The Railway Correspondence & Travel Society

Surrey Branch - Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
2024-12-19 19:15 - 21:30 (Europe/London) | SRY Woking, Woking United Reform Church, White Rose Lane, Woking, GU22 7HA, United Kingdom
Surrey Branch December 2024 Meeting and social gathering.
Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
Preceeded by the Surrey Branch Annual General Meeting.

CHM Branch - Swindon works after WWII to the end of Steam
2024-12-19 19:00 - 22:00 | CHM Cheltenham, Victory Club, Burlington House, Lypiatt Road, Cheltenham, GL50 2SY, United Kingdom
Society President Canon Brian Arman returns with more history of God’s Wonderful Railway, this time looking at the post Hawksworth period into the British Railways nationalisation era.

North East Branch - South of the Himalayas
2024-12-19 19:00 - 21:30 | NEA Darlington, Darlington Cricket Club, South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Barry Burns brings us steam in the Indian continent from the 1990s.

15 in 15 & Festive Buffet
2024-12-18 19:30 - 22:00 | SOE Eastleigh, Junction Church (formerly Eastleigh Railway Institute), 2 Romsey Road, Eastleigh, SO50 9FE, United Kingdom
Members are encouraged to show 15 images in 15 minutes.

The Seaton Tramway
2024-12-18 19:15 - 21:30
The talk comprises of an overview of the tramway and trams and a trip up the line.

Archive & Library Open Day
2024-12-18 11:00 - 16:00, 2024-12-12 11:00 - 16:00, 2024-12-07 11:00 - 16:00 | RCTS Library, Leatherhead Station Approach, Leatherhead, KT22 7SQ, United Kingdom

Hitchin & Potton Snippets
2024-12-17 14:00 - 16:30 | HTC Welwyn, Digswell Village Church Hall, Welwyn, Hertfordshire, AL6 0DH, United Kingdom
A Hitchin & Welwyn Garden City branch presentation by George Howe.
This replaces the previously advertised presentation.
In the words of the presenter =
I moved to Potton in August 1952, aged 10, into a railway cottage next to the Bedford to Cambridge branch, very near to Potton Station. I met some new friends and cycled to Sandy with them, and soon found there was such a hobby as train spotting.
By Spring 1953 I brought my first ABC books – for the Eastern and Midland regions. Seventy one years later I have still not been cured.
After leaving school at 15, with a story attached which will come to light in my talk, I became Telegraph Lad at HF. Hitchin South signal box.
Throughout my railway career, I later relieved, worked, was involved with engineering work, and various emergencies at Hitchin on many occasions.
These experiences have made many “snippets”.
At this pre-Christmas meeting there will be “festive nibbles” available to all attendees!
Doors open 13:30 for a 14:00 start.

Reading Station, Vastern Road Bridge Reconstruction and short AGM
2024-12-17 14:00 - 16:30 | TVY Didcot, Didcot Civic Hall, Britwell Road, Didcot, OX11 7JN, United Kingdom
Fifty years ago, in 1973, construction work started to widen the 12 metre span Vastern Road underbridge east of Reading station to accommodate a 30 metre wide dual carriageway for Stage 3 of Reading Borough Council’s new Inner Distribution Road.
This illustrated presentation explores the history of this site at Reading station and describes the development of the bridge design using novel methods to minimise disruption to rail and road traffic and to reduce costs, including the use of parts of previous buried structures to support the new bridge.
Also described are how the bridge design facilitated lowering of the road to increase headroom, and the construction of a tanking slab below it, by Reading Borough Council, and the later extension of the bridge for additional track and platform lengthening in connection with the 2011/13 Reading Station Redevelopment scheme.

AGM and Members' Slides/Digital Images
2024-12-16 19:30 - 22:30 | ESX Shenfield, Shenfield Parish Hall, 60 Hutton Road, Shenfield, CM15 8LB, United Kingdom
Physical meeting at Shenfield Parish Hall with the AGM and digital images will also be available on Zoom as a Hybrid Meeting. Due to technical limitations we are not able to share members’ 35mm slides. There will be some festive fare available during the interval.
If you have some images you would be happy to share with the rest of the members, please let the secretary know. It wuod be useful if you could indicate if these are digital images or 35mm slides. We would ask that in general, the number of slides/images be limited to a maximum of 50.
The agenda for the AGM along with officer’s reports will be circulated nearer the time.

Branch AGM followed by British Rail Engineering Ltd
2024-12-16 19:30 - 22:00 | MHD Cox Green, Cox Green Community Centre, Highfield Lane, Cox Green, Maidenhead, SL6 3AX, United Kingdom
Our annual review of the year that has passed, and a look at what is to come in the new year.
Join us to have your say, or offer to help
After the meeting is concluded, we will have a short refreshment break, including our customary mince pies.
There will then be a presentation by Richard Marks covering the story of British Rail Engineering Ltd (BREL)

Annual General Meeting and Member's Presentations
2024-12-16 14:00 - 16:30 | NHN Northampton – Weston Favell, Weston Favell Parish Hall, Booth Lane South, Northampton, NN3 3EP, United Kingdom

Accidents at Lewisham & Thirsk - Fraser Pithie
2024-12-16 14:00 - 16:00 | Cheylesmore Community Centre, Poitiers Road, Coventry 5JX, Poitiers Road, Cheylesmore,, Coventry, CV3 5JX

WEN This and That and Maybe the Other : Almost 20 years of digital photography
2024-12-14 19:00 - 21:30 | WEN Exeter [Mint Methodist Church], Fore Street, Exeter, EX4 3AT, United Kingdom
The West of England December meeting will be a digital presentation by Charles Woodland, entitled This and That and Maybe the Other : Almost 20 years of digital photography.
The presentation will cover HST changes, Mainline Steam and Diesel tours, Loco hauled trains and drags in the West of England area and if there is time a few European glimpses.

RCTS WEN Branch Meeting : To be confirmed
2024-12-14 19:00 - 21:30 | WEN Exeter [Mint Methodist Church], Fore Street, Exeter, EX4 3AT, United Kingdom
Our December meeting will take place on Saturday 14th December when we will have a pre-christmas evening of entertainment

From Addlestone to Beijing by Rail
2024-12-12 19:00 - 21:30 | PBR Peterborough, St Luke’s Church, Mayor's Walk, Peterborough, PE3 6EZ, United Kingdom
Andy and Irene visit us to talk about their railway adventure to China, travelling by train all of the way.
Andy will also be giving a short presentation on the RCTS Library at Leatherhead.

Scottish Branch 2024 AGM followed by Members' presentations
2024-12-12 14:30 - 16:30 | SCT Edinburgh, Scots Guards Club, 2 Clifton Terrace,, Edinburgh, EH12 5DR, United Kingdom
Our key AGM will be conducted as swiftly as possible, but still covering all the essential items to ensure that the Branch will continue to function properly in 2024-25. Once proceedings are concluded, members will be invited to make short presentations using slides or digital media. Please contact the Branch Secretary for more information.
Being close to Christmas, we might be able to enjoy mince pies, but we’re making no promises just yet!

UK Steam Hauled Goods Trains since 1980
2024-12-11 19:00 - 22:00 | SWL Radyr, Cardiff, Old Church Rooms / Hen Ysgoldy'r Eglwys, Park Road, Radyr, Cardiff, CF15 8DF, United Kingdom
Tony Wardrobe will make a welcome return to the branch to present a varied selection of his own slides featuring steam hauled goods trains across the whole of the UK.

Five Go to Swansea - Part 2
2024-12-10 19:30 - 22:00 | HTC Hitchin, St Mark's Church, St Mark's Close, Lancaster Avenue, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 1UR, United Kingdom
A Hitchin & Welwyn Garden City branch presentation by Chris Jones.
In the words of the presenter –
Researching for a part two on Swansea stations has proved an interesting challenge. However the material has been coming in and the coverage will be extensive after all there were over 30 stations listed at one time and some like Grovesend are a rare sight. The Swansea 00 gauge modellers group often bring insights to long lost collieries.
At this pre-Christmas meeting there will be “festive nibbles” available to all attendees!
Doors open 19:00 for a 19:30 start.

The Bluebell Railway through my lens
2024-12-10 19:30 - 22:00 | CSL Croydon, East Croydon United Reformed Church, Addiscombe Grove, Croydon, CR0 5LP, United Kingdom
David Cable is a an excellent photographer, regularly in action along the Bluebell Railway, both on photo charters and normal service days, and will giving us a presentation of the highlights of his results.

Cambridge Branch AGM and Members' Pictures
2024-12-10 19:30 - 22:00 | CBR Fulbourn, Cambridge, The Swifts, Haggis Gap, Fulbourn, Cambridge, CB21 5HD, United Kingdom
Our Annual General Meeting followed by an opportunity for members to present a selection of their photographs. Please bring your photographs on a USB memory stick or advise cambridge@rcts.org.uk if anything other than a digital projector is required.

Social evening - Mince pies and members’ slides in the Dickens Suite
2024-12-10 19:00 - 21:30 | EMD Nottingham, The New Mechanics, 3 North Sherwood Street, Nottingham, NG1 4EZ, United Kingdom
Join us in the Dickens Suite for a social evening with mince pies and members’ contributions

Anthony Hicks – “Something for everyone” 1964 to 2024
2024-12-10 19:00 - 21:00 | SFD Sheffield Farm Road Sports & Social Club, Farm Road, Sheffield, S2 2TP, United Kingdom

HSD branch - Dan Longbottom-“The highlights so far, and more”
2024-12-10 13:30 - 16:00
Dan Longbottom -“The highlights so far, and more”

Visit to Stafford
2024-12-10

Testing and Commissioning the IC225s
2024-12-09 19:30 - 22:00 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
Dave Coxon started work for British Railways at the Loco Works in Derby in 1964. During his long career Dave has worked for the LM CM&EE, the DM&EE and R&DD, for Serco and latterly for Bombardier in Derby. Dave was part of the Commissioning Section at the RTC Derby who were involved with testing and commissioning the IC225s in 1988-89.
Dave’s talk will cover the delivery of the first 10 locomotives and their testing and mileage gathering. It also covers the trials and tribulations of the late delivery of the Mk4 coaches and DVTs and the need to enter service on the promised date with Mk3 rolling stock and surrogate DVTs. His talk also describes the extensive testing of the Mk4 coach bogies and the transit of a locomotive to Hamburg for an exhibition in June 1988.

For this virtual event, you will require a ticket. Free for RCTS members, but a £2.50 donation will be requested at the checkout. Non-member tickets are £2.50. (Or you can join the Society in the same transaction to take advantage of members’ benefits)
To receive information on coming National (and other) Zoom meetings, please join the RCTS National Zoom E-mail List (RCTS-National@groups.io) by visiting https://groups.io/g/RCTS-National , or by e-mail to RCTS-National+subscribe@groups.io.

AGM followed by Southern Steam in the 1960s by Graham Ford.
2024-12-09 14:15 - 16:30 | Greenfinch Hall,Greenfinch Avenue Ipswich IP2 0SQ

'The Widow's Frontier Railways' by Richard Pelham.
2024-12-06 19:30 - 22:00 | BTL North Filton, St Teresa’s Church Hall, 71 Gloucester Road, North Filton, BS34 7PL, United Kingdom
Travel to British India with Richard Pelham to learn about ‘The Widow’s Frontier Railways’.

Milton Keynes Branch AGM followed by members presentations
2024-12-05 19:30 - 21:30 | MKY Milton Keynes, Network Rail - The Quadrant: MK, Elder Gate, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK9 1EN, United Kingdom
Milton Keynes Branch AGM followed by members presentations.
