The Railway Correspondence & Travel Society

Nothing Stays the Same - A tour of Railway Works, by Mike Corbett
2024-04-22 14:00 - 16:30 (Europe/London) | NHN Northampton – Weston Favell, Weston Favell Parish Hall, Booth Lane South, Northampton, NN3 3EP, United Kingdom

Members' Day and AGM 2024
2024-04-20 10:30 - 17:00 | Grand Station, Wolverhampton, Sun Street, Wolverhampton, WV10 0BF, United Kingdom
The AGM part of the day will allow remote participation via Zoom. If attending remotely, you must pre-register with Zoom, using the link below.
Brunel Suite, Grand Station, Sun Street, Wolverhampton, WV10 0BF
Saturday 20th April 2024 (doors open at 10.30 for 11:00 start)
Programme for the day
11.00 Welcome and Refreshments
Professional photographer Jack Boskett presents some of his diverse work: “From Railways to Royalty”
12.30 Buffet Lunch – £10.00 which includes tea/coffee during the day.
This must be pre-booked using this link: – https://rcts.org.uk/product/agm-2024-lunch/
13.15 88th Society Annual General Meeting
15.30 Refreshments
(approx) Sholto Thomas presents “Railway Observer in the United States”
17.00 Members Day closes.
The Brunel Suite forms part of the Grand Station Conference Centre which is located in the former Great Western Railway Wolverhampton Low Level Station. It is very close to Wolverhampton’s current (LNWR) railway station. If arriving by train, or tram, you can walk to Grand Station a number of ways. Most straightforward is probably to turn left out of Wolverhampton LNWR Station, walk through the car park to Cornhill – turn left and cross under the railway to Bailey Street (take care – the paths under the bridge are a bit narrow!). Bear left onto Bailey Street to ‘The Great Western’ public house – and the entrance to Grand Station should be right in front of you. This route is not suitable for wheelchairs or mobility aids. Parking on site at Grand Station is limited to those who have applied to the Society Chairman for one of six permits. Alternatively, there are plenty of public car parks nearby.
A Premier Inn is adjacent.
We look forward to welcoming Members and their guests to Wolverhampton.

"Along the ECML - Kings Cross to York" - Presenter Stephen Gay
2024-04-18 19:30 - 21:30 | WRD Shipley, Saltaire Methodist Church, Saltaire Road, Shipley, BD18 3HJ, United Kingdom

The Work Of The RAIB
2024-04-18 19:15 - 21:30 | SRY Woking, Woking United Reform Church, White Rose Lane, Woking, GU22 7HA, United Kingdom

Branch ABM and Cheltenham St. James to Broadway
2024-04-18 19:00 - 22:30 | CHM Cheltenham, Victory Club, Burlington House, Lypiatt Road, Cheltenham, GL50 2SY, United Kingdom
We will conduct our Branch Annual Business Meeting, receive reports from the Committee and elect officers to serve for the 2024/5 period. We will endeavour to keep this bit of the meeting short! – because: –
Following this John Dagley-Morris will present Cheltenham St. James to Broadway. This will be a journey along the line which is largely preserved by the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway. One of many significant structures along the line to Broadway, 13 arch Stanway Viaduct, requires some major improvements to ensure its continued well being. The viaduct was constructed in 1905 and is showing its nearly 120 years of age. In 2023 the GWSR Trust launched a £1.5m appeal to raise funds to help pay for the work needed. John has suggested his presentation should be an opportunity to donate funds towards the appeal.

Swindon - The Origin
2024-04-17 19:30 - 22:00

HSD branch - Just what you wanted
2024-04-16 19:30 - 22:00 | HSD Hull, The Highway, Willerby Road, Hull, HU5 5LH, United Kingdom
Just what you wanted

LMS Patriot Project
2024-04-16 19:00 - 21:30 | TVY Didcot, Didcot Civic Hall, Britwell Road, Didcot, OX11 7JN, United Kingdom
We are building a working steam locomotive as a National Memorial Engine, recreating a Remembrance link
established after the Great War and lost in the 1960s.
None of this type of express passenger locomotive – the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) ‘Patriot’
class – survived when steam traction ended in the 60s on British Railways. When complete, it will join a select
family of other LMS express passenger locomotives that still operate on our UK railway.
Inspired by the Great War Centenaries of recent years – Armistice Day and the repatriation of the Unknown
Warrior to Westminster Abbey – the locomotive will be named The Unknown Warrior. This recognizes its
special Remembrance role as a National Memorial Engine, in memory of servicemen and women lost in the
First World War and all subsequent wars. This special role was performed by the first of the original ‘Patriot’
class – named Patriot – in honour of railway employees who fell in the 1914-1918 War.
We believe that this commemorative role, together with the importance of the locomotive type itself in the
development of our railways, brings a special historical dimension to our work. Our Patron is Simon Weston
CBE the well-known Falklands War Veteran.
Our present forecast sees the locomotive completed by 2026, dependent on our donations trend. Thereafter
we intend that the locomotive will be visible as a working memorial on regular display and hauling heritage
trains on tours and at special events for many years to come.
Practically all of the work is new construction, using traditional engineering and manufacturing skills and based
on original drawings. All of the major manufacturing and assembly work is being done in the UK. Our main
assembly base is the Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust (PRCLT) works at West Shed, Swanwick, Derbyshire,

Archive and Library Open Day
2024-04-16 11:00 - 16:00, 2024-04-10 11:00 - 16:00, 2024-04-04 11:00 - 16:00, 2024-03-30 11:00 - 16:00 | RCTS Library, Leatherhead Station Approach, Leatherhead, KT22 7SQ, United Kingdom

East Midlands Day Ranger
2024-04-16
Please note that this fixture has been put back one week from its original date of 9th April because of ongoing industrial action.

Inter-railing for the Older Crowd
2024-04-15 19:30 - 22:30 | ESX Shenfield, Shenfield Parish Hall, 60 Hutton Road, Shenfield, CM15 8LB, United Kingdom
Physical/Hybrid Meeting at Shenfield Parish Hall – This meeting will also be avaialble via Zoom

The title comes from a Facebook page of the same name, which was a helpful resource in planning Dave’s trips. From April to June 2023 Dave spent three months travelling to 25 European countries, using a senior Interrail pass. This was a series of short breaks, 10 in all, rather than one continuous trip. The images are (nearly) all from the modern European railway scene, with maps to help with everyone’s European geographical knowledge.

A Touch of Eastern Promise
2024-04-15 14:00 - 16:00 | WMD Coventry, Cheylesmore Community Centre, Arundel/Poitiers Road, Coventry, CV3 5JX, United Kingdom
At this meeting Derek Huntriss will present images describing a somewhat adventurous journey made through Java, Sumatra and Malaya with fellow photographer, John Hunt, in July/August 1977.

Diesels Through Devon
2024-04-13 19:00 - 21:30 | WEN Exeter [Mint Methodist Church], Fore Street, Exeter, EX4 3AT, United Kingdom
Amyas Crump returns to the branch with a new talk entitled Diesels Through Devon. This will cover new ground for Amyas as rather than a delve into the past of Steam, it will cover vintage diesels in the county from his extensive collection. It will come with Amyas unique eye for the unusual

End of Southern Steam - 50 years on
2024-04-11 19:00 - 21:00 | PBR Peterborough, St Luke’s Church, Mayor's Walk, Peterborough, PE3 6EZ, United Kingdom
A look back at the end of steam on the Southern Region.

Newport : The South Wales Main Line Recalled
2024-04-10 19:00 - 22:00
Ray Viney
Ray is a very well known and respected authority on railways of South Wales and is the Editor of the Monmouthshire Railway Society Journal

Cambridge Area Railways - Yesterday & Today (Part 1)
2024-04-09 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.
Presenter: David Scudamore
In this presentation (Part 1 of a series) David will look in detail at all aspects of the Cambridge railway scene including its history, infrastructure, artefacts, trains & locomotives from the steam age to the present day. He will then take us north along the line to Ely and, time permitting, may also look at the Cambridge to St Ives line.
Doors open 19:00

Roaming Around London With a Camera
2024-04-09 19:30 - 22:00 | CSL Croydon, East Croydon United Reformed Church, Addiscombe Grove, Croydon, CR0 5LP, United Kingdom
Geoff Brockett brings the results of his photographic roamings, to show us the great diversity of trains and liveries to be seen around the capital in recent years. As he lives in London and so does a lot of his photography there, it seemed a good idea to do a show based specifically on what can be seen in London. This evening’s show contains a brief selection of older shots, but otherwise will feature shots taken in the last 2 – 2½ years.

"An Evening with Father's Slides" by David Cross
2024-04-09 19:30 - 22:00 | CBR Fulbourn, Cambridge, The Swifts, Haggis Gap, Fulbourn, Cambridge, CB21 5HD, United Kingdom
David presents his father’s (Derek Cross) magnificent photographs in a slide show of mainly steam but with some pictures of early diesels. The West Coast route from London to Carlisle will be followed, albeit with a bias to photographs in the Northern Fells. In addition there are some images from North London, North Wales and also of ex-GWR and LNER locomotives.

Deltics: 1965 to the present day - Richard Walsh
2024-04-09 19:30 - 21:30 | EMD Nottingham, The New Mechanics, 3 North Sherwood Street, Nottingham, NG1 4EZ, United Kingdom

John Day "East Anglian Railways in Transition".
2024-04-09 14:00 - 16:00 | SFD Sheffield Farm Road Sports & Social Club, Farm Road, Sheffield, S2 2TP, United Kingdom
From BR through Sectorisation to Privatisation – 1980s to date.

Interrailing for the Older Crowd by Dave Hepper.
2024-04-08 19:15 - 21:45 | Greenfinch Hall,Greenfinch Avenue Ipswich IP2 0SQ

'East Coast Main Line part 2 - North From York' by Stephen Gay
2024-04-05 19:30 - 22:00 | BTL North Filton, St Teresa’s Church Hall, 71 Gloucester Road, North Filton, BS34 7PL, United Kingdom
Following the East Coast Main Line North from York to Edinburgh Waverly this 205 mile journey calls off at the principal stations en-route. The show uses Stephen’s recently taken slides complemented with a sprinkling of his own poetry.

Great Central Railway - Re-Unification
2024-04-04 19:30 - 22:00 | MKY Milton Keynes, Network Rail - The Quadrant: MK, Elder Gate, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK9 1EN, United Kingdom
Tom Ingall from the Great Central Railway gives a talk on possibly the UK’s biggest heritage railway project, the re-unification of the two halves of the preserved section of the Great Central and the connection with Network Rail.

LMS Patriot project
2024-04-03 19:30 - 21:30
colin hall will give a sesssion on how this remarkeable project is progressing

London Midland Region - Review of the 1950s/1960s
2024-04-03 13:45 - 15:45 | MCN Liverpool, Haig House Social Club, Woolton Road, Garston, Liverpool, L19 5NQ, United Kingdom
Please note that this is a change of subject and speaker because the intended speaker, Paul Shackcloth, is unwell.

Branch AGM, followed by 'The Story of the Travelling Post Office' by Roland Gillott
2024-04-02 18:45 - 21:30 | WFD Watford, Beechen Grove Baptist Church, Clarendon Road, Watford, WD17 1JJ, United Kingdom
The Watford Branch AGM will commence at 18:45 (please note this is earlier than our usual start time) and we hope to conclude that by 19:00. This will be followed by Roland Gillott’s presentation on ‘The Story of the Travelling Post Office’. This includes the inception of the TPO service in 1838 and its continuation until the TPO service was brought to an end in 2004. The talk also includes references to TPOs preserved in the heritage sector and to Mail Rail, the preservation of part of the Post Office Railway as a visitor attraction.
Please note that this is a physical meeting at our usual venue at Beechen Grove Baptist Church.

A 1968 Jet Search for Steam
2024-03-28 19:30 - 22:00 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
The introduction of “Pacesetter” fares for under-26-year-olds in 1968 made international air travel much more affordable, and Frank Stamford – our regular Australian attendee – took advantage of them to make a fifteen-week round the world trip in search of steam, visiting Indonesia, the British Isles, Western Europe (from Portugal to West Germany), and South Africa, at a time when such long distance international travel was something exceptional. His presentation will include some industrial railways as well as public railways. And there will be very few diesel locomotives!

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.
