As of Saturday, October 26th, the Corris Railways 2024 Operating season will draw to a close with trains departing from Corris Station for those who wish to take one more scenic journey through part of the Dulas Valley before the end of the season.

The Railway’s Museum and Shop at Corris Station will also be open.

Reflecting back on the 2024 season, the biggest highlight the visit of the last remaining member of the original trio of steam locomotives delivered to Corris in 1878. No. 3s visit featured a triumphant Gala Day, marking the first time in over a century that three steam engines operated on the line simultaneously. The gala also featured resident locomotives “Tattoo” class No. 7, No. 3 and its younger counterpart, No. 10.

This was followed in July, when No. 10 visited the Talyllyn Railway, leading selected trains running alongside No. 3 for a month, which included Awdry Weekend. No. 10 was well-received by the Talyllyn’s locomotive crews and performed well on the line and enjoyed the longer periods of running between the stations.

The workshop has acquired a milling machine which outstandingly surpasses the previous one, this will upgrade and facilitate a greater scope of engineering tasks that can be performed in-house. Volunteers have also been erecting new walls that have enhanced the machine shop area within the locomotive shed.

In the carriage shed, there are plans afoot to build the next new carriage for the railway which will enable the railway to provide first-class travel in years to come.

In terms of civil engineering and permanent way, construction of a new embankment is also advancing, which will lengthen the journey through the Valley, and there are plans for a bridge over the waterway at Nant Goedwig.

While the railway line will be closed to public trains over the winter, following the Santa Trains service, essential maintenance work such as track upkeep, vegetation management, and building repairs will carry on. The Corris Railway welcomes any additional volunteers who wish to get involved, information on how to volunteer, as well as ticket bookings for the Santa Trains, are available at www.corris.co.uk. Santa Trains are scheduled for December 7th and 8th, with bookings already being accepted online.