Category: Press Releases

As the year moved from July into August the Corris Railway was able to take further deliveries of stone and material for the construction of the embankment, necessary for the extension of the revived section of the narrow gauge railway southwards from Maespoeth Junction in the Dulas Valley.

An additional source of this is the work which is getting underway to build a new road bridge over the River Dyfi at Machynlleth. Although the stone is not required as part of the bridge works it does accrue costs including transport when acquired and used by the Corris.

As ever with the new embankment, made necessary by part of the original railway trackbed having been lost during improvements to the A487, the pace of works depends upon the weather in the Dulas Valley being favourable for construction and financial contributions towards the project. Payments for The Southern Extension can be made online via www.corris.co.uk or cheques, payable to Corris Railway, can be sent to The Corris Railway, Dept SE, Station Yard, Corris, Machynlleth, SY20 9SH.

The volunteer workforce of the Corris have done further work on the next new build carriage, the clerestory roofed number 24, which is being constructed in the carriage shed at Maespoeth Junction with an initial fitting of the wooden lower side panels. The volunteers are also continuing with restoration and construction of vintage waggons and the next to be built will be a recreation of one of the distinctive trestle waggons which once moved slabs of slate from the quarries for transhipment to mainline trains at Machynlleth. Another job being undertaken in the workshops is the making of brake gear components for new build steam locomotive number 10, which is planned to enter traffic towards the end of 2022.

Volunteer work is also underway with work on the ground frame which will control points as part of the new station trackwork at Corris. The work to produce the new track layout, which will include a traverser to allow locomotives to run round their trains, and a new station platform, is planned for the first quarter of 2022.

Subject, as all events in 2021 must be, to possible pandemic enforced changes, Saturday August 28th will mark another landmark in the revival of the Corris Railway. At 11.00 steam locomotive No. 4 will head its first passenger train from Corris station since 1930. Further trains headed by No. 4 will leave Corris station at 13.00 and 15.00. Tickets must be pre-booked via www.corris.co.uk/tickets

This historic moment is part of the celebrations of the engine’s centenary year. By 1921 the Corris Railway’s original trio of steam locomotives had been working for four decades in the Dulas Valley north of Machynlleth and were becoming time expired. To deal with the problem a new engine was ordered from Kerr Stuart Limited in Stoke-on-Trent whilst the best parts of the original trio were combined by Albert Hulme, the CR’s engineer, to produce a single locomotive. This retained No. 3 and the new engine became No. 4. The remains of Nos. 1 and 2 were scrapped whilst Nos. 3 and 4 worked passenger, slate and general goods traffic between Machynlleth and Aberllefenni. No. 4 was a Modified Tattoo class locomotive, a design dating from 1904.

In 1930 the Great Western Railway took over the Corris and at the end of the year passenger traffic ceased to run. Freight continued, although services were eventually reduced to three days a week, and the narrow gauge line became part of British Railways in 1948. In August of that year the railway was closed as the River Dyfi was threatening to breach the trackbed near Machynlleth.

The Corris was built to the unusual gauge of 2 feet 3 inches and the pair of engines looked destined to be cut up in short order. However Mr. Campbell Thomas, the Machynlleth Stationmaster, hoped that they might be found new life on the neighbouring Talyllyn Railway which shared the gauge. To this end the locomotives were kept sheeted over and as far as possible out of sight.

In 1948 the Talyllyn was being kept alive by its owner Sir Henry Haydn Jones and he felt unable to purchase either. However after Sir Henry’s death the TR was taken in hand by enthusiasts and became the world’s first heritage railway in 1951. With only one working engine of their own the pioneers were, after negotiations with British Railways in Swindon, able to purchase the Corris locomotives for a new life at Tywyn.

After overhaul by the Hunslet Company in Leeds No. 4 entered Talyllyn service in 1952 and has been a major part of train operations there since.

It has returned to Corris once before, in 1996. At that point the revival of the Corris had not reached a point where it could carry passengers but No. 4 worked demonstration freight trains which lifted the CR’s profile and was part of the launch of an appeal to build a new locomotive based on the Tattoo design. That appeal was successful and No. 7 began to work in the Dulas Valley in 2005.

After its first trains on the Corris on August 28th No. 4 will work alongside No. 7 during a Gala Event that will see them operating passenger trains between Corris and Maespoeth Junction on September 4th and 5th. Details of this and booking arrangements will appear at www.corris.co.uk

During the following weekend September 11th and 12th both No. 4 and No. 7 will be in action on the Talyllyn Railway.

FOR COMMENT ON THIS RELEASE PLEASE CONTACT;-
Richard Hamilton-Foyn, Corris Railway Society Chairman, via 07740 828334.

After consideration of the ongoing Covid guidance and uncertainty, the Corris Railway Society has regretfully decided to cancel its planned Model Railway Exhibition which was due to take place on August 28th and 29th at Y Plas in Machynlleth.

By the nature of the Exhibition there was a likelihood and risk of people grouping around layouts and at trade stands and the CRS decided that calling off the event would be the safest and responsible course.

However the Corris is keen to stress that its steam trains will continue to operate from Corris Station as advertised so that visitors may enjoy a relaxed view of part of the beautiful Dulas Valley. It has now added additional operating days in August further to its advertised Sundays and these additional trains will run on Saturdays August 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th, plus Bank Holiday Monday August 30th. Trains will leave Corris Station at 11.00, 13.00 and 15.00 and tickets must be booked in advance via www.corris.co.uk/tickets

The Corris is also accepting bookings, subject to volunteer staff availability, for its Your Railway for the Day package in which groups of up to six, or even individuals, can drive steam, diesel or battery electric locomotives, work with the guard and the signalman and enjoy exclusive use of the Railway.

A major landmark in the progress of the new build Corris Railway steam locomotive, Falcon No. 10, was reached in the week ending June 25th when the wheels and motion moved for the first time. This significant event took place courtesy of compressed air, and some temporary pipework fittings, at the workshops of Alan Keef Ltd near Ross-on-Wye. Video of this can be seen at www.corris.co.uk Some further fine tuning was required but all went well on the first run.

The project has already had its boiler constructed by Israel Newton, and other components constructed or ready for finishing include the smokebox and its fittings, buffers and chimney. Volunteer input to the project has also included work on brake gear components, and the pony truck for the 0-4-2ST. Cab components have been produced. However there is more construction to be done and components including cab fittings to be purchased, many of them distinctly expensive to obtain. The Corris wishes to thank everyone whose financial support has seen this progress made.

The new steam locomotive will be the second to enter service on the revived section of the oldest narrow gauge railway in Mid Wales, situated in the beautiful Dulas Valley between Machynlleth and Dolgellau. No. 10 is a 21st Century evocation of a trio of engines built in 1878 at the Falcon Works in Loughborough. One of these is now Sir Haydn on the Talyllyn Railway. The new build will differ from the originals in some respects, most notably a higher cab to accommodate drivers and firemen who are taller than their Victorian predecessors. The new cab does however have a similar outline to that carried by the original trio during their time at the Corris.

The target for the completion of the locomotive, subject to continued successful fund raising, is September 2022 when it will appear as the centrepiece of a charity open day at the workshops of Alan Keef Ltd. Subsequently it will enter traffic on the Corris.

Donations for the new engine are welcome and can be made online at www.corris.co.uk or cheques, payable to Corris Railway, can be sent to Peter Guest, 38 Underwood Close, Callow Hill, Redditch, B97 5YS.

The ‘Great Little Trains of Wales’ is delighted to announce the Corris Railway will be joining as its latest new member, joining the existing eleven Welsh scenic railways in the consortium.

The railways which make up the Great Little Trains of Wales (GLTW) have in common that they travel through some of the very best scenery the British Isles has to offer and a very special way of seeing it aboard a historic narrow-gauge steam train. Each railway shares the same passion for its history and surroundings and takes pride in the charm of its old-time steam trains, polished paintwork and brass, but each railway also offers something a little quirky and different to its passengers.

The inclusion of the ‘Corris Railway’ brings the consortium to twelve (see below for full list of members) and adds further prestige to this already world-renowned brand. Amongst its members, GLTW boasts the oldest independent railway company in the world, one of Europe’s most exciting railway projects, and some of the most recognisable engines on the planet – including enthusiasts’ favourite, ‘Russell’.

GLTW Secretary, Ray Reid said:

“‘The Great Little Trains of Wales’ was started in 1970 to encourage visitors to come to Wales in general and to ride the narrow-gauge railways in particular. The addition of the Corris Railway to the existing eleven railways makes the GLTW’s Discount and Gold cards even better value and a must have for anyone intending to visit several of the railways during the year.”

The ‘Corris Railway’ is a 2’3” gauge railway, whose origins date back to the 1850’s. It was initially built to carry slate from the quarries at Corris Uchaf and Aberllefenni in the Dulas Valley. The railway ran until 1948, but preservation began in the 1960’s. Today it operates regularly with a mix of steam and diesel traction between Maespoeth and Corris Station, and has exciting plans to extend its operations.

Richard Hamilton-Foyn, Chairman of the Corris Railway added:

“When the preservation of the Corris Railway started in 1966, the pioneer volunteers had nothing but one decrepit building to work on. Since then, we have purchased land, restored the infrastructure, laid track and built a completely new train with modern recreations of the original Corris Victorian carriages and a Corris steam locomotive. As we move into the next phase of the development of the railway with a second steam locomotive, a new station in Corris and a southern extension we are delighted to have been invited to join the GLTW organisation. We are ready to contribute to the future prosperity of all of the Great Little Trains here in Wales.”

See the best for less: For just £15 buy the ‘Great Little Trains of Wales Discount Card’ which gives you a 20% discount on the price of a return journey on all 12 members’ railways (including the Corris Railway!) – which is valid for one year from the first date of use (Terms & Conditions apply). There are also discounts for ‘Great Little Trains of Wales’ Card holders with selected accommodation providers close to many member railways. Cards are available at Booking Offices and online at GLTW website: www.greatlittletrainsofwales.co.uk

• For more information contact Ray Reid on 01654 710472 or email gltw@talyllyn.co.uk
• Contact ‘Corris Railway’ on: 01654 761701 or email enquiries@corris.co.uk

Visit Great Little Trains of Wales at: www.greatlittletrainsofwales.co.uk

Extra information: The 12 GLTW member railways are:

• Talyllyn in Gwynedd: www.talyllyn.co.uk
• Llanberis Lake Railway in the heart of Snowdonia: www.lake-railway.co.uk
• Ffestiniog Railway in Porthmadog: www.festrail.co.uk
• Welsh Highland Railway in Caernarfon: www.festrail.co.uk
• Welshpool & Llanfair Railway in Welshpool: www.wllr.org.uk
• Vale of Rheidol Railway in Aberystwyth: www.rheidolrailway.co.uk
• Brecon Mountain Railway in Merthyr Tydfil: www.breconmountainrailway.co.uk
• Bala Lake Railway in Llanuwchllyn: www.bala-lake-railway.co.uk
• Welsh Highland Heritage Railway in Porthmadog: www.whr.co.uk
• Snowdon Mountain Railway: www.snowdonrailway.co.uk
• Fairbourne Railway: www.fairbourne.co.uk
• Corris Railway: www.corris.co.uk

The entry into traffic on May 30th of the latest new build carriage number 23 for the Corris Railway proved to be timely as the services on that day, and the following Bank Holiday Monday, ran virtually full with the new online tickets service working well. With Covid precautions in place, and the need to deep clean trains between workings, the Mid Wales line ran three round trips from Corris station to the current railhead on the Southern Extension. This meant that trains returning to Corris had to restart on the 1 in 30 gradient and passengers were able to enjoy the sound of steam Tattoo locomotive No. 7 tackling the gradient and the load.

With number 23 in service the carriage building team at Maespoeth Junction has begun to fit woodwork to the steel skeleton of number 24. Floorboards have been put and place and the first pieces of bodywork were added. Also being tackled in the carriage shed at the Junction was heritage waggon number 5 which will form part of demonstration freight workings in due course.

Volunteer work has also continued with components for new build Falcon locomotive 0-4-2ST. In the East Midlands the fittings for the smokebox door are complete and the door is ready for fitting when the smokebox work is completed at the workshops of Alan Keef Ltd, where work on the motion is approaching completion. Buffers for the new loco have been constructed at Maespoeth and volunteer work is underway on the brake gear. Donations for the new engine are welcome and can be made online at www.corris.co.uk or cheques, payable to Corris Railway, can be sent to Peter Guest, 38 Underwood Close, Callow Hill, Redditch, B97 5YS.

Provided of course that the current plans for relaxation of Covid restrictions are followed the Corris Railway resumes passenger operations for the first time since 2019 on Sunday May 30th and will also operate on May 31st.

Trains will depart from Corris station at 11.00am, 1.00pm and 3.00pm and will be deep cleaned between journeys. Sadly, Covid and distancing requirements will rule out the usual talk and conducted tour of the Maespoeth Junction workshops but trains will stop there for photography and a leg stretch. They will also run on to the current southern limit of the revived section of the line. Following the first two days of operation the trains will then run on Sundays, although the situation will be monitored as to the possibility of extra dates. It is still planned to hold a two day special event on September 4th and 5th.

It will be necessary for would be passengers to book a compartment on a train in advance and compartments will cost twenty five pounds, regardless of the number of people occupying them up to the maximum of eight adults. The occupants should also be from an approved bubble grouping, as appropriate to regulations at the time of travel, or a family. Subject to availability tickets will be available until shortly before departure times. Tickets must be booked in advance via www.corris.co.uk/tickets

The booking system was developed in-house by the Corris Railway webmaster Alf Oxford and his son Mike and no third party platform has been utilised in its setting up or will be involved in its future maintenance. This is invaluable for a small railway and society who are fortunate to have volunteers with the requisite skills in the membership, able and willing to spend many unpaid hours over the work as do engineers and others connected with the CR.

Apart from the bookings the website, www.corris.co.uk carries regularly updated news and photographs of work in progress on the railway, with the latest development being the screening of CR videos directly from YouTube, and also has an online shop facility. Alf has recently stepped down as editor of the quarterly magazine The Corris-Pondent after 25 years at the helm.

The Museum and Shop at Corris will be open but initially no refreshments will be available and payments must be made by card. In addition a one way system for visitors will apply in this area.

With the latest easing of Covid 19 restrictions Corris Railway Society volunteers have been able to resume socially distanced working in the workshops at Maespoeth Junction. One of the first tasks undertaken was completion of the braking system for new build carriage 23 ahead of its planned entry into traffic at the start of the 2021 operating season.

Carriage No. 23 is the third of four new carriages being constructed for the Corris and recreates the appearance of the Victorian/Edwardian era vehicles that once carried passengers in the Dulas Valley. There are however differences to meet 21st Century safety requirements, most notably steel being used in place of wood for the framing of the bodywork. As with carriage No. 21 it has an arc roof, whilst carriage No. 22 has a clerestory. Internally passengers sit on longitudinal seats in two compartments per coach with each compartment seating up to eight adult passengers.

Construction of Carriage No. 24 is advancing in the Maespoeth Junction carriage shed. It will have a clerestory roof and will incorporate a first class observation car portion. Although construction is carried out at the Junction members of the team produce some components in their home workshops ready for final fitting.

It is planned that by the end of 2022 the Corris carriages will be headed by new build steam locomotive Falcon 0-4-2ST No. 10, providing that income from supporters can allow work to progress. At the end of April Corris Railway Society volunteers had completed work on the hinges and opening mechanism for the smokebox door and these were fitted to the door pressing. Volunteers had also begun work on the brake gear.

The main locomotive construction is being carried out at the workshops of Alan Keef Ltd near Ross-on-Wye and there the eccentrics and expansion links were among parts that had been machined and fitted to take the bottom half of the loco closer to completion and demonstration running by means of compressed air. When the inside motion is complete the plan is to make the slide block and fixings to mount the pony truck on the loco then some necessary sections of foot plate followed by a start on mounting the boiler.

Donations towards the cost of constructing locomotive No. 10 can be made via www.corris.co.uk or cheques, payable to Corris Railway, can be sent to Peter Guest, 38 Underwood Close, Callow Hill, Redditch, B97 5YS.

Following successful ongoing fund raising and planning there are significant landmarks with progress for two major projects in the revival of the Corris Railway.

At the end of March the decision was made that the work on the new track layout and platform at Corris station will be carried out between the end of December 2021 and the end of March 2022, the Railway’s closed season. The shortfall in funding of the traverser previously reported has been recovered thanks to generous donations and it will be constructed by Statfold Engineering before moving to the Dulas Valley where it will serve as a very distinctive part of the operations of the Railway. This will be located at the north end of the station site whilst a new point is being ordered for the southern end. Once complete the new loop will allow locomotives to run around their trains at both Corris and Maespoeth Junction. The cost of the winter work will be just short of fifty eight thousand pounds of which fourteen thousand pounds is still required to be raised.

Meanwhile cab components for new build Falcon 0-4-2ST No. 10 have been laser cut by Optimized Metal Fabrications Ltd in Rochester and delivered to a volunteer’s workshop in Nottingham. These will form the main parts of the structure and some sub structures will be temporarily bolted together so that at an appropriate time they can offered up on the loco and checked and trimmed as necessary before riveting. This trial fitting will take place at the workshops of Alan Keef Ltd where the main construction of No. 10 is proceeding as funds are raised. Also at the erection stage plans can be finalised for the bunkers inside the cab which as well as carrying coal will also have to accommodate air brake and communication parts.

Donations towards both the “Falcon” and Corris Station funds can be made online via www.corris.co.uk. Alternatively cheques can be sent to Peter Guest, 38 Underwood Close, Callow Hill, Redditch, B97 5YS for the locomotive or to Corris Railway, Station Yard, Corris, Machynlleth, SY20 9SH for the Station Fund (cheques should be payable to Corris Railway and please indicate for which purpose they are payable).

After Covid-19 led to its cancellation in 2020 the Model Railway Exhibition organised by the Corris Railway Society is scheduled to return on August 28th and 29th, the Saturday and Sunday of the Bank Holiday weekend. This is, of course, subject to the degree of pandemic related restrictions then in force.

Organiser Bill Newton has been able to include a number of exhibitors who were scheduled to attend in 2020 and there will once again be a variety of layouts in different scales and filling different amounts of space in the Hall at Y Plas in Machynlleth. The largest will feature 16mm scale live steam locomotives and derives its inspiration from the world famous Darjeeling – Himalaya Railway.

At the other end of the narrow gauge modelling scales there will be two 009 layouts, one of which occupies a minimal space of four square feet. These minimum size layouts have become a feature of the Corris’ Exhibition and another visitor is a GWR layout in the ever popular OO scale which is designed to fit onto a window sill.

Two other OO layouts, one steam era and one featuring diesel locos, are due to appear whilst O gauge will be present with a layout representing the former LNWR/LMS lines in North Wales. Another part of the North/Mid Wales railway scene will be represented by an N gauge layout including a slate mine, and a further N gauge visitor will depict the North German scene.

Visitors of an older vintage will have toy shop window memories stirred by a Triang TT layout featuring the model range which was in the catalogues between 1957 and 1964. There is a further TT layout due to appear which will also feature vintage equipment from the Margate factory. And as another nod to nostalgia there will be a static display of no less than 50 model lawnmowers.

Trade wise the show will welcome back Nick and Dee Lowe selling railway ephemera and Martin Parry’s huge selection of models both new and second-hand with the majority being OO scale. Kate Packham also returns with her wide selection of jewellery and decorative items made from recycled glass (the organiser’s lady wife usually makes a bee-line for this). The Corris will have a sales stand selling new items relating to the Railway as an extension of the sales counter housed in the Museum building at Corris station where trains should be running along the Dulas Valley on the two days of the Exhibition. A new Corris stand this year will sell a variety of second hand goods, some earmarked for specific projects in the revival of the oldest narrow gauge railway in Mid Wales and some where the purchaser can nominate which part of the project they would wish the purchase price to support.

Refreshments and light snacks are sold and there is a large car park close by. Admission costs £4.00 for adults, £3.50 for seniors £2 for children and £10 for a family (2 adults and 2 children).