Corris Railway’s new Falcon steam locomotive is in the running for a Heritage Railway Association Award.

For the second year running, the £400,000 reconstruction project from Corris Railway, near Machynlleth, has been nominated for the most prestigious award in heritage rail, chosen by the readers of Steam Railway magazine.  

In 2022 the locomotive was nominated for the award following its initial steaming at Alan Keef Ltd and for the 2023 awards it is again on the list following its entry into service in September 2023.

The long-running awards recognise excellence or innovation in various aspects of heritage railways. When the Falcon joined Corris Railway as a permanent fixture, it became only the second steam locomotives permanently based on the line, the first time two have been in service at Corris since 1948.

Built at the workshops of Alan Keef Ltd near Ross-on-Wye with nearly 500 donors, both Corris Railway Society members and other well-wishers, contributing to fundraising for Falcon over the course of a decade, the locomotive has been described as the “pride and joy” of Corris Railway.

 

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The small steam engine was designed as a modern replica of a trio of engines delivered to Corris Railway from the Henry Hughes company of Loughborough in 1878.

There are nine other projects that were completed in 2023 up for voters’ consideration. These include the Ffestiniog Railway for their new steam locomotive “James Spooner” and the Llangollen Railway for completing their extension of the running line and construction of a new station at Corwen.

Corris Railway Society members hope that readers will vote for them here before the closing date of January 8.

Public service trains on Corris Railway resume at Easter but the volunteer workforce will be busy with maintenance and restoration work ahead of the new season.