Volume 6 : Issue 2 : To The End of The Line February 1st 2018

The New Year opened with a lashing of the westcoast by Storm Eleanor, bringing in its wake high winds and rain. The snow which closed theold year were soon replaced by impromptu pools and lakes spread across the flood plain of the River Dee. So convincing was all this water the odd heron was spotted on the edge of a particularly large pool near Carrog no doubt waiting to seize a tasty morsel.

Over two hours later he was still in the realms of unrequited hunger!! However, it isn't in the nature of the Project Team to stand around despite the inclement weather. They have been busy installing the back fence of the single platform, completing the emergency exit ramp and adding the last of the platform edging slabs

to platform 2 – all necessary work before commencing the footings for platform 1.

West end in good shape

As mentioned in CCNL (passim) the order in which the station build goes together is the key to success, thus considerable effort is going into completing the west end of the station – buffer stop, single platform and emergency/wheel chair exit. The Project Team cannot risk cutting off the west end before major works have been completed.

The accompanying photos show progress on the single platform, ramp and railings. Note that the

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Grey Heron awaits the meal that never came Photo: www.goodfreephotos.com

Single platform end with railings and safety rail Photo : PR

Volume 6 : Issue 2 : To The End of The Line February 1st 2018

supporting bolts go right through the block work and are also located below footpath/platform level,

making it important they are part of the build and not fitted retrospectively!

Turning the Corner

Still with focus on the west end the first Easi-blocshave been laid at the beginning of the Up platform. The ramp will need to be completed and the top filled before work can start to move towards the east end. Looking at the photographs it's easy to see how much rain has fallen on the sitesince Christmas thus restricting what can be achieved on a “muddy duck pond”! Some drying out will be needed before some serious concreting can take place.

Pump House

The Pump House frame has been treated to another coat of paint, a permanent base and some “trial” paving slabs. When complete, the building will look very smart, part of the railway landscape with a small fence and gate. Test pumping is to start again soon, the first phase having stopped well before the festive break. The previous results from a cycle of a two minute pump and five minute stop were very good with little or no drop of the height of the water in the borehole. Readers might like to be reminded that the licence for the borehole gives 20,000 litres per day, more than sufficient to fill the water tank and to keep the steam locos topped up.

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Attaching fence post - drilling through block work to put in studding Photo : PR

Looking west - showing the corner turn to mark the beginning of the UP platform - Single line platform extension and ramp to the left

Photo : PR

Pump House Photo: PR

Volume 6 : Issue 2 : To The End of The Line February 1st 2018

For those readers who are uncertain about the layout of the Corwen Central Site, then the above diagram, courtesy of Steam Railway Magazine offers a fair summary of progress to date.

The west end of the diagram shows the location of the wheelchair ramp, which is featured on page 2 as well as drawing attention to what needs to be done at the east end before trains can enter the newstation. However, even before this can be achievedthere is also a small matter of constructing the UP platform wall and siting the water tower base.

The order in which things are done is important otherwise access to the west end could be lost nowthat pathways across the site are now much restricted.

Once the platform has been completed, the eastern crossover, siding and points can be added, onto the infill of the old Access Road thus sealing the site for good!!

Funding and Lucky Numbers

This month's winner of Lucky Numbers is Tom Taylor of Taylored Catering and Funding Adviser to the Corwen Project. Congratulations go to Tom on his win.

As we enter the second month of the new year it isclear that the Project is not complete and another season's work is required to bring home the Corwen Central Station. The diagram above showshow much has been achieved, but how much is still to be done. It is interesting to note, at this

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Lucky Numbers

This month's winning number is 11

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1011 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2021 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 3031 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 4041 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 5051 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 6061 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 7071 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80

The station site - showing progress to date Diagram : Courtesy Toby Jennings/Steam Railway

Volume 6 : Issue 2 : To The End of The Line February 1st 2018

stage how many hours were put in by the construction team last year (2017). It was a record year – despite poor weather and some contract slippage. In total 13,960 volunteer hours were worked at an average of 1,260 per month delivering a record £200,633 in labour. Many readers know that the volunteer workforce consistsof between 10 and 20 members, mostly into their retirement years from paid employment. They willneed to put in an even greater effort over the coming year to ensure that trains start to run into Corwen Central during the 2019 operating season.

They are determined to see this project through to its designed conclusion but will need your continued support - financial, practical or though donations of materials – to ensure the outcome.

Already over £60,000 has been raised for the direct funding of the project via the efforts of the Project's Treasurer, Paul Bailey and likewise £15,000 has been paid out for contract work. Pressing needs are to get the foundations of the water tower in place ready to receive the finished

tower and to arrange contracts to get the platform infill into place once the wall for platform 1 has been built.

The Tenners a Tonne are much needed – the target is £10,000 indicating just how much material is required for the infill!!

Please make cheques payable to CCRD(Corwen Central Railway Development ) and

send to

Mr Paul Bailey, Dolwen, Bryneglwys, Corwen,Denbighshire LL21 9LY

Offers of materials can be made via the LRT byphoning 01978 860979 or via e-mail at info@llangollen-railway.co.uk

End Piece

This year will mark 70 years since the publication of The Dower/Hobhouse Report which led to the setting up of National Parks in the UK. The resulting National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 established 10 National Parks, the first of which were defined in the early 1950s, with a further 3 between 1989 and 2009. In Wales can be found 3 of the earliest designations, Snowdonia (18th October 1951), Pembrokeshire Coast (29th Feb 1952) and Brecon Beacons ( 17th April 1957).Other areas were also put forward : for example, parts of the coast of Cornwall were considered as a possible national park in the 1950sbut were thought to be too disparate to form a single coherent national park and were eventually designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty(AONB) instead. The north Pennines were also considered for designation as a national park

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Volume 6 : Issue 2 : To The End of The Line February 1st 2018

in the 1970s but the proposal was thought to be administratively too difficult because the area was administered by five different county councils.

The AONB designation is for areas which are smaller than National Parks but possess some of their characteristics which include a need for protection of certain naturally beautiful landscapesbut do not have any discernible wildness.

The Clwydian Range became an AONB in 1985 but in 2011 the Dee Valley was eventually included which brought the towns of Llangollen and Corwen, the Pontcysyllte Aquaduct, Chirk Castle and Valle Crucis Abbey in its wake.

A lot of the future success of the new Corwen Station will depend on linking the AONB more closely to the Snowdonia National Park and encouraging visitors to extend their range to include the Dee Valley.

Unfortunately changes in local transport during 2017 have disrupted a number of these links and

have made travel along the Dee Valley corridor rather problematic.

Readers may be aware that the Arriva Group has decided to withdraw from running trains in Wales and the Borders and a new franchisee is awaited. Llangollen Railway has been working hard with both the Chester-Shrewsbury Community Rail Group,Arriva and WAG to improve signage and ticketing but now might have to start all over to push the virtues of a visit to the Dee Valley using some element of public transport.

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AONB : Three Cliffs Bay, Gower peninsular Photo : Jamie O'Shaughnessy

AONB : Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Moel Famau (555 m) Designated a “Marilyn”

Photo : John S Turner

Caer Drewyn Corwen Photo: Gill Mabon Smith