Developments on the Corris Railway

More photos showing good progress on the civil engineering front.

https://www.corris.co.uk/news/

 

Another clip on the progress with the southern extension:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NWAUMlj4G9A&ved=2ahUKEwjy1fqeuuPpAhVmURUIHfyhDIgQwqsBMAB6BAgHEAM&usg=AOvVaw0L1zmSgxWX8cKiNKXbMMki

 

Some questions, if you don't mind:
What total quantity of rocks or other fill are needed to complete the new embankment?
Where is all that coming from?
Time scale?
Cost?
What happens to gabions when eventually the wires start to rust through?

 

From personnal experience Gabions are galvanised or treated to reduce rust problems.
They are a common feature to be found in Civil Engineering projects world wide in wet or dry situations.
Not just on rail but road and coastal or river bank retaining structures as well.

I have no connection with the Corris or any Gabion manufacturer.

 

Indeed I realise that they are widely used and that they are galvanised to slow down rusting; but they surely do rust eventually and I was wondering what happens then. I wonder similarly about the wire netting used on some cutting sides to prevent rockfalls or, at worst, to prevent rocks that do fall from reaching the track.

 

I was curious enough to look this up; it seems they last for 50-60 years until the wire rusts through then crumble. However, perhaps by then the fill behind will have compacted.

 

That's exactly what they say on one of the recent videos. By the time the wires rust through the fill is expected to have compacted and stay stable.

 

Yet another clip. This one shows well how those gabions fit into the jigsaw which is the new formation .... and I reckon will answer that question about what happens when the steelwork eventually rusts away (I was wondering about that one too):

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...BMAB6BAgJEAM&usg=AOvVaw0dFf4dxLgaCvgvOcD7hLwZ

 

And an interesting history of the Corris Railway:



Keith

 

Here's something to look forward to for 2021:

https://www.corris.co.uk/news/press...push&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=corris.co.uk

 

Will this be the first meeting since Keefe's attention to No.7?

The report speaks of the return of TR (ex-Corris) saloon No.17 (happy memories of travelling up the TR sat in it's doorway, feet on step board!). This is the first time I've heard a date mentioned and it's great to hear it's completion is evidently closer than I expected.

 

@StoneRoad would be the one to ask about No17

Keith

 

My question in post 123 about the gabions has been answered, thank you, but I had some other questions as well.

And now one more: I assume the new embankment needs to be built up to about the same level as the old formation, so level with the road. Is that correct?

 

Update time. Not the extension this time!
https://www.corris.co.uk/news/photo...june-2020/?utm_source=push&utm_medium=web&utm

Generally, where the line ran alongside the road, it did so level with, or a little below it. This YouTube clip (around 9mins) should give you a fair feel for the route.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2mYPB3-uYdw&ved=2ahUKEwiU6f668vzpAhUpShUIHTZdDRsQwqsBMAB6BAgEEAM&usg=AOvVaw3fl0gMjefuIawlRLVnEeuk
[Clip courtesy "For the love of Steam"]

 

The video ends at 8 mins 59 seconds. Did you mean 2 mins 15 seconds onwards?

 

Looks about right for the section currently being restored (Tan-y-Coed, the southern limit of current aspirations) lies roughly midway between Llwyngwern and Esgairgeliog). The clip (covering a fair proportion of the whole line once served by passenger services) is from years back, long before work began, south of Maespoeth. Of all I've seen online, this gives the best impression of "the lie of the land" and the relationship to the road, but isn't specific to the present 'deviation' site.

 

Construction work on the new steam locomotive for the Corris Railway “Falcon” number 10 has taken some significant steps forward as the “bottom half” at Alan Keef Ltd near Ross-on-Wye continues, with work on the valve and running gear ongoing.

During May the stainless steel smokebox was formed at Barnshaws Plate and Section Rollers in Bilston with a section cut from its front which will act as the baffle plate behind the smokebox door in due course.

The smokebox door “dish” was produced in June by Purdie Dished Ends of Bradford and this extended the links between the West Yorkshire city and the Corris as the boiler for number 10 was built by Israel Newton at an early stage of the new locomotive project. This was prior to the relocation of Newton’s to the Peak District.

The smokebox and door have cost over £1400 to produce but the construction of the smokebox will allow the boiler to be moved with it to Keef’s workshop when the work currently in progress there is completed. Without the smokebox the boiler could not be erected in the frames.

In another part of the project work on CAD drawings for the saddle tank and cab has been progressing. The cab’s appearance will resemble that of the originals carried by the 1878 built “Falcon” trio of engines of the Corris but will stand higher to accommodate 21st Century footplate crews.

As always the date of the entry of number 10 into traffic in the Dulas Valley and on the extended section of running line depends on the rate of fund raising. Online donations 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, Worcestershire, B97 5YS

 

Meanwhile a picture of progress with Number 10 at Alan Keef's.

 

Good ..... innit ! Did you clock the photos (same update) of what must be the longest Corris passenger rake in 90 years? I really liked those!

 

Check back to last October for when the Corris ran a sort of 4 coach train using the metal skeleton of number 24, with skeleletal "passengers" at Halloween time.

For the over eager:- there is still finishing work to be done on 23 before it enters traffic but during lockdown a number of volunteers have done work for that, and 24, in home workshops.