BBC: £24m Dyfi Bridge plans go on show at Machynlleth

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AAndy
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Re: BBC: £24m Dyfi Bridge plans go on show at Machynlleth

Post by AAndy »

Thanks Herned & Ian :)

Its in a video here: https://youtu.be/CH2OhvZ-FFw . a drive from Forge & Machynllth & through the roadworks to the end and back again... roadworks begin around the 6min 20 sec mark.
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IAN
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Re: BBC: £24m Dyfi Bridge plans go on show at Machynlleth

Post by IAN »

Just found another excellent YouTube video on the Welsh Government project site - Dated this month.

https://gov.wales/a487-new-dyfi-bridge
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Re: BBC: £24m Dyfi Bridge plans go on show at Machynlleth

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Fly through updated for February. They seem to be updating it every month.

https://gov.wales/a487-new-dyfi-bridge
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Re: BBC: £24m Dyfi Bridge plans go on show at Machynlleth

Post by Rambo »

IAN wrote: Mon Mar 07, 2022 13:07 Fly through updated for February. They seem to be updating it every month.

https://gov.wales/a487-new-dyfi-bridge
It's a shame that the bridge couldn't be built wider to incorporate the Corris narrow gauge railway as they have future aspirations to extent to Mach and the old trackbed crossed the river Dyfi close to this point.
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Re: BBC: £24m Dyfi Bridge plans go on show at Machynlleth

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Rambo wrote: Mon Mar 07, 2022 17:50
It's a shame that the bridge couldn't be built wider to incorporate the Corris narrow gauge railway as they have future aspirations to extent to Mach and the old trackbed crossed the river Dyfi close to this point.
Perhaps they could take the railway over the old bridge? Mind you, the Corris is extending so slowly I shouldn't think it'll be an issue for at least 50 years!
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Re: BBC: £24m Dyfi Bridge plans go on show at Machynlleth

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Rambo wrote: Mon Mar 07, 2022 17:50
IAN wrote: Mon Mar 07, 2022 13:07 Fly through updated for February. They seem to be updating it every month.

https://gov.wales/a487-new-dyfi-bridge
It's a shame that the bridge couldn't be built wider to incorporate the Corris narrow gauge railway as they have future aspirations to extent to Mach and the old trackbed crossed the river Dyfi close to this point.
I'm 36, and for as long as I can remember the Corris Railway has had plans to return to Machynlleth but there's been little actual progress and its mostly a "hopes and dreams" and IMO always has been.

Their nearest actual track is a good five miles away and to get from there (Maespoeth) to the Dyfi bridge works would involve relocating not only the main Machynlleth-Corris fibre and copper phone route (its pole route is right up the old trackbed) but also dealing with a high pressure gas main that was routed up a section of the trackbed.

Also, unlike the other local heritage line extensions such as the Welsh Highland to Ffestiniog link-up and the extension of the Llangollen Railway towards Corwen the Corris railway doesn't have nearly enough footfall to make it worth doing, not to mention the financial aspect, considering the Llangollen Railway recently went in to receivership (again).
Last edited by rhyds on Mon Apr 11, 2022 13:19, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: BBC: £24m Dyfi Bridge plans go on show at Machynlleth

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IAN wrote: Mon Mar 07, 2022 17:55
Rambo wrote: Mon Mar 07, 2022 17:50
It's a shame that the bridge couldn't be built wider to incorporate the Corris narrow gauge railway as they have future aspirations to extent to Mach and the old trackbed crossed the river Dyfi close to this point.
Perhaps they could take the railway over the old bridge? Mind you, the Corris is extending so slowly I shouldn't think it'll be an issue for at least 50 years!
The old bridge is a complete non-starter.

First off its listed, which would probably stop any strengthening works for railway use

Secondly, there's no suitable approach to it for rail use as its at a right angle to the the approaches from the A487/A493. Unless you plan to get the Corris railway to upgrade to Double Fairlies you're not getting the trains round this bend!

Thirdly, as outlined above the Corris railway's current budget is seriously limited.
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Re: BBC: £24m Dyfi Bridge plans go on show at Machynlleth

Post by AAndy »

A couple of photos from this week. First is Corris side with the river in the foreground but out of sight, 2nd is Mach end.
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Re: BBC: £24m Dyfi Bridge plans go on show at Machynlleth

Post by IAN »

IAN wrote: Mon Mar 07, 2022 13:07 Fly through updated for February. They seem to be updating it every month.

https://gov.wales/a487-new-dyfi-bridge
Now updated for March.

https://gov.wales/a487-new-dyfi-bridge

Also some aerial photos - https://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/news/ae ... ect-543128
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Re: BBC: £24m Dyfi Bridge plans go on show at Machynlleth

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They've left space for the Corris Railway to get back into Machynlleth at some distant point in the future. The funny looking quasi-suspension bridge in the photos is where the line crossed the river. This is not the original bridge, of course, but a new one for cyclists and pedestrians. If you look on Google or Bing satellite views you can just about make out the line of the railway across the meadows.
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Re: BBC: £24m Dyfi Bridge plans go on show at Machynlleth

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fras wrote: Sun Apr 10, 2022 01:51 They've left space for the Corris Railway to get back into Machynlleth at some distant point in the future. The funny looking quasi-suspension bridge in the photos is where the line crossed the river. This is not the original bridge, of course, but a new one for cyclists and pedestrians. If you look on Google or Bing satellite views you can just about make out the line of the railway across the meadows.
The cycle bridge was installed around the early 00s from memory, and in my experience is very, very lightly used.

Also, as previously mentioned, it would be a colossal waste of money and effort for the Dyfi Bridge scheme to take the Corris Railway in to account, sort of like the M74 extension in Glasgow taking Tesla Hyperloops in to account...
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Re: BBC: £24m Dyfi Bridge plans go on show at Machynlleth

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rhyds wrote: Sun Apr 10, 2022 08:22
fras wrote: Sun Apr 10, 2022 01:51 They've left space for the Corris Railway to get back into Machynlleth at some distant point in the future. The funny looking quasi-suspension bridge in the photos is where the line crossed the river. This is not the original bridge, of course, but a new one for cyclists and pedestrians. If you look on Google or Bing satellite views you can just about make out the line of the railway across the meadows.
The cycle bridge was installed around the early 00s from memory, and in my experience is very, very lightly used.

Also, as previously mentioned, it would be a colossal waste of money and effort for the Dyfi Bridge scheme to take the Corris Railway in to account, sort of like the M74 extension in Glasgow taking Tesla Hyperloops in to account...
Hmm, the CEGB probably said that when they flooded the Ffestiniog Railway to create the lower lake for the pumped storage scheme at Tanygrisiau. Fortunately the railway was able to climb higher on a spiral and run along the western edge of the lake.
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Re: BBC: £24m Dyfi Bridge plans go on show at Machynlleth

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fras wrote: Sun Apr 10, 2022 22:34
rhyds wrote: Sun Apr 10, 2022 08:22
fras wrote: Sun Apr 10, 2022 01:51 They've left space for the Corris Railway to get back into Machynlleth at some distant point in the future. The funny looking quasi-suspension bridge in the photos is where the line crossed the river. This is not the original bridge, of course, but a new one for cyclists and pedestrians. If you look on Google or Bing satellite views you can just about make out the line of the railway across the meadows.
The cycle bridge was installed around the early 00s from memory, and in my experience is very, very lightly used.

Also, as previously mentioned, it would be a colossal waste of money and effort for the Dyfi Bridge scheme to take the Corris Railway in to account, sort of like the M74 extension in Glasgow taking Tesla Hyperloops in to account...
Hmm, the CEGB probably said that when they flooded the Ffestiniog Railway to create the lower lake for the pumped storage scheme at Tanygrisiau. Fortunately the railway was able to climb higher on a spiral and run along the western edge of the lake.
Except that the Ffestiniog railway has always had, in preserved railway terms, an absolute (imperial) crap-ton of money, while the Corris, well, doesn't.

I've lived in the area all my life and the only tangible sign of their grand vision has been putting up an Esgairgeiliog station board next to the A487 a few years back. Problem is that's a mile away from where their current tracks end and about four miles from Machynlleth, as well as the phone line poles in the GSV being part of the main Machynlleth-Corris phone line route (when trees take that down Corris loses all service), the road having been built right out to the trackbed and there being a newly installed (approx 10-12 years ago) high pressure trunk gas main under the track about 250yds to the south.
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Re: BBC: £24m Dyfi Bridge plans go on show at Machynlleth

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rhyds wrote: Mon Apr 11, 2022 09:13
fras wrote: Sun Apr 10, 2022 22:34
rhyds wrote: Sun Apr 10, 2022 08:22

The cycle bridge was installed around the early 00s from memory, and in my experience is very, very lightly used.

Also, as previously mentioned, it would be a colossal waste of money and effort for the Dyfi Bridge scheme to take the Corris Railway in to account, sort of like the M74 extension in Glasgow taking Tesla Hyperloops in to account...
Hmm, the CEGB probably said that when they flooded the Ffestiniog Railway to create the lower lake for the pumped storage scheme at Tanygrisiau. Fortunately the railway was able to climb higher on a spiral and run along the western edge of the lake.
Except that the Ffestiniog railway has always had, in preserved railway terms, an absolute (imperial) crap-ton of money, while the Corris, well, doesn't.

I've lived in the area all my life and the only tangible sign of their grand vision has been putting up an Esgairgeiliog station board next to the A487 a few years back. Problem is that's a mile away from where their current tracks end and about four miles from Machynlleth, as well as the phone line poles in the GSV being part of the main Machynlleth-Corris phone line route (when trees take that down Corris loses all service), the road having been built right out to the trackbed and there being a newly installed (approx 10-12 years ago) high pressure trunk gas main under the track about 250yds to the south.
I agree that getting the Corris Railway back to Machynlleth is very long term. Yesterday I was standing by the Grantham Canal that the restoration group have been working on since the 60s and only a very small length is now navigable. Who will get to their destination first, I wonder !
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Re: BBC: £24m Dyfi Bridge plans go on show at Machynlleth

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fras wrote: Mon Apr 11, 2022 10:58
rhyds wrote: Mon Apr 11, 2022 09:13
fras wrote: Sun Apr 10, 2022 22:34 Hmm, the CEGB probably said that when they flooded the Ffestiniog Railway to create the lower lake for the pumped storage scheme at Tanygrisiau. Fortunately the railway was able to climb higher on a spiral and run along the western edge of the lake.
Except that the Ffestiniog railway has always had, in preserved railway terms, an absolute (imperial) crap-ton of money, while the Corris, well, doesn't.

I've lived in the area all my life and the only tangible sign of their grand vision has been putting up an Esgairgeiliog station board next to the A487 a few years back. Problem is that's a mile away from where their current tracks end and about four miles from Machynlleth, as well as the phone line poles in the GSV being part of the main Machynlleth-Corris phone line route (when trees take that down Corris loses all service), the road having been built right out to the trackbed and there being a newly installed (approx 10-12 years ago) high pressure trunk gas main under the track about 250yds to the south.
I agree that getting the Corris Railway back to Machynlleth is very long term. Yesterday I was standing by the Grantham Canal that the restoration group have been working on since the 60s and only a very small length is now navigable. Who will get to their destination first, I wonder !
Canal restoration projects can make heritage railways seem positively lively. There's a project nearby called the Lapal Canal Trust - it aims to restore the closed section of the Dudley No 2 Canal, also know as the Lapal Canal, ultimately linking back to where the open section currently terminates, at Hawne Basin near Halesowen. So far they've done some clearance, and a very small section is in water by Selly Oak Park. They need to retore the link to the Birmingham & Worcester Canal at Selly Oak, but a much bigger issue is the closed Lapal Tunnel, always prone to collapse, but which was severed by the M5 just south of J3, and whose portals are buried. Finding an alternative route for that has had a lot of people scratcing their heads.
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Re: BBC: £24m Dyfi Bridge plans go on show at Machynlleth

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Re: BBC: £24m Dyfi Bridge plans go on show at Machynlleth

Post by AAndy »

My latest video here: https://youtu.be/NwMrAIkdwcw .
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Re: BBC: £24m Dyfi Bridge plans go on show at Machynlleth

Post by AAndy »

Also trying out time lapses as they provide much higher quality images when paused. this one shows the construction, but also the drive though town. https://youtu.be/TvLsaYGiZ0E .
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Re: BBC: £24m Dyfi Bridge plans go on show at Machynlleth

Post by IAN »

This fly through from September 2022 shows that they are making progress with installing the road deck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF0dbK3 ... =Griffiths
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Re: BBC: £24m Dyfi Bridge plans go on show at Machynlleth

Post by Herned »

That's quite a lot more substantial than I had imagined it would be! The price tag makes a lot more sense now
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