Corris Railway
The Corris Railway is a 2 ft 3 in narrow-gauge heritage railway in mid-Wales, running in the Dulas valley between Corris village and Maespoeth on part of the trackbed of one of the oldest narrow-gauge railways in the world — a line that opened as a horse-drawn slate tramway in 1859 and became the direct predecessor of the Talyllyn Railway's locomotive fleet.
The connection to the Talyllyn is fundamental to the Corris's preservation story. When the original Corris Railway closed in August 1948 — following flood damage to a bridge over the Afon Dyfi that British Railways declined to repair — its two surviving locomotives, Sir Haydn and Edward Thomas, were purchased by the newly-formed Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society in 1951. These Kerr Stuart Tattoo class engines became the workhorses of the world's first preserved railway and are still based at the Talyllyn today, connecting the two railways through a direct genealogical link in iron and steel.
The Corris Railway Society was formed in 1966 and the revival of passenger services at Corris itself, on a reopened section of the original trackbed, began in 2002. The railway has since built a new steam locomotive — No. 7 Mersey — to operate the preserved line, with the long-term aim of extending toward Aberllefenni to recover more of the original route through the beautiful Dulas valley.
History
The Corris Railway Society was formed in 1966 to preserve the line's memory and eventually return trains to the trackbed. The first short demonstration section opened in 2002, and steady extension has continued since. The society also operates a museum at Corris station displaying artefacts of the original line. New 2 ft 3 in gauge steam locomotive No. 7, a faithful reproduction built in 2005, is one of the railway's major operating engines.
Original line history
The Corris Railway was opened in 1859 as a horse-drawn tramway serving the slate quarries of the upper Dulas valley, converting to steam haulage in 1879. The line ran approximately 7 miles from Machynlleth on the Cambrian Railways main line northward through the Dulas valley to Aberllefenni, serving several slate quarries along its route. The Corris was absorbed by the GWR in 1930 and subsequently British Railways, which closed the line in August 1948 following flood damage. The closure came almost simultaneously with the Talyllyn Railway's rescue by its preservation society in 1951, and the transfer of the Corris locomotives to the Talyllyn gave the world's first preserved railway the motive power it needed to operate.
Stations and infrastructure
Corris station is the headquarters, with the museum, locomotive shed and workshop. Maespoeth Junction houses the original 1878 engine shed.
Route and stations
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Special events and operations
Steam galas (often joint with Talyllyn), evening trains, photo charters and Santa Specials are run during the operating season.
Visitor information
Corris is signposted from the A487 between Machynlleth and Dolgellau. The Centre for Alternative Technology is nearby.
