Editing Corris Railway (section)

==== {{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}}}}