​Mid Wales railways to hold 100th Anniversary Gala events in September

Corris and Talyllyn Railways in Mid Wales have rescheduled their 100th Anniversary Gala events for Kerr Stuart locomotive number 4 for September.
 
The Corris Railway’s Gala Weekend, originally planned for May, will now be held on September 4 and 5. 
 
The gala weekend will see the return visit of the original Corris locomotive number 4 ‘Edward Thomas’ which will be heading passenger trains there for the first time since 1930.
 
‘Edward Thomas’ will work a mixture of passenger and freight trains over the two days of the event in company with Corris’ own number 7, a 2005 recreation of the 1921 design.
 
Following the gala, locomotives numbers 4 and 7 will make the short journey to Tywyn for a special birthday event on Talyllyn Railway on September 11 and 12. 
 
The railways hope to be able to announce further dates when the locomotives will run before September 17 when number 4 is due to be taken out of traffic for statutory boiler week.
 
Ticketing arrangements will be dependent on pandemic restrictions.  Announcements will be made via www.corris.co.uk and Corris Railway’s Facebook page.
 
Locomotive number 4 is a Kerr Stuart “Tattoo” 0-4-2ST built for the Corris in 1921 and it worked on the Machynlleth to Aberllefenni line until it was withdrawn in 1948. Shortly afterwards, Corris Railway Line closed in August of that year, apart from the horse worked Ratgoed Tramway.
 
Passenger services had ceased at the end of 1930 after Great Western had acquired the 2 foot 3 inch narrow gauge railway. Fortunately, the locomotive was not reduced to scrap after withdrawal.
 
After being stored in the yard at Machynlleth Station alongside the other extant Corris engine, Hughes 0-4-2ST number 3 of 1878, it was purchased and moved to  Talyllyn Railway in 1951. Since 1952, it has been a mainstay of Talyllyn Railway’s operations.
 
As the revival of the Corris has progressed, number 4 has made one visit to its original haunts in 1996.
 
Picture caption:
 
Locomotive Edward Thomas in steam on Talyllyn Railway this summer and at Abergynolwyn in 1952.