The 23rd of January saw a meeting between the Corris Railway and Alan Keef Ltd regarding the ongoing progress of the new Falcon steam locomotive which is expected that it will enter into public service later this year as the project remains on target for late spring/early summer.

The new locomotive saw its very first steaming take place in September 2022 and since then work has been continuous on the:

• Mechanisms for the braking system
• Injectors
• Drain cocks.

Alongside the fitting work, skilled volunteers at the Corris Railway have made excellent use of the workshop in order to create handrails for the saddle tank’s top, work has also taken place to refurbish the brake valve which saw a saving on costs of approximately 90%.

Whilst the meeting was underway, work was ongoing for the locomotive and saw a coal bunker constructed which will be located in the cab, and was modified from the original trio of Falcons which operate on the railway. The bunker is loaded using a hinged section from the upper left cab side sheeting, this was completed due to a weakness in the originals which saw coal dust build-up at the bottom of the bunker which led to rusting however the removable nature of the section means that it can easily be accessed and cleaned, irradicating the issue.

Components are currently being put in place on the locomotive however, a major stage which is yet to take place will see it stripped down for painting before being reassembled. The painting and the loco’s move by road from Alan Keef Ltd to Maespoeth Junction and is expected to cost a five-figure amount therefore fund-raising is ongoing.

To support the Corris Railway, donations can be made online at www.corris.co.uk