The Corris Railway has issued its latest update on the progress in completing its new steam locomotive, No. 10 Falcon.

The Railway is hoping that Falcon will be in steam on 24th September, although it will not be ready for traffic. That is the date its builder, Alan Keef Ltd., is holding a 50th Anniversary Open Day at their premises at Lea near Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire.

Work on the footplate work is well advanced and some other larger and visible components are being progressed as work continues towards having the locomotive in steam at Keef’s open day.

Steel for the saddle tank has been cut by Optimised Metal Fabrications of Rochester, whilst some laser-cut parts have been delivered to Barnshaws Plate and Section Rollers in Wolverhampton for shaping. Once this has been completed, the tank will be assembled by Corris Railway volunteers in the East Midlands before it is delivered to Keef’s. Although this will save some money, the tank will still cost £2,500.

The cab sides and front and rear plating for the loco’s cab have already been produced by Optimised Fabrications, trial-assembled, and fitted to Falcon. Steel for the roof is being obtained, and with final completion and rolling the angles that is estimated to cost a further £500.

During June, work was due to get underway at Keef’s on completing the smokebox and associated parts; staff from Keef’s visited the Talyllyn Railway at Tywyn to check details of Corris No. 3, particularly the blast pipe arrangement.

The mechanical lubricator has been purchased and delivered to Keef’s, and the firebox door assembly, which has been produced by a Corris volunteer with engineering skills, is in place on the boiler.

Although the plan is for Falcon to be in steam at Keef’s at the end of September, there will still be further work to be done to complete the locomotive so that it is fit for service on the railway in 2023. This work will include fitting the buffers and sanding gear, painting, and delivering the loco to Maespoeth Junction. That work is estimated to cost £48,000, of which the railway still needs £20,000 to reach its target.

As a further incentive to completing Falcon and seeing it in service next year, 2023 is the 140th Anniversary of the introduction of steam services on the Corris. The event will be marked by a train headed by a trio of locomotives that are Falcon’s ancestors.

In order to meet the timescales, the railway would welcome and donations, and these can be made online at www.corris.co.uk or by cheques or standing order, details are available on the Corris Railway website.

A fundraising stand for the loco will be present at the Corris Railway Society’s Model Railway Exhibition that will be held at Y Plas in Machynlleth on August 27th and 28th.