Corwen Extension Project Pushes Ahead – January 2012

With the considerable number of preliminaries for the environmental requirements finalised, the Llangollen Railway is now able to push on with the extension of the railway towards the half way point at Bonwm.

The need now is for the Railway’s volunteers to make a concerted effort to join in at ground level and primarily help to lay track. With no trains running during January, volunteers are being asked to commit to spending time on the extension and there is a variety of work to be undertaken for the skilled and unskilled.

The end of the bird nesting season saw tree cutting and vegetation clearance restart working from Bonwm Halt towards Carrog. However, there is still a massive amount of work to do and current efforts are concentrated in the area of Bonwm close by the A5 access point. The effort calls for working on weekdays with groups of two or more tackling bushes and lineside vegetation.

There is still some fencing work to be done under supervision to complete the railway’s boundary line with work now being undertaken to the west of Bonwm.

(Remember the birds come back in April!)

The track is laid for 400 metres west of the sheep gate at Carrog past the public footpath access point and a further 400 metres of trackbed is ballasted and ready to receive sleepers and rails - but the challenge is to complete the further 1100 metres beyond that point to the area of Bonwm Halt. New and refurbished drainage has been completed and the long neglected trackbed infrastructure is drying out nicely. (Remember it has been derelict for nearly half a century!)

There is a need to build up a regular weekend team of eight people to continue the laying of track through to the end of March. In support of them a weekday team of professionals and volunteers is needed to select and sort matching pairs of rails and undertake preparatory work and positioning sleepers ready for the weekend effort.

A works train incorporating a 12ton crane has been assembled and is on site west of Carrog to provide engineering support, along with a road-railer and together with the tractor and trailer to aid the work.

Staff facilities are now installed at a works centre near Bonwm for use by the track gangs.

Volunteers willing to get involved in any of these options are welcome but, for insurance purposes, must be paid-up members of Llangollen Railway Trust Ltd and possess a PTS - Personal Track Safety certificate – which can be provided on completion of a basic examination of trackside knowledge based on the LR’s Rule Book, as well as the issue of a working members photo pass.

Those who turn out to help are asked to bring their own packed lunch and warm drink, as well as waterproof clothing at this time of year. The volunteer hours input to the project count towards the matched funding requirements and worksheets are available for signing on.

For additional information please contact:

Trust Membership Secretary Graham Hoyland on 01745 832796 or mobile: 0777 88173576.

The Corwen Extension Appeal Fund, as promoted by Llangollen Railway Trust Ltd, has now reached £80K with a further £60K needed to meet the target for Phase 1 matched funding.

Gift aided donations to the Trust are very welcome from those who wish to see the train arrive in Corwen in early 2013 and money received is acknowledged with a suitable certificate in the donor’s name. A donation form is available on request from the Llangollen Railway office – 01978 860979.

Llangollen Railway Trust Ltd

LLANGOLLEN RAILWAY PRESS ITEM - STATION SIGN UNVEILED IN CORWEN – 17 December 2011

As part of the Corwen Christmas Festival event the recreation of the Corwen railway station sign was unveiled on Saturday, 17 December.

The sign, measuring ten feet by two feet, has been recreated to traditional Great Western Railway standards by the team of volunteers at Carrog station and has been erected on pillars in a prominent position alongside the pathway from the car park to the town square.

Invited guests and the townsfolk gathered to hear Llangollen Railway Chairman, Jim Ritchie, summarise the history of the railway's coming and ending in the 100 years between 1864 and 1964. He referred to the prospects for it coming back by the end of 2012 and pointed to the location of the Phase 1 temporary platform to the east of the car park.

Volunteers are already at work clearing the old trackbed and preparing to lay rails as part of the extension project.

Cllr. Bill Cowie, Chairman, Denbighshire County Council, was invited to unveil the sign which had been wrapped in the Corwen Reds Welsh flag. Cllr. Cowie paid tribute to the volunteer effort which made all these things possible before slipping the knot to reveal the name CORWEN to general applause.

The sign, known as a running-in board when displayed at the station, is already the subject of favourable comment by local people. Its erection confirms the Llangollen Railway's plans to complete the project, as defined back in 1975, to rebuild the railway between Llangollen and Corwen. An associated information notice explains the purpose of the sign and its ultimate incorporation within the new platform facility.

To allow Phase 1 of the project to be completed, the Chairman highlighted the need for to the Llangollen Railway Trust to obtain a further £40k in donations towards the matched funding requirement; any sum from £1 upwards will be gratefully received to further this aim.

Speaking on behalf of the Corwen Partnership, Chairman, Ruth Lee said, “We are delighted to see the Corwen station sign on display in the town as a statement of intent to complete the extension project. The return of the trains to Corwen is an essential part of the process for the town’s planned regeneration.”

Attached pic show the proceedings on the day. The efforts of the team at Carrog in recreating the board and the assistance of the Corwen Partnership in arranging for its installation are gratefully acknowledged.

George Jones

For Llangollen Railway Trust

Wrexham

Llangollen Railway press Item 1.1.12 - Corwen-Bonwm Trackbed walk.

Despite the inclement weather around Corwen at 1100 am on New Years Day sufficient supporters turned out to make the occasion of the last public access to the old trackbed from Corwen a success.

At 1000am the rain was so heavy as to doubt anyone would want to venture out, but a few brave souls appeared keen to take part in the occasion which had been promoted by the Corwen Partnership, the Corwen Business Association and tlc – Tourism and Leisure Corwen on behalf of the Llangollen Railway Trust.

 Others also arrived and by 11am some 40 people had assembled,  including the Llangollen Railway Trust chairman, Jim Ritchie, who provided a summary of the work in progress to extend the railway through to Corwen.

Not deterred by the weather the assembly set off along the path accessing the phase 1 temporary platform site via the gate which is now in-situ to mark the trackbed as a construction site.

Fortunately the rain stopped and a brief clearance of the clouds came through from the west which brightened up the occasion.

Although the turfed area was decidedly muddy in places the trackbed gave way to original ballast base where the grass had been cleared which made for easier walking. En route the various structures, fog man's hut, culverts and underpasses were all referred to and the volume of water noted flowing through into the river Dee which was already running high. The progress with tree and vegetation clearance was also noted and the new fencing and gates which have been installed along this section.

The condition of over bridge No.28 was discussed and the remains of the old platelayers' hut built of sleepers noted as worthy of renovation for future use. Continuing past the burnt out remains of the second hut near  Bonwm, which is marked by a pile of concrete sleepers next to the remains of the GWR platform which marked the site of the old Halt.

At Bonwm there is now gated access to the A5 road but permitted access was allowed a little further into the section towards Carrog to show evidence of work in progress.

At this point the rain came in again from the west as the party returned to Bonwm where some people left and others took to the A5 pavement, but the majority continued down the trackbed back to Corwen which was reached just after 1.00 pm. Here a trackbed walk certificate was handed out to participants which was much appreciated. Thanks to Geoff Williams at Digital Magic in Corwen for producing these at short notice.

George Jones, for Llangollen Railway Trust, said, “Despite the weather the occasion has a considerable success with the numbers finally totalling 46 - about as many as might have been expected on a fine day.

“In addition to support from the local community, others had come considerable distances with participants noted from Wirral, Chester, Tarporley, Shrewsbury, Welshpool, Harlech, Porthmadog and Wrexham such is the interest in the project.  

“The event allowed participants to see what has been achieved and what is still to be tackled if the time scale of December 2012 is to be met for the track being through to the temporary platform at Corwen and the need for further support towards the project.” 

George Jones

Llangollen Railway Trust

Wrexham