Editing Corris Railway (section)

=== 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.