FIRST LOCOMOTIVE CROSSES ‘THE GAP’ TO REACH CORWEN STATION
A locomotive has reached Corwen’s Green Lane bridge for the first time in 56 years, in the latest milestone of the Llangollen Railway’s extension project.
Class 08 diesel shunter No. 13265 ran to the new Corwen Central terminus on July 6, venturing through the station to the headshunt at the west end – the first locomotive to cross the infilled gap in the embankment to the east of the station, and the first locomotive at the Green Lane bridge end since the line closed in December 1964.
The movements took place during an engineering possession of the line for a hired roadrail Land Rover Defender to undertake weedkilling operations, while the Corwen project volunteers returned to the site following the lockdown to resume work on the final phase of the platform construction.
Project leader Richard DixonGough said: “It has been a day of quiet celebration as another milestone was reached after all the frustrations of the lockdown period which has delayed completion of the works by at least four months.
“Fortunately, during the shutdown, the works site has survived quite well, but the need now is to try and catch up with the planned laying of the 40,000 pavers for the platform surface. The dry weather during the lockdown period would have been ideal for the work by a contractor once the base layer of fine limestone sand has been spread and the project members now hope for a further spell of fine summer weather so that work can proceed.”