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Volume 4: Issue 4 : To The End of The Line April 1st 2017
The Dee Valley echoed to the bark of Ravingham Hall and the familiar side rod ring from a Stanier 8F in the first weekend of Marchas we celebrated the last trains into BirkenheadWoodside.
Unfortunately the weather proved to be rather damp on the Friday but put on a more shiny face on Saturday, where there were good crowds to take advantage of this break in the clouds. The Project Team were at work as usualon Saturday morning, but were open to receive visitors from the trains stopping at Corwen East. For those unable to rest a while at Corwen Central, Bob Jacques was showing off the progress of the Corwen Central Project at the little sales stand on Llangollen Station. At
the beginning of the month the Project Team were able to witness the connection of the submersible pump to the borehole, to complete the first two layers of “Easi blocs” on Platform 2 (Down), add a panel of track to the UP road and to add more filling to the north batter.
Island Platform takes shape
As progress is made on the platform an order for oversail blocks has been placed with FP McCann'sCast Products division. As illustrated last February the oversail blocks allow for the platformedging slabs to push out beyond the vertical walls of the platform.
Each oversail block is a solid concrete casting weighing 59kg, clearly not as heavy as the Easi-blocs, but in need of some care in their handling. Again following the platform design, two layers ofconcrete “bricks” have now been added to the top
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Ivatt Class 4 aka "The Flying Pig" arrives at Corwen East during the Gala Photo: GJ Oversail block Illustration : FP McCann
Volume 4: Issue 4 : To The End of The Line April 1st 2017
of the Easi-Blocs at the west end , which start the process pushing out from the vertical edge. (see photo). On this base will be added the oversail blocks themselves.
More crossing timbers
At the same time Project Team members have been to the NR depot at Crewe to select crossing timbers and point chairs. These will be delivered soon and will provide enough materials for the construction of the east end crossover and that leading to the Up siding.
Running Free
The last edition of CCNL closed for publication just ahead of the installation of the submersible pump on the borehole. Dragon Drilling lowered the pump into position on St. David's Day, linking it to the location cabinet installed adjacent to the well head. A temporary test pipe was fitted to draininto the 1863 ditch and water started to flow immediately after “switch on”. The first few
minutes of output contained a fair amount of clay sediment, but soon started to clear.
The pump was then switched off and the automatictimer applied to give 2 minutes of water flow followed by 5 minutes of rest. The timed pumping operation is expected to last between two and threeweeks or until the water is running clear. Samples of water have been taken to analyse the mineral content and to determine whether or not any additional treatment will be necessary before the water is put into the tanks and tenders of service locomotives. A particulate filter will be fitted before water is pumped into the proposed water tower.
Now somewhere to store the water
As mentioned in the last edition of CCNL the Project Team have authorised the building of the water tower tank and have also asked for a design for the water tower base to be prepared. Given thatthe base is going to carry the weight of the tower and water ( approx 12,192 kg/12 tons) as well as
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Building out from P2 with cement blocks - note first goods vehicle in P2! Photo: PR
March 2nd and water flows from the borehole Photo : PR
Volume 4: Issue 4 : To The End of The Line April 1st 2017
incorporate the water supply and drainage facilities then a proper base must be designed.
The concrete must have a sufficient depth and footprint to prevent the tower from toppling over when holding 9256 litres of water (2036 gallons)
Marking the territory
To complete the building of the pumping station road, the fencing gang, led by Vic Taylor has installed the boundary fence at the bottom of the north batter and brought it to an end by the first setof entrance gates. Readers, who have travelled on the railway recently might have noticed new crossing gates installed along the Corwen Straight with hedge laying and thicket tidying at Bonwm. These are the results of the work of Vic's gang.
Funding and Lucky Numbers
The March Corwen Water Tower Raffle winner is no.2 held by Mike Hunter from the Wirral, LRT member and financial supporter of several of our Corwen fundraisers. Congratulations and a chequefor £50 go to Mike, with thanks for supporting the Project. (Mike has kindly returned his winnings to the Corwen Project Fund.)
The Tenner for a Tonne Appeal has now raised over £2000, (220tonnes) which will soon be required to fill some spaces on the rapidly formingplatform base. Overall managed funds still stand ataround £41,000 but current purchases, especially those relating to Easi blocs and now oversail blocks have been supported by legacies for this purpose. It is always very encouraging to note thecontinuing generosity of many members and their
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The Water Tank - Drawing courtesy Andy Maxwell
New fence posts and wire mark the edge of the North batter Photo: PR
Lucky Numbers
This month's winning number is 02
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
Volume 4: Issue 4 : To The End of The Line April 1st 2017
families. It is worth bearing in mind that the WAG grant will not cover everything required for the station build, so it is doubly important to go on supporting the Corwen Project either with donations to the appeals or through donations of equipment or materials. Remember if you have unwanted materials – sand, gravel, bricks or paint you want to get rid of then give first refusal to the Project Team. Paint, especially the exterior variety can always be used as an “undercoat” or just as a temporary covering, whilst sand and gravel can find a place in a “rough” mix as part of the platform infill or to support fence or gate posts.
Readers will recall that local artist Julie McNamara produced an “artist's impression” of a GWR pannier tank entering Corwen Central.
This artwork now forms the basis of several sales items in support of the Station Project. However, fortuitously there is a chance that the painting might be realised in the form of LRT Pannier 7754heading a train into the new station during the 2018 season. Having lain dormant, mostly in pieces for the last 13 years a major push is on to bring 7754 back into service. The “engine” part of the locomotive has already been rebuilt, leaving
the water tanks and boiler to be completed. You may have read that funds for the boiler restoration are mostly available, leaving a modest fund raisinggap of £15,000. As part of this appeal an Auction of Promises is being arranged by Robert Bettley-Smith and John Riley to close this gap. If you haveitems to donate to the auction, or have a promise to donate, please let Robert or John know at [email protected] or at [email protected]
Donations to the Corwen Project can be made by cheque - payable to
Corwen Central Railway Development orCCRD and sent to
Mr Paul Bailey, Dolwen, Bryneglwys, Corwen,Denbighshire LL21 9LY
or via
The Llangollen Railway Trust , The Station,Abbey Road, Llangollen LL20 8NS
Offers of materials can be made via the LRT byphoning 01978 860979 or via e-mail at
End Piece
This year will mark the 260th anniversary of the birth of one of Britain's most influential and creative civil engineers, the founding President of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Thomas Telford.He was born on August 9th 1757 at Glendinning, Westerkirk, Eskdale, Dumfriesshire. He orginally trained as a stonemason before teaching himself the finer points of architecture and civil engineering. In 1782 he moved to London where, after meeting architects Robert Adam and Sir
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Volume 4: Issue 4 : To The End of The Line April 1st 2017
William Chambers, he was involved in building additions to Somerset House.
Two years later he found work at Portsmouth dockyard extending his talents to the specification,design and management of building projects. In 1787, through his wealthy patron William Pulteney, he became Surveyor of Public Works in Shropshire. At this time civil engineering was in its infancy so Telford set himself up as an architect. His projects included renovation of Shrewsbury Castle, the town's prison, the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Bridgnorth and St Michael's, Madeley. Called in to advise on a leaking roof at St Chad's Church Shrewsbury in 1788, he warned the church was in imminent danger of collapse which it did 3 days later, but he was not the architect for its replacement !! As the Shropshire county surveyor, Telford was also responsible for bridges. In 1790 he designed a bridge carrying the London–Holyhead road over the River Severn at Montford, the first of some 40
bridges he built in Shropshire, including major crossings of the Severn at Buildwas, and Bridgnorth .
Telford's reputation in Shropshire led to his appointment in 1793 to manage the detailed designand construction of the Ellesmere Canal including such features as the “Horseshoe Falls” at Berwyn,
the Chirk Aqueduct over the Ceriog Valley and thespectacular Pontcysyllte Aqueduct over the River Dee in the Vale of Llangollen. Here Telford used a new method of construction consisting of troughs made from cast iron plates and fixed in masonry. Extending for over 1,000 feet (300 m) with an altitude of 126 feet (38m) above the valley floor, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct consists of nineteen arches, each with a forty-five foot span.
During his later years, Telford was responsible for rebuilding sections of the London to Holyhead road, a task completed by his assistant of ten years, John MacNeill; today, much of the route is the A5 trunk road, although the Holyhead Road diverted off the A5 along what is now parts of A45, A41 and A464 through the cities of Coventry,Birmingham and Wolverhampton.
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Engraved portrait of Thomas Telford byW. Raddon from a painting by S. Lane,
Horseshoe Falls at Berwyn Photo: R. Haworth
Volume 4: Issue 4 : To The End of The Line April 1st 2017
Between London and Shrewsbury, most of the work amounted to improvements. Beyond Shrewsbury, and especially beyond Llangollen, the work often involved building a brand new road.
Notable features of this section of the route include the Waterloo Bridge across the River Conwy at Betws-y-Coed, the ascent from there to Capel Curig and then the descent from the pass of Nant Ffrancon towards Bangor. Between Capel Curig and Bethesda, in the Ogwen Valley, Telford deviated from the original road, built by Romans during their occupation of this area.
On the island of Anglesey a new embankment across the Stanley Sands to Holyhead was constructed, but the crossing of the Menai Strait was the most formidable challenge, overcome by the Menai Suspension Bridge (1819–26). Spanning 580 feet (180m), this was the longest suspension bridge of the time. Unlike modern suspension bridges, Telford used individually linked 9.5-foot (2.9 m) iron eye bars for the cables.
(a smaller version of this technique can be seen on the restored “Chain Bridge” which links Berwyn Station and the Chain Bridge Hotel).
Telford also worked on the North Wales coast roadbetween Chester and Bangor, including another major suspension bridge at Conwy, opened later the same year as its Menai counterpart. Although his finest years were devoted to roads, canals , harbours and bridges he made a single excursion into the world of railways when he built Whitstable harbour in Kent in 1832, in connection with the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway.
The harbour had an unusual system for flushing out mud using a tidal reservoir.
Thomas Telford died in London on 2nd September 1834 aged 77 years.
An up to date version of the “Corwen Central Story” can be found at http://www.llangollen-railway.org.uk/corext2.html. Many thanks go toJohn Rutter for maintaining and editing the archive
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The Waterloo Bridge Betws-y-Coed Photo : Ray Jones
Telford's Masterpiece - Menai Suspension Bridge from an illustration of 1840 held by the National Library of Wales
