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.