.
Over the following months the tracks were lifted and it looked as though the Corris was lost for ever. More happily the two steam engines found a new home at the Talyllyn Railway where they have worked for seven decades along with the brake van from that last train.
However thanks to the patient work of the volunteers and many years of fund raising trains will be running between Corris Station and Maespoeth Junction on August 20th this year. Passenger trains, headed by steam locomotive No. 7, a descendant of the 1921 built No. 4 now at the Talyllyn, will leave Corris Station at 11.00, 12.00, 13.30, 14.30 and 15.30.
A week later the Corris Railway Society’s annual Model Railway Exhibition will be held at Y Plas in Machynlleth on August 26th and 27th. This year’s event will, perhaps appropriately, feature a large number of narrow gauge layouts in various scales but there will also be a range of exhibits in other scales. For those in a nostalgic mood one layout will feature Hornby Dublo, still going strong six decades after the famous marque was discontinued and another will see Tri-ang Big-Big trains running on their plastic track. In addition to the layouts there will be a variety of sales stands and refreshments will be on sale. Car parking is available nearby.
Trains will be running from Corris Station on both days whilst the Exhibition is on.