CORRIS RAILWAY HUGHES ‘FALCON’ 0-4-2ST No. 10
Group: Corris Railway
Project formed: 2007 Project cost: Approx. £300,000
Raised to date: £220,000 Estimated completion date: Approx. 2021 (see text)
Location: Alan Keef Ltd, Ross-on-Wye
As one of only four 2ft 3in gauge steam railways to operate in Britain
– in addition to the Campbeltown & Machrihanish Light Railway, the Plynlimon & Hafan Tramway, and the Talyllyn Railway – the Corris Railway is more reliant than most preserved lines upon new-build locomotives.
With both of its original machines now permanently resident at Tywyn, the Corris is unique in that, whereas most new-builds emulate hitherto extinct designs, both its operational and underconstruction new-build locomotives replicate existing engines. After steam returned to the Dulas Valley in 2005, in the form of Kerr, Stuart ‘Tattoo’ 0-4-2ST No. 7 (a replica of the Talyllyn’s No. 4 ‘Edward Thomas’), thoughts at Maespoeth turned to what the railway should build next, particularly as another engine would be required when No. 7 is withdrawn for a ‘heavy general’ in 2024.
In spring 2007, CR Society members voted to build a new Hughes ‘Falcon’ 0-4-2ST, a replica of the original CR No. 3 (now preserved as ‘Sir Haydn’ at Tywyn).
CR press officer John Simms says: “We considered having another ‘Tattoo’ or a ‘Thames’ (similar to the ‘Tattoo’ but with side tanks), as we had the drawings and the experience of what was involved. However, the feeling was that, as we are looking to try to recreate the Corris as it was, including the 2ft 3in gauge, then a new version of one of the original trio of locomotives was desired.”
The survival of ‘Sir Haydn’ was just as well, for although Hughes is part of the Brush family, none of the original drawings survive in the company’s archive, so the CR was reliant upon ‘Sir Haydn’ as a template. John says: “The Talyllyn was very helpful in getting the necessary drawings produced. However, that absorbed £25,000 in startup costs. New-builds, even small ones like No. 10, are not cheap.”
Construction started in earnest in 2009 with the boiler, which was completed by Israel Newton & Sons Ltd in 2012, after which the frame plates were cut and sent to the locomotive’s engineering base at Alan Keef Ltd near Ross-on-Wye.
As of July 2019, the ‘Falcon’ is fairly well advanced. John says: “At the time of writing, they are working on fitting
the cylinders and beginning to erect the motion and valve gear. The driving wheels have been united with the frames. Two volunteers with the engineering skills and workshop capacity of their own are producing the trailing truck and will, in due course, construct the cab and other components.”
Parts of No. 3’s original cab will be used as templates for the construction of No. 10’s cab, which will be taller than the 5ft 6in original.
It is hoped the ‘Falcon’ will be completed in 2021, although “the date of completion is dependent on the rate of fundraising,” says John. “An income of £2,000 per month means that Keef’s is able to work continuously on the project, and if this could rise to £4,000 a month then we could look at a completion date of 2021. If income doesn’t reach £2,000 a month then work stops, pending funds building up again.”
To find out more about No. 10, and
to contribute, visit www.corris.co.uk/ the-future/falcon-locomotive