Developments on the Corris Railway

Two things annoy me about the CAT website: first, they have no Welsh on it all (apart from a tiny translation of their name). Typical of non-Welsh speakers who come to the heart of the Welsh-speaking area and spread anglicization. At least most of our Welsh NG railways can do better than that!
Second, there's no easy opt-out of all the cookies they want to put on your computer. You can't opt-out without going to a generic google.com website. So much for their leftie pretensions! Can anyone savvy in the regulations let us know whether this is even legal any more?

 

Does it still have a cliff railway that works or is it to look at now

 

It was working last May and AFAIK, still is. The main purpose of my visit.

 

More progress on the southern extension. Great to see at one of all too few places which hasn't ground to a complete standstill:
https://www.corris.co.uk/news/

 

It is great to see progress slowly but surely being made on the railway's extension and general development. Just curious however as to the future prospects of the CR, one being just how far does the railway hope to extend to? I know often going as far as Llwyngwerg has been mentioned, but could it be possible to go even further then that? It would seem to me that eventually reaching Machynlleth could be achievable, and desirable perhaps too seeing as it's a proper town and destination much like Corris itself.

My main other question and perhaps more relevant for the more immediate future pertains to motive power. Would I assume correctly that the railway would like to expand to a 2 train operation at some point? If so then having the Falcon built would of course make this achievable, but only just as it gives little room for time needed for maintenance and such.

So with that in mind, the Corris Railway might need to have a third engine built to ensure while one is being worked on 2 can remain available. Seeing as they've nearly built 2 pretty much already, then I figure building another can't be too difficult. The question would more likely be then, which of the two types used on the railway to be built a second time? A Tattoo or Falcon? Personally I'd go for another Falcon myself, just so much more a better proportioned and generally handsome machine, that's my own opinion anyway.

 

Personally (and if money was no object ;-)) I'd love to think that the CR could slowly buy up the properties adjacent to the track bed heading North. Not in an aggressive way, but more like the L&B approach of "Softly, softly, catchee monkey". Maybe putting the properties into railway use as I suspect that they would be difficult to sell on sans gardens / yards! Not sure what remains further up the line, other than stunning scenery!

As for further south, I know there was a proposal to build a new station at Tan-y-coed as there is room to provide a loop there (on built-up land). Beyond that, I had a feeling that there may be some obstructions from roads and properties. Machynlleth would be wonderful though!

3 Steam loco's? Personally I would have thought 1 plus spare would be adequate for the short / medium term for a 1 train service (or 2 trains on Special Events). The latter may seem overkill for such a short line, however Maespoeth station does seem to have all the makings of a passing point...

I'm sure someone out there knows better, I have asked various other questions on their Facebook page and have received vary prompt and informative replies,

Certainly one to watch!

Take care all
Will

 

I've often wondered about the prospects north of Corris. The problems (well, some of 'em at least) lie in developments at the north end of the old station site, encroachment at Garneddewen and a car park for the housing development (Maes y Orsaf) which totalled the station site at Aberllefenni.

It's a real shame, as the route of the old Ratgoed tramway would (with some judicious attention to extreme curvature, here and there) take the line into an extremely scenic area, beloved of outdoors activities types. As it's actively managed Forestry Commission territory, the possibility of producing torrified biomass pellets has crossed my mind. Unlike king coal, this is a carbon neutral fuel, which I've rattled on about before.

Even with a gun held to my head, I'd have to rate the possibility as somewhere between extremely low and very very low indeed .... certainly in what's left of my lifetime.

Prospects southwards look better though you'll have seen the scale of work involved in reinstating the stretch currently being worked on (in which, the deviation occasioned by road widening at Pont y Goedwig has been the biggest single problem, AFAIK), and there's the obvious issue of Pont Dyfi. There are bound to be flood management considerations on the south side, which may conceivably even benefit the prospects for revival.

 

Regarding the third steam loco, wasn't one of the Kerr Stuart wrecks from Antigua bought by a Corris member for the line?

Cheerz,

Alan

 

That was the story, but there's been no news of it since. I wonder if the owner is restoring it himself or is he saving the pennies to contract it out.
Anyone know or have any updates on the loco?

Keith

 

Regarding extending the line, maybe the society will be content with their current extension? As they are a rural railway I imagine they are not flushed with volunteers or money, so maybe a shorter line is easier to manage and keep viable?

Keith

 

There is a news feature on the extension in one of the monthly magazines just out. In there it states that any northern extension is out of the question as it would involve the demolition of buildings now on the line and removal of a dozen gardens. As lovely as it would be, I do not think it would win any support in Corris or locally. The focus will be on heading south, there is a lot to do there, as well as the redevelopment of Corris station itself.

 

Just seen a wonderful video on YouTube - .

Nice to see so much progress under such strange circumstances elsewhere!

Will

 

Yes, great progress in such unusual times too!

 

Thank you for posting

 

Hear! Hear!

Did you catch sight of the surviving portion of original formation approaching Pont y Goedwig? For the sake of future operations, I suspect that's one 'original feature' ..... as the tightest curve to have survived Major Marindin's (multiple) inspections, 140 odd years ago ...... whose passing won't be unduly lamented, plus it should make for rather easier gravity workings. Can't wait to see how the picnic tables get delivered to Tan-y-Coed!

 

Yes quite possibly right there, certainly a line such as this doesn't need to be all that long, I'm sure they'll go only as far as they deem to be practical to do so.

I'd still stand by my belief that the railway could do with ideal having 3 engines based on the railway, as the you'd surely want 2 at least available for service to share the duties evenly, and thus have a third being worked on to replace one of the 2 when their turn for needing work down comes up. That being said I realize finding another engine that fits their unique gauge is no easy task. Certainly it be most interesting if one of these Kerr Stuart wrecks from Antigua was indeed bought for eventual use on the line.

But that said seeing as the railway has made quite a great track record at this point for successfully building 1 engine (soon to be 2 engines) for their railway, I see no reason why if they so chose they couldn't build a third at some point. And building a third most likely would be more straightforward if not quicker to a degree I'd suspect, seeing as they'd most likely build another Tattoo or Falcon, which at this point they've already got the drawings, patterns, general parts and know how for.

 

Latest photo update of the Southern Extension from the Corris Railway website

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

 

Ni chafodd unrhyw rywogaeth mewn perygl ei niweidio wrth wneud yr estyniad hwn!

 

Glad to hear no species were harmed

 

AFAIK, the lizard fences on the Corris are a 'first' for our movement. I'd not realised (until I saw that video clip, a couple of days ago) that the railway owned the land between the line and the river. I wonder .... what can one do with a flood plain?

I'm really looking forward to hearing small four coupled locos attacking that fearsome gradient ..... and really hoping their spark arresting equipment proves up to snuff!