Mounting costs has caused the Corris Railway to temporarily pause work on the new build Falcon steam locomotive No. 10, being constructed by Alan Keef Ltd.
This has not been an easy decision for the Corris to make but from the formative years of the revival it has been Corris Railway Society policy not to spend money that it does not have and only dip into its general funds to complete particularly time sensitive projects.
During 2021 considerable progress had been made on the locomotive with both boiler and cab placed on the frames for checking and modifications to be made as necessary. This followed on from the completion of the rolling chassis, with the wheels and motion being successfully operated by compressed air. Many other components have been completed and are ready for fitting.
However there is much that has still be produced and fitted including cab and boiler fittings and a very visible item, the saddle tank, is still to be manufactured. The recreation of a complex steam locomotive dating from 1878, albeit a small one, has proved costly and time consuming.
Costs have been monitored throughout and projected income had been calculated showing that the target completion date of autumn 2022 was achievable. However, as 2021 was drawing to a close it became clear that with inflation of material prices, the amount of the build still outstanding and some unplanned complexities, costs were rising and funds to hand were rapidly becoming depleted.
As a result, the decision to pause has been made to allow the funds to recover and permit a speedy resumption of the work. There are a number of continuing standing orders providing support and many people have made generous contributions. The Falcon section of the website www.corris.co.uk is where individual donations can be made or cheques payable to Corris Railway can be sent to Peter Guest, 38 Underwood Close, Callow Hill, Reddich, B97 5YS.