View source for Corris Railway

{{Short description|Narrow gauge railway in Wales}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
{{Infobox heritage railway
 | name               =  Corris Railway<br><small>''Rheilffordd Corris''</small>|
 | other_name         =  
 | logo               =  Corris-garter.png
 | logo_width         =  120px
 | logo_alt           =  
 | image              =  
 | image_name         =  Corris Railway engine.jpg
 | image_width        =  
 | image_alt          = 
 | caption            =  Locomotive No. 7 at Maespoeth in 2007
 | color              =  Crimson
 | locale             =  Mid-Wales
 | terminus           =  ''(Original)'' [[Machynlleth]] & [[Aberllefenni]]<br />''(Current)'' [[Maespoeth Junction|Maespoeth]] & [[Corris]]|
 | longitude          =  
 | latitude           =  
 | map                =  
 | map_caption        =  
 | map_alt            =  
 | mapsize            =  
 | connections        =  [[Ratgoed Tramway]] at Aberllefenni<br>[[Cambrian Railways]] at Machynlleth<br>Assorted minor quarry tramways
 | linename           =  Corris Railway Company
 | builtby            =  Corris, Machynlleth & River Dovey Tramroad
 | originalopen       =  1859 onwards (as below) <!--This parameter must be filled to avoid loss of headings-->
 | originalgauge      =   {{Track gauge|2ft3in|lk=on}}
 | owned              =  Corris Railway Company Ltd
 | operator           =  Corris Railway Society
 | marks              =  
 | stations           =  2
 | length             =  {{convert|58|chain|m|-1|lk=in}} (operational)
 | preservedgauge     =  {{Track gauge|2ft3in|lk=on}}
 | era                =  
 | com-years          =  1859
 | com-events         =  Opened to freight (horse-drawn)
 | com-years1         =  1878
 | com-events1        =  Locomotive operation commenced
 | com-years2         =  1883
 | com-events2        =  Opened to passengers
 | com-years3         =  1931
 | com-events3        =  Closed to passengers
 | com-years4         =  1948
 | com-events4        =  Closed to freight
 | closedpassengers   =  <!--Do not use on this template-->
 | closed             =  <!--Do not use on this template-->
 | stageyears         =  <!--Do not use on this template-->
 | stage              =  <!--Do not use on this template-->
 | years              =  1966
 | events             =  Supporters' group formed
 | years1             =  1970
 | events1            =  Corris Railway Museum opened
 | years2            =  1971
 | events2           =  Demonstration track laid
 | years3            =  1981
 | events3           =  Maespoeth shed purchased
 | years4            =  2002
 | events4           =  Passenger services restored
 | years5            =  2005
 | events5           =  Steam motive power restored
 | headquarters       =  Maespoeth Junction
 | website            =  https://www.corris.co.uk
 | routemap           =  {{Corris Railway RDT|inline=1}}
 | routemap_name      =  
 | routemap_state     =  
}}
The '''Corris Railway''' ({{langx|cy|Rheilffordd Corris}}) is a [[narrow-gauge railway|narrow gauge]] railway based in [[Corris]] on the border between [[Merionethshire]] (now [[Gwynedd]]) and [[Montgomeryshire]] (now [[Powys]]) in [[Mid-Wales]].

The line opened in 1859 as a horse tramway, running from quays on the [[River Dyfi]] at [[Morben]] and [[Derwenlas]], through the town of [[Machynlleth]] and then following the [[Afon Dulas|Dulas Valley]] north to Corris and on to [[Aberllefenni]]. Branches served the [[Slate industry in Wales|slate quarries]] at [[Corris Uchaf]], [[Aberllefenni Slate Quarry|Aberllefenni]], the isolated quarries around [[Ratgoed]] and quarries along the length of the Dulas Valley. In 1878, the railway was rebuilt and [[steam locomotive]]s were introduced. It was taken over by the [[Great Western Railway]] in 1929 and closed in 1948.

A preservation society was formed in 1966, initially opening a museum at Corris. A short section of line between Corris and [[Maespoeth Junction|Maespoeth]] was re-opened to passengers in 2002. The railway now operates as a [[tourist attraction]]. Two new steam locomotives have been built for the railway, in 2005 and 2023. Two of the original locomotives and some of the original rolling stock are preserved on the nearby [[Talyllyn Railway]].

The railway has the unusual [[track gauge|gauge]] of {{Track gauge|2ft3in|lk=on}} which was shared by only three other public railways in the United Kingdom: the Talyllyn Railway and the short-lived [[Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway]] in Mid Wales, and the [[Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway]] in Scotland.

== History ==
=== Commercial history ===
==== {{anchor|Precursor schemes|1850 to 1858}}Precursor schemes: 1850 to 1858 ====
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Corris Machynlleth and River Dovey Railway Act 1852
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act for making a Railway or Tramroad from the Aberllefenny Slate Quarries in the Parish of Talyllyn in the County of Merioneth to the River Dovey in the Parish of Towyn in the same County, with Branches therefrom; and for other Purposes.
| year                  = 1852
| citation              = [[15 & 16 Vict.]] c. clxvi
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 1 July 1852
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/15-16/166/pdfs/ukla_18520166_en.pdf
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}

[[File:View of Machynlleth.jpeg|thumb|right|Lithograph showing a horse-drawn train on the Corris Railway crossing the Dovey Bridge, probably drawn in the late 1860s]]

Before 1859, slate from the quarries at Corris, Corris Uchaf and Aberllefenni was hauled by horse-drawn carts and sledges to wharves on the banks of the River Dyfi. The first proposal to construct a railway connecting the quarries to the coast came in August 1850, when the owners of the [[Aberllefenni quarries|Aberllefenni]], [[Abercorris quarry|Abercorris]], [[Gaewern quarry|Gaewern]] and Hengae quarries met with engineer Arthur Causton to propose the ''Abercorris and Aberdovey Railway''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Abercorris and Aberdovey Railway |work=Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald |url=https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3598721/3598725/16/ |page=4 |date=17 August 1850}}</ref> By November 1850, the name had changed to the ''Corris, Machynlleth & River Dovey Railway or Tramroad'' which was planned to run down the Dulas Valley and then along the north shore of the Dyfi past [[Pennal]] to Pant Eidal, near the later main-line [[Gogarth railway station|Gogarth Halt]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Corris, Machynlleth and River Dovey Railway or Tramroad |work=Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald |url=https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3598807/3598808/3/ |page=1 |date=16 November 1850}}</ref> A bill was submitted in early 1851, withdrawn, then resubmitted in December. The bill specified the tramroad's gauge as {{convert|2|ft|2+1/2|in|mm|abbr=on}}; due to the narrow gauge selected, the House of Lords committee imposed a restriction in the bill that forbade the use of [[steam locomotive|locomotives]].{{sfn|Johnson|2011|p={{page needed|date=August 2021}}}}

This 1851 scheme was authorised in the '''{{visible anchor|Corris Machynlleth and River Dovey Railway Act 1852}}''' ([[15 & 16 Vict.]] c. clxvi) but was not constructed, and was followed by two further proposals in the early 1850s. Following the plans for a {{Track gauge|uksg|allk=on}} railway along the Dyfi valley, these early proposals were shelved.{{sfn|Boyd|1965|pages=20–21}}

{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Corris, Machynlleth, and River Dovey Tramroad Act 1858
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act for making a Tramroad from the Aberllefenny Slate Quarries in the Parish of Talyllun in the County of Merioneth to the River Dovey in the Parish of Llanfihangel-Geneu'r-Glyn in the County of Cardigan, with Brandies therefrom; and for other Purposes.
| year                  = 1858
| citation              = [[21 & 22 Vict.]] c. xcv
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 12 July 1858
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = 
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
In December 1857, a fourth bill was set before Parliament to create the ''Corris, Machynlleth and River Dovey Tramroad'' (CM&RDT). This was similar to the 1851 scheme, except that it proposed to cross the Dyfi near Machynlleth and then follow the south bank of the river, and proposed a tramway from the "machine house" (i.e. the slate mill) at Aberllefenni, down to the wharf at "Cae Goch on the River Dovey" (Cae Goch was near to the later main line [[Glandyfi]] station). The gauge specified for the tramroad was increased to {{RailGauge|2ft3in}}, and the same restriction forbidding locomotives was imposed. This bill was passed on 12 July 1858, becoming the '''{{visible anchor|Corris, Machynlleth, and River Dovey Tramroad Act 1858}}''' ([[21 & 22 Vict.]] c. xcv).{{sfn|Johnson|2011|p={{page needed|date=August 2021}}}}

==== {{anchor|The Tramroad Era|1858 to 1878}}The Tramroad Era: 1858 to 1878 ====
After more than eight years of proposals, the 1859 scheme was the one that was built. Construction proceeded quickly, and by April 1859 the tramroad opened between Machynlleth and Corris.{{sfn|Johnson|2011|p={{page needed|date=August 2021}}}} The section from Aberllefenni to Corris was built later that year.<ref>{{cite news |journal=Chester Chronicle |title=Montgomeryshire and Merionethshire |page=4 |date=30 July 1859}}</ref> The section from Machynlleth to [[Morben]] was opened later. It is thought that the tramroad never extended beyond Morben.{{sfn|Johnson|2011|p={{page needed|date=August 2021}}}}<ref name=mrfs>{{cite journal |title=Corris Railway Stations at Machynlleth Before Steam |journal=[[Narrow Gauge and Industrial Railway Modelling Review]] |last1=MRFS |first2=Dan |last2=Quine |author-link2=Dan Quine |publisher=RCL Publications |issue=139 |date=July 2024}}</ref>

On 3 January 1863, the standard gauge [[Newtown and Machynlleth Railway]] had opened, followed on 1 July of the same year by the [[Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway]]'s (A&WCR) line from Machynlleth to [[Borth]]. These two lines became part of the [[Cambrian Railways]] by August 1865. The opening of the standard gauge line to Borth made the section of the {{abbr|CM&RDT|Corris, Machynlleth and River Dovey Tramroad}} from Machynlleth to Morben obsolete. It was much easier to transship slates to the main line at Machynlleth and most of the lower section of the tramway was abandoned, probably in 1869.<ref name=mrfs/>

{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Corris Railway Act 1864
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act to authorize the Corris, Machynlleth, and River Dovey Tramroad Company to make a new Railway; to abandon Part of their existing Undertaking; to amend their Act; and for other Purposes.
| year                  = 1864
| citation              = [[27 & 28 Vict.]] c. ccxxv
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 25 July 1864
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = {{ubli|Corris, Machynlleth, and River Dovey Tramroad Act 1858}}
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
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| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/27-28/225/pdfs/ukla_18640225_en.pdf
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
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In 1862, a new bill was deposited, seeking to extend the [[Upper Corris Tramway]] to iron ore mines at '''Tir Stent''', near the [[pub]] at ''Cross Foxes''. The bill also sought powers to raise further capital for the tramroad and allow the use of locomotives. But the directors of the {{abbr|A&WCR|Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway}} objected and the bill failed.{{sfn|Johnson|2011|p={{page needed|date=August 2021}}}} Another similar bill was deposited in December 1863, and again the {{abbr|A&WCR|Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway}} opposed it. This time, however, they withdrew their objection; the {{abbr|CM&RDT|Corris, Machynlleth and River Dovey Tramroad}} company had been acquired by [[Thomas Savin]], who was the principal contractor in the construction of the tramroad, and Savin had offered to sell the company to the {{abbr|A&WCR|Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway}}.{{sfn|Johnson|2011|p={{page needed|date=August 2021}}}} The second bill passed on 25 July as the '''{{visible anchor|Corris Railway Act 1864}}''' ([[27 & 28 Vict.]] c. ccxxv); it formally converted the tramroad to a railway changing the company's name to the ''Corris Railway Company'', allowed the use of [[steam locomotive]]s and allowed the abandonment of the section west of Ffynnon Garsiwn in Machynlleth.{{sfn|Boyd|1965|page=23}}

In 1863, a new transshipment wharf was built at {{stnlnk|Machynlleth|Corris Railway}} to allow slate to be loaded from {{abbr|CM&RDT|Corris, Machynlleth and River Dovey Tramroad}} waggons into standard gauge wagons. Passenger and goods trains continued to run to Machynlleth Town station on the west side of Machynlleth, with some slate trains continuing to the wharfs at Morben.<ref name=mrfs/>

It took until the 1870s for work to begin to upgrade the Corris Railway to a standard where locomotives could be used. The original tramroad was laid with light [[bridge rail (rail)|bridge rail]] suitable for waggons <!-- Please note that 'waggon' is the correct contemporary local spelling--> to traverse as they were pulled by horses. These rails would not support the weight of much heavier steam locomotives.{{sfn|Boyd|1965|page=24}} Although the Corris Railway Act 1864 did not permit passengers to be carried, a timetabled passenger service was started in 1872.<ref name=early-passenger/> In 1874, a new goods warehouse and horse stable was built besides the transshipment wharves at Machynlleth, this was later converted to form the first passenger station here.<ref name=mrfs/>

In 1878, control of the railway passed to the [[Imperial Tramways Company]] of London. The new owners ordered new [[Passenger car (rail)|passenger carriages]] for the railway.{{sfn|Boyd|1965|page=24}} They also appointed Joseph R. Dix, son of the main-line stationmaster at Machynlleth, as Manager in succession to David Owen.

==== {{anchor|The Dix Years|1879 to 1906}}The Dix Years: 1879 to 1907 ====
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Corris Railway Act 1880
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act to amend the Corris, Machynlleth, and River Dovey Tramroad Act, 1858, and the Corris Railway Act, 1864, and to confer further powers upon the Corris Railway Company; and for other purposes.
| year                  = 1880
| citation              = [[43 & 44 Vict.]] c. liv
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 9 July 1880
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
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| replaces              = 
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| repealing_legislation = 
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| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/43-44/54/pdfs/ukla_18800054_en.pdf
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Corris Railway Act 1883
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act to enable the Corris Railway Company to use their Railways for Passenger Traffic and for other purposes.
| year                  = 1883
| citation              = [[46 & 47 Vict.]] c. xxxiv
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 18 June 1883
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
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[[File:Historic Corris Railway at Machynlleth.jpg|thumb|Locomotive No.1 with a train at Machynlleth, in the 1890s]]

Two new acts, the '''{{visible anchor|Corris Railway Act 1880}}''' ([[43 & 44 Vict.]] c. liv) and the '''{{visible anchor|Corris Railway Act 1883}}''' ([[46 & 47 Vict.]] c. xxxiv) were obtained which adjusted the tolls on the railway and permitted the carriage of passengers. The second of these acts was necessary because the owners of the quarries served by the railway objected that passenger trains would interfere with their mineral traffic. Initially the railway ran a test passenger service on the local roads; this proved to be so popular that they were able to pass the act of Parliament over the opposition of the quarry owners. It was also the first instance of a long history of the Corris Railway operating passenger road services in the area.{{sfn|Boyd|1965|pages=24–25}}

In December 1878 the first [[steam locomotive]] purchased from the [[Hughes Locomotive Company]] arrived.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Wrexham Guardian |title=New Locomotives |date=14 December 1878}}</ref> By February 1879 it had been joined by the other two that had been ordered and all three had begun work. Although the carriages arrived in 1878 it was not until 1883 that the Corris Railway Act 1883 was secured to allow the formal commencement of passenger services.{{sfn|Boyd|1965|pages=24–25}} A semi-official passenger service had been running since the early 1870s using adapted waggons <!-- Please note that 'waggon' is the correct contemporary local spelling--> to convey quarry workers and visitors.

The line was now in its settled form and began to operate a full service under Dix's energetic management. The railway was widely promoted to visitors as the best route to [[Tal-y-llyn Lake]] and [[Cader Idris]] (ignoring the claims of the rival Talyllyn Railway). The initial passenger service ran from {{stnlnk|Machynlleth|Corris Railway}} to {{rws|Corris}}, with new stations at {{rws|Esgairgeiliog}} and {{rws|Llwyngwern}} opening in 1884. The track was upgraded beyond Corris so that passenger services could reach the line's northern terminus at {{rws|Aberllefenni}}, with services starting on 25 August 1887, and in the same year stations were also opened at {{rws|Ffridd Gate}} and {{rws|Garneddwen}}.{{sfn|Boyd|1965|pages=24–25}}

[[File:Grand Tour Charabancs.jpg|thumb|Horse-drawn charabancs owned by the Corris Railway pass [[Tal-y-llyn Lake]] on the "[[Grand Tour (Corris Railway)|Grand Tour]]"]]

The railway developed a network of horse-hauled road services, including providing a link between Corris station and [[Abergynolwyn railway station|Abergynolwyn station]] on the Talyllyn Railway. This was promoted as part of a circular "[[Corris Railway Grand Tour|Grand Tour]]" which took in the two narrow gauge railways and the Cambrian service between [[Tywyn]] and Machynlleth.

In 1892, control of Imperial Tramways moved to [[Bristol]] and [[Sir George White, 1st Baronet|George White]] of [[Bristol Omnibus Company|Bristol Tramways]] became chairman and [[Clifton Robinson]] became managing director.<ref>Corris Railway Society Journal 1992 & 1993</ref> In the 1900s, Bristol motor buses were sent by the parent company to run the road services.

The closure of [[Braichgoch Slate Mine|Braichgoch Quarry]] in 1906 brought the railway its first loss, and although the line continued on through subsequent decades, serving the quarries around [[Corris]] and [[Aberllefenni]], it never again showed a profit. The bridge over the River Dyfi was rebuilt that year replacing the second timber viaduct with a steel bridge on slate piers.<ref>{{cite news |title=Corris. New Railway Bridge |work=The Aberystwith Observer |date=1 November 1906 |page=4}}</ref>

==== {{anchor|Decline|1906 to 1930}}Decline: 1907 to 1930 ====
Following a dispute with the directors, Dix was dismissed in June 1907,<ref>{{cite news |title=Machynlleth |work=Montgomeryshire Echo|date=15 June 1907 |page=8}}</ref> and replaced by John J O'Sullivan (formerly of the [[Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway]]). A new station building at Machynlleth was completed towards the end of 1907.<ref>{{cite news |title=Corris. A new railway station |work=The Aberystwith Observer |date=19 September 1907 |page=2}}</ref> As well as slate and passengers, the line hauled timber extracted from the Dyfi forest in the 1910s through 1930s. There was also a constant traffic in coal and general goods to the quarries and communities served by the railway.

After [[World War I]], the decline in slate traffic continued as cheaper foreign slate and alternative [[roof|roofing materials]] became popular. O'Sullivan had died in office in 1917; the parent company's Secretary, Frederick H Withers, acted as manager until a new manager, Daniel J McCourt (who had worked on Imperial's [[Middlesbrough, Stockton and Thornaby Electric Tramways Company|Middlesbrough]] system until that was taken over by the local municipality) took over in 1921 and was responsible for developing and extending the connecting bus services as partial compensation for the decline in rail traffic.

==== {{anchor|Takeover and nationalisation|1931 to 1948}}Takeover and nationalisation: 1931 to 1948 ====

In late 1929, Imperial Tramways sold the Corris to the [[Great Western Railway]] (GWR), who by that time were the owners of the main line serving Machynlleth, whose primary interest was taking control of the railway's bus routes. After running a bus in direct competition with the railway in 1930, the railway's passenger service was withdrawn at the beginning of 1931. While the {{abbr|GWR|Great Western Railway}} did not relish owning another Welsh narrow gauge line, they did perform some track maintenance, and on at least two occasions the rolling stock was repainted.<ref name=Quine/>

On 1 January 1948, the line was nationalised along with its parent company, becoming part of [[British Rail]]ways (BR). While the {{abbr|GWR|Great Western Railway}} had tolerated the Corris, {{abbr|BR|British Railways}} was looking for an excuse to close the loss making railway. In August 1948, that excuse came when the River Dyfi flooded. The waters began to undermine the Corris Railway embankment on the south side of the Dovey Bridge, and although the track was never breached, it was the excuse that {{abbr|BR|British Railways}} needed to close the line. The last train ran on 20 August 1948 and the following day the railway was closed, without notice. The Aberllefenni to Corris section was lifted in November 1948, and 10 tons of the rail was purchased by [[Henry Haydn Jones]] for use on his Talyllyn Railway. By the end of 1950, track lifting had reached Machynlleth station.<ref name=Quine>{{cite magazine| title=Not to be: The sad end of the Corris Railway |magazine=Heritage Railway |volume=220 |last=Quine |first=Dan |author-link=Dan Quine}}</ref>

In 1951, the Talyllyn Railway became the first railway in the world to be [[heritage railway|preserved]]. The Talyllyn purchased the two remaining locomotives, which had been stored out of use at Machynlleth, along with several goods waggons <!-- Please note that 'waggon' is the correct contemporary local spelling--> and the brake van – see ''[[List of Talyllyn Railway rolling stock]]''. In 1958, the Talyllyn also purchased one of the Corris carriages, which had been in use as a summerhouse in a garden in [[Gobowen]].<ref>{{Cite book| title=Narrow Gauge Railways in Profile No. 1: Talyllyn Railway Locomotives & Rolling Stock| last1=Bate| first1=John| last2=Mitchell| first2=David| last3=Adams| first3=Nigel| publisher=Cheona Publications| year=2003| page=57| isbn=1-900298-21-X}}</ref>

=== Preservation ===
==== {{anchor|Early days|1966 to 1980}}Early days: 1966 to 1980 ====
[[File:Corris No 7 - 2006-10-28.jpg|thumb|The Corris Railway's own steam locomotive, No. 7, at Corris on 28 October 2006]]

In the early 1960s a group of volunteers from the Talyllyn Railway, led by Alan Meaden, began visiting Corris. They wanted to establish a museum for the line and formed '''The Corris Society''' in December 1966. Another group, the '''Corris Railway Preservation Society''', was set up in the West Midlands around the same time. The two groups merged, forming the '''Corris Railway Society''' in 1968<ref name=lazarus>{{cite news |first=Cliff |last=Thomas |title=LAZARUS LINES: Rebirth Of The Corris Railway |work=The Railway Magazine |url=https://www.railwaymagazine.co.uk/2855/lazarus-lines-rebirth-of-the-corris-railway/ |date=8 August 2017}}</ref> with the aim of preserving what was left of the railway, opening a dedicated museum, and to explore reviving some or all of the line. Many of the founding members of the Society were volunteers on the Talyllyn.

Other than at Aberllefenni and Braichgoch quarries, no rails remained in situ along the Corris route. Initially the Society sought to purchase Machynlleth station for its museum,<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Corris Society hopes to buy building|date=May 1968 |magazine=[[The Railway Magazine]] |page=306}}</ref> but when this proved impossible it turned its sights elsewhere. The main buildings of Corris station were demolished in 1968 leaving only the adjacent railway stable block standing, and these buildings – badly in need of maintenance – were acquired, along with a short section of trackbed leading southwards. In 1970 the first part of the building was opened as the '''Corris Railway Museum'''. A short length of "demonstration" track was laid in 1971.

During the 1970s, the Society undertook lengthy negotiations with the relevant authorities to establish the requirements for re-opening the line for passengers, while steadily building up funds and equipment In 1974, planning permission was received to re-open the line from Maespoeth Junction to Corris station.<ref name=lazarus/> A new '''Corris Railway Company''', reviving the original name, was incorporated to act as the Society's trading and operating arm, while the Society achieved charitable status. The Museum was extended as more of the building was returned to satisfactory condition.

==== {{anchor|Restoring from Maespoeth|1981 to 2001}}Restoring from Maespoeth: 1981 to 2001 ====
[[File:Maespoeth.jpeg|thumb|right|Maespoeth shed in the early 1980s]]

In 1981 the line's original locomotive shed at Maespoeth was acquired and became the railway's operational base. During the 1980s light track was laid between Maespoeth and Corris, a distance of just under a mile (1.6&nbsp;km). The formal "first train" back to Corris ran on 24 April 1985.<ref name=lazarus/> In the following years the track was upgraded to passenger standards while negotiations with the authorities continued.

==== {{anchor|Passenger Services resume|2002 to present}}Passenger services resume: 2002 to present ====
In the summer of 2002, passenger services resumed after a break of seventy-two years, initially diesel-hauled. The railway built a new steam locomotive, to a design based on the [[Kerr Stuart]] No. 4, which arrived on the railway on 17 May 2005 and runs as No. 7 (the Corris Railway never officially named its locomotives). No. 7 went into service on 20 August 2005, fifty-seven years to the day since the last train on the original railway, and now hauls the regular passenger service between Corris and Maespoeth.

The railway is also actively pursuing a southwards extension towards Machynlleth, with the initial aim of extending the line to Tan-y-Coed, midway between [[Esgairgeiliog]] and [[Llwyngwern]] and some 2{{frac|1|2}} miles south of Corris. As always, this is involving lengthy negotiations with the authorities, not least due to the line south of Maespoeth running immediately adjacent to the A487 trunk road. While these are continuing the railway has consolidated its facilities at Maespoeth with the construction of a new two-road carriage shed in the adjacent field (the original carriage sheds at Corris and Machynlleth having been demolished). In 2015 work began on building the new diversion embankment to enable the southerly extension.

During 2009, the railway marked the 150th anniversary of the first train on the Corris with a series of events, including demonstration horse-worked freight trains and gravity runs of rakes of waggons.

[[File:Corris Railway No. 10 - September 2023.jpg|thumb|right|Locomotive No. 10 on the traverser at Corris Station in 2023]]

The revived Corris Railway has maintained friendly links with the Talyllyn Railway, which resulted in both of the original Corris locos and rolling stock returning to the railway. In 1996 ex-Corris loco No. 4 returned to celebrate its 75th anniversary. In 2003, ex-Corris loco No. 3 returned on the occasion of its 125th anniversary with a heritage train of carriage No. 17, brake van No. 6 and two trucks. Corris No. 5 visited the Talyllyn Railway in 1983 and 1990,<ref>{{Cite book| last=Bate| first=John| title=The Chronicles of Pendre Sidings| publisher=RailRomances| year=2001| isbn=1-900622-05-X| page=205}}</ref> and No. 7 in October 2011.<ref name=TR7>{{cite web| title=Corris No 7 Visit – 7th and 8th October 2011| url=http://www.talyllyn.co.uk/news/corris-no-7-visit-7th-and-8th-october-2011| website=Talyllyn Railway| date=8 October 2011| access-date=8 November 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111023002208/http://www.talyllyn.co.uk/news/corris-no-7-visit-7th-and-8th-october-2011| archive-date=23 October 2011| url-status=dead}}</ref> It hauled a few charter trains and played a part in the TR's Corris Weekend, when it ran with the two surviving ex Corris engines; No. 4 (''Edward Thomas'') and No. 3 (''Sir Haydn'') and stock.

Both the surviving original locomotives have visited the Corris since its reopening. In 2012, No. 3 featured in a steam Gala over May Bank Holiday weekend along with the railway's resident steam loco No. 7. No. 3's boiler ticket expired on 17 May 2012 and the loco was on static display at Maespoeth until February 2013, when the loco left the Corris to tour heritage railways and museums in the UK to raise awareness of the Talyllyn and to raise funds for its overhaul.

== About the railway ==
[[File:Corris Station 1890s.jpg|thumb|right|Corris station in the 1890s]]

The Corris Railway had several unusual features:

*The {{Track gauge|2ft3in}} gauge is rare, shared by only three other public lines in the UK: the nearby [[Talyllyn Railway]] and [[Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway]] and the [[Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway]] in Scotland. The Glyn Valley Tramway between Chirk and Pontfaen is being rebuilt to 2ft 3in to allow for stock transfer at gala events.
*Its origins as a horse tramroad and ascent through the narrow and winding Dulas valley meant it had exceptionally tight curves. Its original passenger carriages were simple 4-wheelers derived from urban horse-drawn tramway designs with end balconies; they rode poorly and were quickly rebuilt into longer bogie carriages by placing two of the original bodies end-to-end on a longer underframe.
*The stations were exceptionally narrow, again because of the geography of the line, and all were on the east side of the rails, so the carriages and locomotives had doors on that side only, as on the Talyllyn Railway.
*The vertical trestle waggons for carrying large slabs of slate from the quarries were also rarely found on other railways, notable exceptions being the [[Ffestiniog Railway]] and the nearby [[Hendre-Ddu Tramway]].
*Corris Station and the original Machynlleth Station had overall roofs, features which were rare on a British narrow gauge railway.{{sfn|Boyd|1965|page=36}} At Corris, the roof was over the main running line and trains for Aberllefenni passed under it; at Machynlleth the rear of the train rested under the station roof while the front was in the open air. The original Machynlleth station was demolished and replaced in 1907 with the building that still stands alongside the A487 trunk road north of the main-line railway overbridge. The track bed continued under the main-line railway overbridge alongside Heol Y Doll, through its own arch that was closed with stone blocks until it was re-opened in 2023/24 as part of the new Dyfi bridge project. Beyond the overbridge, a Texaco petrol station is sited on the former route.

{{clear}}

== Route ==
[[File:Corris Railway map (2024).jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|right|Map of the Corris Railway]]

=== Stations and halts ===
* '''[[Morben]]''' Cei (or Quay) Ward was the wharf on the River Dyfi that was the main [[transshipment point]] for the original tramroad. Closed in 1869. An extension of the line beyond Cei Ward was planned, but never built.<ref name=mrfs/>
* '''[[Derwenlas]]''' at the Cei Tafarn Isa and Cei Ellis wharves on the River Dyfi . Closed in 1863 when the river wharves were cut off by the construction of the [[Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway]].<ref name=mrfs/>
* '''{{stnlink|Machynlleth Town}}''' the original passenger and goods station, opened around 1860. Closed between 1874 and 1880, when it was replaced by the passenger station at {{stnlnk|Machynlleth}}.<ref name=mrfs/>
* '''{{stnlnk|Machynlleth|Corris Railway}}''', from 1878 the southern passenger terminus serving the town of [[Machynlleth]]. This was the main slate transshipment point following the building of [[Cambrian Railways]] yard. The passenger station was an [[interchange station|interchange]] with the Cambrian Railways station, and was rebuilt in 1904. At various times there were horse stables, a carriage shed and two signal boxes. The trackbed here is now covered by an industrial estate, but the station building survives.<ref name=mrfs/>
* '''{{stnlnk|Ffridd Gate}}''' for [[Llanwrin]] village and the small hamlet of Fridd. The station was situated beside the railway's [[Level crossing]] over the [[B roads in Zone 4 of the Great Britain numbering scheme#4 digits (44xx)|B4404 road]].
* {{stnlnk|Doldderwen Crossing}}, an unofficial stopping point, in the Ffridd Woods.
* {{stnlnk|Lliwdy}}, an unofficial stopping point, slightly closer to Pantperthog village than Llwyngwern station.
* '''{{stnlnk|Llwyngwern}}''' serving [[Pantperthog]] village and the ''Plas Llyn-gwern'' house, on the opposite side of the valley.
* '''{{stnlnk|Tan y Coed}}''', serving the Tan-y-Coed [[Natural Resources Wales]] picnic site. This station never existed on the original railway (neither did the picnic site), but is proposed as a major station and temporary terminus of the revived railway.
* '''{{stnlnk|Esgairgeiliog}}''' serving [[Esgairgeiliog]] village - also known as Ceinws - on the opposite side of the Dulas River.
* {{stnlnk|Pont Evans}} signalled level crossing and unofficial stopping point.
* '''[[Maespoeth Junction]]''' the locomotive and carriage shed, with no passenger station before preservation. The site housed a signal box until the Second World War, which controlled the points for the junction with the [[Upper Corris Tramway]] and points in the yard. Maespoeth is the current southern terminus of the preserved railway.
* '''Corris''', the railway's primary northern station serving [[Corris]] village. As well as the station building, there was a stable, a parcel office, and a carriage shed. There was a signal box here until the Second World War, which controlled points in the yard. Corris station is the northern terminus of the preserved railway.
* '''{{stnlnk|Garneddwen}}''', serving the hamlet of [[Garneddwen]] – a row of [[Aberllefenni quarry]] workers' housing. The trackbed here is now an access road for the hamlet.
* '''{{stnlnk|Aberllefenni}}''', the northern passenger terminus serving the village of [[Aberllefenni]]. A narrow station, perched on a steep slope. The site is now covered by a housing estate.

=== Branch lines and tramways ===
The Corris Railway had numerous branch lines, mainly built to serve the slate quarries along its route. The principal branches were:

* The [[Llwyngwern quarry tramway]], at {{rws|Llwyngwern}}.
* The [[Era quarry tramway]] at {{rws|Esgairgeiliog}}.
* The [[Upper Corris Tramway]] from {{rws|Maespoeth Junction}} serving [[Braichgoch slate mine]] and quarries surrounding [[Corris Uchaf]].
* The [[Y Magnus|Matthew's Mill Siding]] near {{rws|Aberllefenni}} serving the slate enamelling works known at different times as Y Magnus and Matthew's mill.
* The [[Aberllefenni quarry tramway]] connecting the slate mill with three quarries.
* The [[Ratgoed Tramway]] north of {{rws|Aberllefenni}} serving [[Cymerau Quarry]] and [[Ratgoed Quarry]].

Only the Aberllefenni Quarry tramway may have been locomotive worked, and in the 1960s and 1970s a tractor was used to haul waggons along it. The rest of these branches were operated by gravity and horses.

Other temporary branches were built to aid forestry works from the [[First World War]] until the 1930s.

=== Quarries served ===
The principal reason for the existence of the Corris Railway was to serve the slate quarries of this district. Although usually referred to as quarries, those on the [[Narrow Vein]] were usually underground mine workings, following the course of the vein, while those on the [[Broad Vein]] were more usually opencast quarries. The outliers in the south of the valley were also opencast. This list shows the main quarries that the railway served:

* [[Morben quarry]] - an early quarry that was connected to the CM&RDT by an incline
* [[Ogo Fach Quarry]] - an early quarry connected to the CM&RDT by a short tramway through a tunnel.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Anthony |last=Coulls |author-link=Anthony Coulls |title=The Corris, Machyhlleth and River Dovey Tramroad |journal=Early Railways |volume=3 |year=2006}}</ref>
* [[Llwyngwern quarry]] – connected to {{rws|Llwyngwern}} by its own tramway
* [[Rhiw'r Gwreiddyn quarry]] – not directly connected, but slate was carted to {{rws|Esgairgeiliog}} and loaded onto Corris trains.
* [[Era quarry]] – connected to {{rws|Esgairgeiliog}} by its own tramway
* [[Abercorris quarry]] – connected to [[Maespoeth Junction]] by the [[Upper Corris Tramway]]
* [[Gaewern quarry]] – connected to the Upper Corris Tramway, subsequently worked together with Braichgoch.
* [[Braichgoch quarry]] – connected to the Upper Corris Tramway
* [[Abercwmeiddaw quarry]] – the main Broad Vein quarry in the Corris area. Connected to the Upper Corris Tramway.
* [[Aberllefenni quarries]] – connected via internal tramway at [[Aberllefenni]]
* [[Cambergi quarry]] – not directly connected, but output carried by cart to Aberllefenni
* [[Cymerau quarry]] – connected to the [[Ratgoed Tramway]]
* [[Ratgoed quarry]] – connected to the Ratgoed Tramway

The railway also served [[Y Magnus]] (Matthew's Mill), a slate enamelling works situated between Aberllefenni and Garneddwen with its own tramway.

== Locomotives ==

=== Original railway ===
Three locomotives were supplied in 1878, and partially rebuilt between 1883 and 1900 from {{whyte|0-4-0|ST}}s to {{whyte|0-4-2|ST}}s. By the 1920s the locomotives were badly worn. A new locomotive, No. 4, was supplied in 1921. In 1923, parts from Nos. 1 and 3 were combined to produce one working locomotive, which carried the number 3. The remaining original locomotive, No 2, was held in reserve until 1928. A report dated 12 October 1929 stated that locomotives 1 and 2 had been "marked off for some time as scrap" and the remains of both engines were handed over to a local scrap merchant and excluded from the assets taken over by the GWR.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/3-4-0-4-2st-corris-railway-narrow-gauge/ |title=0-4-2ST Corris Railway |website=Preserved British Steam Locomotives |date=18 June 2017 |access-date=17 December 2018}}</ref>

The locomotives that ran on the original Corris Railway between 1878 and 1948 (none carried names on the Corris) were:

{|class="wikitable"
!Number
!Image
!Builder
!scope="col" style="width: 65px;" | Wheel arrangement
!Works Number
!Built
!Notes
!Current Status
!Current location
|-
|1
|[[File:Historic Corris Railway at Machynlleth.jpg|150px]]
|[[Hughes Locomotive Company]], in [[Falcon Works]]
|{{Whyte|0-4-2|ST}}
|324
|1878
|Originally built as an {{Whyte|0-4-0|ST}}, scrapped 1930
|Scrapped
|N/A
|-
|2
|
|Hughes [[Falcon Works]]
|{{Whyte|0-4-2|ST}}
|322
|1878
|Originally built as an {{Whyte|0-4-0|ST}}, scrapped 1930
|Scrapped
|N/A
|-
|[[Sir Haydn (locomotive)|3]]
|[[File:Sir Haydn on Corris Railway - 2012-05-07 (cropped).jpg|150px]]
|Hughes [[Falcon Works]]
|{{Whyte|0-4-2|ST}}
|323
|1878
|Originally built as an {{Whyte|0-4-0|ST}}. In 1927 it was rebuilt using parts from all three Hughes locomotives. Purchased by the [[Talyllyn Railway]] in 1951, and named [[Sir Haydn (locomotive)|''Sir Haydn'']].
|Operational
|Talyllyn Railway
|-
|[[Edward Thomas (locomotive)|4]]
|[[File:Talyllyn Railway No. 4 Edward Thomas - 2006-10-21.jpg|150px]]
|[[Kerr Stuart]]
|{{Whyte|0-4-2|ST}}
|4047
|1921
|Tattoo class locomotive, purchased by the Talyllyn Railway in 1951. Then given the name [[Edward Thomas (locomotive)|''Edward Thomas'']].
|Operational
|Talyllyn Railway
|}

=== Preserved railway ===
Locomotives brought to the restored Corris Railway since 1967 have been numbered in the original locomotive numbering series, from 5 onwards. They are:

{|class="wikitable"
!Number
!Image
!Name
!Builder
!scope="col" style="width: 65px;" | Wheel arrangement
!Works Number
!Built
!Notes
!Current Status
!Passenger<br/>train&nbsp;certified<br/>(Air braked)
|-
|{{anchor|No.5|Number 5|Alan Meaden}}5
|[[File:Corris No 5 - 2012-05-07.jpg|150px]]
|''Alan Meaden''
|[[Motor Rail]] Simplex
|{{whyte|4w|DM}}
|22258
|1965
|Purchased in 1974, ex-Staveley Lime Products, Hindlow, Derbys.<br/>Formerly {{Track gauge|2ft}} gauge. Named in honour of the Society's founder.
|Operational
|No
|-
|{{anchor|No.6|Number 6}}6
|[[File:Corris No 6 - 2012-05-07.jpg|150px]]
|
|[[Ruston (engine builder)|Ruston and Hornsby]]
|{{whyte|4w|DH}}
|518493
|1966
|Purchased in 1982, ex-British Copper Refiners, Prescot, Merseyside. Converted from {{Track gauge|2ft6in}} gauge.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Diesel for Corris |magazine=[[The Railway Magazine]] |page=374 |date=August 1982}}</ref>
|Operational
|Yes
|-
|{{anchor|No.7|Number 7}}7
|[[File:Corris No 7 - 2006-10-28.jpg|150px]]
|
|[[Winson Engineering]] <br>and Drayton Designs
|{{whyte|0-4-2|ST}}
|17
|2005
|Built for the railway, based on the Kerr Stuart "Tattoo" class design of No. 4
|Operational
|Yes
|-
|{{anchor|No.8|Number 8}}8
|
|
|[[Hunslet Engine Company|Hunslet]]
|{{whyte|4w|DM}}
|7274
|1973
|Ex-Houghton Main Colliery, Barnsley. On long-term loan from the [[National Coal Mining Museum]]
|Not economically restorable so returned to owners
|No
|-
|{{anchor|No.9|Number 9|Aberllefeni}}9
|[[File:Corris Railway Locomotive No.9 "Aberllefenni".jpg|150px]]
|''Aberllefenni''
|[[Clayton Equipment Company|Clayton]]
|{{whyte|4w|BE}}
|B0457
|1974
|Ex-[[Aberllefenni Slate Quarry]]. Donated and named by [[Wincilate Ltd]]
|Operational
|No
|-
|{{anchor|No.10|Number 10}}10
|
[[File:Corris Railway No10 New Build Falcon Loco.jpg|150px]]
|
|Alan Keef Ltd and Corris Railway
|{{whyte|0-4-2|ST}}
| 91
|2022<ref>{{cite news |title=Corris Railway received new steam locomotive Falcon on Wednesday the 30th of August 2023|publisher=RailAdvent |first=Roger |last=Smith |url=https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2022/03/corris-railway-plans-for-new-steam-locomotive-falcon-to-be-in-steam-this-september.html |date=14 March 2022}}</ref>
|Based on the original Hughes locomotives. Built by Alan Keef Ltd and members of the Corris Railway Society.
|Operational
|Yes
|-
|{{anchor|No.11|Number 11}}11
|
|''Vlad''
|[[Orenstein & Koppel]]
|{{whyte|0-4-0|DH}}
|25721
|1957
|Purchased in 2015 from Austria, rewired, regauged and repainted in Romania May 2015
|Operational
|Yes
|}
{{clear}}

=== Usage ===
{{As of|2023}}, locomotives 7 and 10 are the only steam engines, and share passenger duties. Locomotive 11 is the main diesel motive power unit for both works trains and out of season passenger trains,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://walesexpress.com/diesel-loco-joins-corris-railway-fleet-austria-transylvania/ |title=Diesel loco joins Corris Railway fleet from Austria via Transylvania |website=Wales Express |date=1 June 2015 |last=Roberts |first=Linda}}</ref> supported by the lighter diesel locomotives 5 and 6, which are currently the main works and shunting units.

== Carriages ==

=== Historic ===
The CM&RDT carried passengers from as early as 1860, despite this being explicitly prohibited by its authorising Act. Until 1874, passengers travelled in open waggons attached to the quarry trains. From October 1874, the railway ran separate, timetabled passenger trains. Around 1875, at least two wagons were converted to crude, almost windowless closed carriages.<ref name=early-passenger>{{cite journal |journal=[[Narrow Gauge and Industrial Railway Modelling Review]] |first=Dan |last=Quine |author-link=Dan Quine |title=Early Corris Railway passenger trains |date=April 2020 |issue=122}}</ref>

In November 1878, ten four-wheel, tramcar-like carriages were delivered from the [[Falcon Works]], [[Loughborough]]. They were numbered 1 to 10, with a brake van from the same source taking the number 11. The first bogie carriage, also from Falcon, which looked like two four-wheel bodies mounted on a single chassis, received number 12, and the four-wheelers were rebuilt over a five-year period on new chassis to form five bogie vehicles. A renumbering had the rebuilds as 1 to 5 and the former 12 becoming 6.

Two all-new carriages to a similar design were built by the [[Metropolitan Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Ltd]] and numbered 7 & 8. Nos. 1 to 6 disappeared, presumed scrapped, after 1930; however Nos. 7 and 8 were used by a GWR employee at his home in [[Gobowen]] and subsequently preserved. No. 8 (used as a greenhouse-cum-garden shed) was recovered in 1958 and rebuilt for use on the [[List of Talyllyn Railway rolling stock|Talyllyn Railway]] as their No.17 while No.7 (used as a chicken coop) was recovered ten years later and is on display in the Corris Railway Museum. The brake van was also preserved on the Talyllyn but has been substantially rebuilt after being damaged in a fire.

{|class="wikitable"
|+ Carriages of the historic Corris Railway (1859–1948)
!Sequential<br/>Number
!Number<br/>''Old CR<br/>system''
!Number<br/>''New CR<br/>system''
!Wheel type
!Body type
!Builder
!Fate
|-
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|
|align="center"|4-wheel
|align="center"|Short tram
|align="center"|[[Falcon Works]]
|Bodywork incorporated into new bogie coach.
|-
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|
|align="center"|4-wheel
|align="center"|Short tram
|align="center"|Falcon Works
|Bodywork incorporated into new bogie coach.
|-
|align="center"|3
|align="center"|3
|align="center"|
|align="center"|4-wheel
|align="center"|Short tram
|align="center"|Falcon Works
|Bodywork incorporated into new bogie coach.
|-
|align="center"|4
|align="center"|4
|align="center"|
|align="center"|4-wheel
|align="center"|Short tram
|align="center"|Falcon Works
|Bodywork incorporated into new bogie coach.
|-
|align="center"|5
|align="center"|5
|align="center"|
|align="center"|4-wheel
|align="center"|Short tram
|align="center"|Falcon Works
|Bodywork incorporated into new bogie coach.
|-
|align="center"|6
|align="center"|6
|align="center"|
|align="center"|4-wheel
|align="center"|Short tram
|align="center"|Falcon Works
|Bodywork incorporated into new bogie coach.
|-
|align="center"|7
|align="center"|7
|align="center"|
|align="center"|4-wheel
|align="center"|Short tram
|align="center"|Falcon Works
|Bodywork incorporated into new bogie coach.
|-
|align="center"|8
|align="center"|8
|align="center"|
|align="center"|4-wheel
|align="center"|Short tram
|align="center"|Falcon Works
|Bodywork incorporated into new bogie coach.
|-
|align="center"|9
|align="center"|9
|align="center"|
|align="center"|4-wheel
|align="center"|Short tram
|align="center"|Falcon Works
|Bodywork incorporated into new bogie coach.
|-
|align="center"|10
|align="center"|10
|align="center"|
|align="center"|4-wheel
|align="center"|Short tram
|align="center"|Falcon Works
|Bodywork incorporated into new bogie coach.
|-
|align="center"|11
|align="center"|11
|align="center"|11
|align="center"|4-wheel
|align="center"|Corris brake van
|align="center"|Falcon Works
|In service at Talyllyn Railway as [[List of Talyllyn Railway rolling stock#Four wheeled carriages|TR 6]].
|-
|align="center"|12
|align="center"|12
|align="center"|6
|align="center"|[[Bogie]]
|align="center"|Corris bogie
|align="center"|Falcon Works
|Scrapped after 1930.
|-
|align="center"|13
|align="center"|
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|Bogie
|align="center"|Corris bogie
|align="center"|Corris Railway
|Scrapped after 1930.
|-
|align="center"|14
|align="center"|
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|Bogie
|align="center"|Corris bogie
|align="center"|Corris Railway
|Scrapped after 1930.
|-
|align="center"|15
|align="center"|
|align="center"|3
|align="center"|Bogie
|align="center"|Corris bogie
|align="center"|Corris Railway
|Scrapped after 1930.
|-
|align="center"|16
|align="center"|
|align="center"|4
|align="center"|Bogie
|align="center"|Corris bogie
|align="center"|Corris Railway
|Scrapped after 1930.
|-
|align="center"|17
|align="center"|
|align="center"|5
|align="center"|Bogie
|align="center"|Corris bogie
|align="center"|Corris Railway
|Scrapped after 1930.
|-
|align="center"|18
|align="center"|
|align="center"|7
|align="center"|Bogie
|align="center"|Corris bogie
|align="center"|[[Metropolitan Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Ltd|Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon]]
|Owned by Corris Railway. Partially restored as museum exhibit.
|-
|align="center"|19
|align="center"|
|align="center"|8
|align="center"|Bogie
|align="center"|Corris bogie
|align="center"|Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon
|Owned by Talyllyn Railway. Fully restored and in service as [[List of Talyllyn Railway rolling stock#Bogie carriages|TR 17]].
|-
|}

=== Current ===
[[File:Corris coach 17 2005.jpg|thumb|right|Preserved Corris Railway carriage no 8 (TR no 17) at the Talyllyn Railway, August 2005.]]
[[File:Corris carriage 21 2007.jpg|thumb|right|Carriage no 21 at Maespoeth May 2007.]]
As nineteen passenger vehicles (ten four-wheel carriages, eight bogie carriages and the brake van) ran on the original railway, the preservation Society has numbered its new build carriages from 20 onwards.

'''Carriage 7''' is an original bogie carriage, but not available for service. It is on display in the railway museum at Corris.

'''Carriage 20''' is similar in appearance to the bogie vehicles, but on a shorter, ex-[[National Coal Board]] four-wheel chassis. The southern compartment is fitted for the use of the train guard. It currently carries a plain un-lined livery but is due to be fully lined and lettered in due course.

'''Carriage 21''' has been designed to appear as similar as possible to the original 19th Century bogie vehicles, but constructed to 21st Century safety standards with a steel chassis based on the Talyllyn Railway's standard bogie carriage design and a steel skeleton with timber cladding for the body. Completed in May 2003, it has a plain roof.

'''Carriage 22''' has been constructed to the same standards as outlined above. Completed in July 2015, it has a [[Clerestory#Transportation|clerestory roof]], similar to those carried by two original carriages in the 1920s. From the completion of fitting-out in September 2015 the railway was again able to run an authentic-looking "1920s" train with the "Tattoo" locomotive and two bogie carriages.

'''Carriage 23''' is another plain roof example. Assembly of the woodwork for the body commenced in autumn 2015, with the panelling and beading completed by the end of 2017; painting and fitting of seats continued during the [[Coronavirus lockdown]], and the completed carriage was mounted on its [[bogie]]s and test run in July 2020; it entered passenger service in 2021; the final stage was the addition of gold lining and lettering (to match coaches 21 and 22), which was completed by Easter 2022.

'''Carriage 24''' is currently under construction at Maespoeth. It will be a first class carriage, with a clerestory roof. The main frame was constructed, and the metal body frame added, before the Coronavirus pandemic, during which construction slowed. Construction resumed apace in 2021, and body panels (with beading) have been fitted.

{|class="wikitable"
|+ Carriages of the preserved Corris Railway (1966–present)
!Number
!Wheel type
!Body type
!Roof type
!Entered service
!Notes
|-
|align="center"|7
|align="center"|[[Bogie]]
|align="center"|Corris all-wooden original
|align="center"|Elliptical
|align="center"|1898
|Partially restored. Not in service.
|-
|align="center"|20
|align="center"|4-wheel
|align="center"|Corris style new build
|align="center"|Elliptical
|align="center"|2002
|Built on ex-[[National Coal Board|NCB]] chassis.
|-
|align="center"|21
|align="center"|Bogie
|align="center"|Corris steel-framed new build
|align="center"|Elliptical
|align="center"|2003
|
|-
|align="center"|22
|align="center"|Bogie
|align="center"|Corris steel-framed new build
|align="center"|Clerestory
|align="center"|2015
|
|-
|align="center"|23
|align="center"|Bogie
|align="center"|Corris steel-framed new build
|align="center"|Elliptical
|align="center"| 2021
|
|-
|align="center"|24
|align="center"|Bogie
|align="center"|Corris steel-framed new build
|align="center"|Clerestory
|align="center"| –
|Under construction.
|-
|}

== See also ==
*[[List of 2 ft 3 in gauge railways]]
*[[List of British heritage and private railways]]
*[[British narrow gauge railways]]
*[[The Great Little Trains of Wales]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{cite book |title=Narrow Gauge Railways in Mid Wales |year=1965 |last=Boyd |first=James I.C. |author-link=James I. C. Boyd |publisher=The Oakwood Press}}
* {{cite book |title=Railway Through Talerddig|first=Gwyn|last=Briwnant Jones}}
* {{cite book |title=Great Western Corris|first=Gwyn|last=Briwnant Jones}}
* {{cite book |title=Last Days of the Old Corris|first=Gwyn|last=Briwnant Jones}}
* {{cite book |title=Tales of the Old Corris|first=Gwyn|last=Briwnant Jones}}
* {{cite book |title=A Return to Corris |author=The Corris Railway Society |publisher=Avon-Anglia Publications |year=1988 |isbn=0-905466-89-6}}
* {{cite book |title=The Corris Railway |first=Lewis |last=Cozens |author-link=Lewis Cozens|year=1949}}
* {{cite book |last=Johnson |first=Peter |year=2011 |title=An Illustrated History of the Great Western Narrow Gauge |publisher=Oxford Publishing Co |author-link=Peter Johnson (railway historian)}}
* {{cite book |title=Corris Trwy Lygad y Camera/Through the Eye of the Camera|first=David|last=Jones|year=2002 |publisher=David Jones |isbn=0-9543378-0-8}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Corris Railway}}
* [https://www.corris.co.uk/ Corris Railway Society]
*{{oscoor gbx|SH754071}}

{{coord|52.64728|-3.84313|region:GB-GWN_dim:2000_source:enwiki-osgb36(SH754071)|display=title}}<!-- Note: WGS84 lat/long, converted from OSGB36 grid ref -->

{{Corris Railway}}
{{Heritage railways in Wales}}
{{Historical Welsh railway companies}}

[[Category:Corris Railway| ]]
[[Category:Heritage railways in Gwynedd]]
[[Category:Great Western Railway constituents]]
[[Category:Slate industry in Wales]]
[[Category:Railway companies established in 1858]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1859]]
[[Category:Railway lines closed in 1948]]
[[Category:2 ft 3 in gauge railways in Wales]]
[[Category:Horse-drawn railways]]
[[Category:Corris]]
[[Category:1858 establishments in Wales]]
[[Category:British companies established in 1858]]
[[Category:Early Welsh railway companies]]