Guests
Try out the Society as a guest. Most of the meetings and events are open to visitors. Donations appreciated.
The Railway Correspondence & Travel Society (RCTS) is Britain’s leading organisation for people interested in all aspects of railways past, present and future and is highly regarded by both professional railway people and enthusiasts, a position it has held since its formation in 1928.
The RCTS is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, number 1169995. Our VAT number is GB197343335.
Click the image to view a sample edition from January 2024
The Railway Observer
All members receive the Society's magazine online, and a print edition (usually 72 pages) is posted to those choosing a "Printed" membership category.
The magazine covers the current railway scene, including extensive coverage of significant and interesting movements, plus an infrastructure and events update. Urban, Irish and International news is included, together with the latest news from Heritage lines.
Society activities, branch meetings, outdoor visits and rail tours are well represented, as are reviews of the latest publications.
Membership rates for new joiners
Printed RO Membership includes posting of the print edition of The Railway Observer
| Online RO | £11.00 |
| Printed RO UK | £29.00 |
| Printed RO Europe | £56.00 |
| Printed RO Rest of World | £78.00 |
New joiners are benefiting from a "Welcome" discount of £10.
Volunteering
The Society is run entirely by volunteers, at branch level and nationally. If you have some spare time, and maybe some specialist skills, there are many ways you can help
- Publishing
- Image preparation
- Archiving
- Speaking
- Managing events
- Software development
- Administration
- Research
- Authorship
- Librarianship
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National meetings
National meetings are held on Zoom, typically twice a month. They are listed in the Virtual Meetings calendar (below). A ticket is required; open the event to find the registration link.
- Non-members are welcome (£2.50 per meeting)
- Members are encouraged to make a £2.50 donation to help defray the cost of the Zoom licence.
For 2024-25 we have a 500-seat Zoom licence. How to use Zoom
Branch meetings
The 28 branches all have a monthly meetings programme. Some branches switch to Zoom in the winter months, whilst others operate hybrid in-person+Zoom meetings all year round. Members and guests are welcome at all meetings.
Please visit the branch pages (below) to view their calendars and for details of their meeting venues.
The Society has a national network of 28 branches. Each branch has its own committee and operates its own programme of events. Members are assigned to a home branch but are welcome to take part in other branches' activities.
Guests are always welcome.
The latest edition of The Railway Observer, plus back copies from 2012
Details of benefits available to RCTS members
The directory of Society officers
Officers' administration tools
RCTS-branded clothing sales
Membership renewals for 2025 [opens November 2024]
Visitors can register to gain temporary 48-hour access. Join the RCTS to be assigned a permanent account.
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Shop for Books
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Shipping
Shipping is charged on the whole order. There is a flat rate of £4 for UK addresses, or 40% of the order value for non-UK address, calculated as the basket is added to.
Payment can be made by credit/debit card into the Society's Paypal account. You do not need your own Paypal account to use this service.
RCTS members are advised to use the Shop pages in the Members' Area to gain access to exclusive products, including RCTS-branded clothing items, and special discounts.
RCTS Publications
RCTS has been a renowned publisher of definitive books on locomotives and other railway subjects since 1935. The books are available online and trade enquiries are welcome. Many are now out of print but you can find a bibliography of all books by following More about RCTS Publications below.
Become an author? Click the button to find out more.
New printing technology means that it has become economic to republish some of the back catalogue, a process that is underway. If you cannot wait, copies are available to view at the Society's library at Leatherhead and second-hand copies may be available to purchase from there.
RCTS Books on Amazon
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Many formerly out-of-print RCTS books are available to purchase from Amazon using their Print on Demand service. This link will take you to the RCTS Digital Archive where every book available is listed. Purchases are made via Amazon, not the RCTS shop.
RCTS books as PDF downloads
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The entire back catalogue of out-of-print RCTS books is available to purchase from the RCTS Digital Archive. Orders are separate from the Members' Area shop, and can be downloaded immediately.
To plan your visit, please click the image above for more information
The library is open for personal visits by members and non-members. We continue to open one day a week - see calendar.
LIBRARY CORRESPONDENCE must only be sent to the Chief Archivist:
Andy Davies, 34 Victory Park Road, Addlestone, KT15 2AZ – archive@rcts.org.uk
Letters or parcels MUST NOT be sent to Leatherhead as there is no facility to collect post sent there.
Location (click RCTS Library for more details)
Second-hand books are sold by the Library. The list of books available is updated regularly, and is not limited to RCTS publications.
Photographs
Over 57,000 images are available to purchase as prints or as digital downloads.
The archive also includes many thousands of non-RCTS copyright images. They are available for people to view only online for their personal researches. Users must register (i.e. obtain a Readers' Card) and sign in to gain access.
Books and Magazines
A complete collection of the Society's magazine The Railway Observer is available to read online and to purchase as PDF downloads. 1928-2011 is publicly available from the archive; 2012 onwards restricted via the Members' Area.
All of the Society's out-of-print books are available on a similar basis, including definitive series such as Locomotives of the LNER, Locomotives of the GWR, and Locomotives of the Southern. Also locomotive and coaching stock books, traffic surveys and various individual locomotive histories.
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The Society has several online information services maintained by our dedicated and knowledgeable members. The various features are regularly updated, and we welcome contributions from members and non-members alike.
Each feature has a editor. Click the images to explore.
Modern Traction Loco Database
locodata.org.uk - An allocation and history database covering every diesel, electric and gas turbine locomotive that has ever run on the national rail network. Register there to use it and please take the time to read the introductory notes which will greatly aid your interpretation of the information.
Query Corner
Written queries and answers are published here and in The Railway Observer
TOPS Reference Data
The Society maintains several datasets of TOPS data for Cl.01/5, Cl.89, Cl.97 and Cl.98 Locomotives, Depot Codes and Locomotive Pool Codes, all of which are regularly updated.
Diesel Dilemmas
Mysteries and anomalies in the modification and disposal history of British Railways diesel locomotives.
Carriage Conundrums
Mysteries and anomalies in the modification and disposal history of British Railways locomotive hauled coaching stock.
Preserved Coaches
Additions, deletions, movements and modifications to lists of preserved railway rolling stock, regularly updated.
Haulage Highlights
Seasonal services, relief trains, special events and unusual routes, mostly with diesel traction.
“Our” Locos
A number of locomotives have proudly carried The Railway Observer nameplate or been associated with the Society. No, we don't own these locomotives, but they are thought of as "ours".
Database of Railway Photography
John Knight is a picture researcher. His database of southern and western England records details of 172,000 images published in 6,500 books.
This RCTS Feature initially opens on an interactive map. When you zoom in, each yellow dot represents a camera location. The background can be changed between contemporary maps, satellite images, and historical Ordnance Survey maps - including the detailed 1:10,560 Series. The dot has a reference number for subsequent searches. Please allow a few seconds for the map to load fully.
There are several other tabs alongside the map. One is the User Guide which explains what data is available and how to undertake searches.
Other tabs are lists of books, authors, photographers, railway companies, locomotive classes, and the like. All are searchable.
To report any issues with the website, please contact:
To avoid spam, email addresses only list the stem. Please add: @rcts.org.uk
Board of Trustees
| Chairman | James Milne | chairman |
| Secretary | Richard Morris | secretary |
| Treasurer | Reg Wood | treasurer |
| Branch Liaison | Irene Rabbitts | liaison |
| Commercial Officer | Mike Robinson | observer |
| Development Officer | David Cross | development |
| Trustee | David Goddard | membership |
| Trustee | David Bird | publications |
| Trustee | Andy Davies | archive |
| Trustee | John Redgate | john.redgate |
| Trustee | Paul Chancellor | liveries |
Governance Groups
| 1 Administration | |||
| Group Leader | Richard Morris (Society Secretary) (BoT) | secretary | |
| Deputy Chairman | David Bird (BoT) | publications | |
| Minutes Taker | Dave Elsdon | hitchin | |
| Chief Archivist | Andy Davies (BoT) | archive | |
| Historic Timetable & WTT Curator - 1970 to date | Kurt Sickelmore | wttpost1969 | |
| Branch Liaison Officer | Irene Rabbitts (BoT) | liaison | |
| Membership Secretary | David Goddard (BoT) | membership | |
| Digital Officer | c/o Richard Morris (Society Secretary) (BoT) | digital | |
| RCTS email addresses | David Goddard (BoT) | addresses | |
| 2 Financial | |||
| Group Leader | Reg Wood (Society Treasurer) (BoT) | treasurer | |
| Assistant Treasurer - Branch Finances | Chris Basford | branchfinance | |
| Assistant Treasurer - Renewals | Steve Ollive | renewals | |
| Assistant Treasurer - Commercial | Denis Horsman | pubsfinance | |
| 3 Strategy | |||
| Group Leader | David Cross (BoT) | development | |
| Strategic Planning Officer | Paul Chancellor | liveries | |
| Exhibitions & Events Officer | Dr Steve Lacey | hitchin.chairman | |
| Publicity Officer | Keith Merritt | publicity | |
| Publicity Communications | Roger Sandford | chichesterchair | |
| Social Media Officer | Tim Bellenger | social_media | |
| Nameplate Administrator | David Cross | nameplates | |
| 4 Commercial | |||
| Group Leader | David Bird (BoT) | publications | |
| Publications - Trade Sales | David Bird (BoT) | ||
| Publications - Sales | VACANCY | ||
| Assistant Treasurer - Commercial | Denis Horsman | pubsfinance | |
| Photographic Archivist | c/o Andy Davies | photoarchive | |
| Photographic Portfolio | Bob Avery | folio | |
| Liveries Library | Paul Chancellor (see Strategic Planning Officer above) | liveries | |
| Managing Editor - The Railway Observer (RO) | Mike Robinson (BoT) | observer |
Railway Observer editorial
Operating Reports - Forward to the Regional Editor or Subeditor as appropriate
All Other Submissions - Forward to the appropriate Topic Editor or, if uncertain, direct to ropostbox@rcts.org.uk
| Managing Editor | Mike Robinson | observer |
| Deputy ME | David Bird | publications |
| Imaging Editor | Peter Hicks | roimages |
| Features Development Assistant | Evan Williams | features |
| REGIONAL EDITORS – Operating Reports | ||
| Eastern & North Eastern | Dafydd Wigley | ro-eastern |
| London Midland - South | Bob Ballard | lmsouth |
| London Midland – North | Vacancy | westcoastnorth |
| Scotland | Callum MacLeod | ro-scotland |
| Southern | Robert Payne | ropostbox |
| Western | Peter Everingham | rowestern |
| Subeditor - South Wales | Peter Fortune | southwales |
| TOPIC EDITORS | ||
| Branch News | Steve Batty | branchnews |
| Fixtures & Ads | Geoff Brockett | roadverts&fixtures |
| Infrastructure | Phil Deaves | infrastructure |
| International | Vacancy | international |
| Nostalgia Corner | Vacancy | nostalgia |
| Preservation & Heritage Rail | Richard Neale | heritage |
| Publication Reviews | Geoff Bannister | pubsreviews |
| Query Corner | Paul Chancellor | querycorner |
| RO Index | Paddy Carey | roindex |
| T&RS - Coaching Stock | Lawrie Bowles | coachingstock |
| T&RS - Locos & Work | Andrew Lait | ourlocos |
| Urban & Other Railways | c/o Richard Neale | ro-urban |
Branch Secretaries
| Bristol & District | Paul Udey | bristol |
| Cambridge | Tony Field | cambridge |
| Cheltenham | John Howland | cheltenham |
| Chichester | Roger Sandford | chichester |
| Croydon & South London | Rob Burridge | croydon |
| East Midlands | Dave Coxon | eastmidlands |
| Furness, Lakes & Lune | Alan Sattenstall | furnesslakesandlune |
| Hitchin & Welwyn Garden City | David Elsdon | hitchin |
| Humberside | Carey Vessey | humberside |
| Ipswich & District | Bev Steele | ipswich.branch |
| Lancashire & North West | Ian Derrick | lancsnorthwest |
| Merseyside, Cheshire & North Wales | Nigel Bowker | merseyside |
| Milton Keynes | Mark Richards | miltonkeynes |
| North East | Malcolm Hammond | darlington |
| Northampton | Roger Deacon | northampton |
| Peterborough | Colin Greatrex | peterborough |
| Scottish | Richard Thorburn | scotland |
| Sheffield | Jim Bryant | sheffieldfixtures |
| Solent | Denis Horsman | solent |
| South Essex | David Cope | southessex |
| South Wales/De Cymru | Philip Stallard | southwales |
| Surrey | Irene Rabbitts | surrey |
| Thames Valley | Ian Baird | tv-secretary |
| Watford | Rob Davidson | watford |
| West of England | Charles Woodland | westofengland |
| West Midlands | Derek Huntriss | westmidlands |
| West Riding | Peter Mann | westriding |
| Windsor & Maidenhead | Sally Goddard | maidenhead |
A brief history
The Society was founded in Cheltenham in 1928 at a time when there was little official information published about locomotive stock, their allocations or regular duties. The Society set about rectifying this by members writing to each other, the publishing of a magazine and some meetings organised around the country. The growth of the Society was such that it ran the first enthusiasts railtour in the 1930s but the war years effective stifled both the flow of information and the growth of the Society.
Ian Allan inspired a generation of post war youngsters to take up train spotting and many of those that stuck with it through maturity joined a railway society to gain first hand information on what was going on and to visit sheds in organised groups. The RCTS prospered running frequent shed visits, publishing its magazine The Railway Observer each month, running railtours and substantially expanding its branch network. Membership reached a peak however long after the end of BR steam.
Move on to the present day and the Society is still going strong with 3000 members- see below for what we can offer you.
The Society today
Our monthly magazine, The Railway Observer, usually contains about 80 pages (it is also available in digital format) of news, articles and high quality photographs. The news covers details of train workings, infrastructure changes and general industry information as well as full details of stock and livery changes. The heritage scene and world railways also have their own sections.
There is a photographic portfolio group who circulate pictures amongst their members and critique them to improve the quality of images.
Our branches hold meetings at least monthly in the season at over thirty centres and in the course of a year host over 200 presentations on a vast range of railway subjects covering the modern scene as well as history and nostalgia subjects.
Branches also organise outdoor visits to both railway centres and locations not normally open to the public, such as maintenance facilities and signalling centres, and there is also the annual members weekend which includes a number of outdoor visits and also talks, the venue for which is moved around the UK.
The Society has an extensive library located at Leatherhead railway station providing excellent research facilities as well as postal loans of books and working timetables. The facility to buy back copies of The Railway Observer and other information in digital format is being developed.
If your interest is in railway photographs then there are many thousand available to purchases on line as prints or downloads from the society archive which continues to expand.
The RCTS has been noted for many years for the quality and detail of its publications and members are entitled to discounts on many of these titles. In addition we have negotiated discounts for books purchased from third parties, travel on some heritage railways and reduced prices for a range of photographic services amongst other things.
Finally there is the website which has much information on specialist topics such as liveries and ‘diesel dilemmas’.
Governance
The society became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation on 2nd November 2016.
The objects of the CIO are to advance the education of the public in the subject of historic and current railway operation, including by
- The publication of a regular monthly magazine, The Railway Observer; and associated websites
- The publication of books containing detailed historical records relating to railways, including locomotive classes, traction equipment and railway infrastructure
- The formation and support of local branches of the Society with a view to providing a programme of speakers and visits so as to enable the public to study and understand various aspects of the practice of historic and current railway operation and railway heritage
- The development and conservation of an extensive library/archival centre so as to advance the public knowledge and understanding of historic and current railway practice and railway heritage
- The dissemination to the public of photographic images of historic and current railway operation and railway heritage.
For the purposes of this objects clause “railway” includes:
- Standard, broad, narrow and miniature gauge railways
- Urban, Metro, Light rapid transit and tramways
- Mainline and Preserved Railways
- Any railway in the world though principally in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Governance documents
Constitution · November 2016
Rules · May 2022
Privacy Policy · June 2021
Safeguarding Policy · 2019
Health & Safety Policy · 2023
Meeting minutes
There is a more detailed section on Governance in the Members' Area where minutes of the AGMs, trustee meetings, and officers' conferences are published. A valid login is required to access the Members' Area.
Charity Commission
The public register is available to view at the Charity Commission..