Bristol Meeting - 'The Rise and Fall of Bristol Bath Road Diesel Depot' by Roy Kethro
2026-01-02 19:30 - 22:00 (Europe/London)
The story of Bristol Bath Road Depot is told by Roy Kethro, through his experence of starting work as an apprentice and later as the depot’s Senior Technical Officier.

WFD Branch Zoom Meeting, 'The Ramblings of a Railwayman', by Geoff Burch, 6th January 2026
2026-01-06 18:30 - 21:30 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
‘The Ramblings of a Railwayman’, an Illustrated Talk by Geoff Burch.
During ‘The Ramblings of a Railwayman’ Geoff initially talks about his first interest in railways as a train spotter at various locations including London Motive Power Depots.
Following his first visit to a footplate of a steam locomotive and having spoken to the crew, he knew then that he wanted to become one of these enginemen!
In April 1961, as a 15-year-old straight from school, he started his career as an engine cleaner, working in the boilersmith’s shop and eventually became a top-link fireman based at Guildford Motive Power Depot.
This gave him a privileged opportunity to work with a diverse group of drivers and steam locomotives ranging from Drummond M7 tanks to Bulleid Pacifics until the final day of steam on the Southern Region when he was fortunate to be a fireman on one of last steam locomotives to leave the depot on Sunday 9th July 1967.
Please note this is a Virtual Zoom Meeting. There is no charge for this meeting, but you will need to register with Zoom – the link is given below – and donations will be gratefully received. These can be made by clicking on the ‘organiser’ given below and are in units of £2.00 – you can donate as many units as you like!
You will be able to join the meeting from 18:30, with the presentation starting at 19:00.

FLL - Journeys from Porthmadog
2026-01-07 19:30 - 22:00 | FLL Carnforth, Royal Station Hotel, Market Street, Carnforth, LA5 9BT, United Kingdom
with David Fowler

60 years of the Settle and Carlisle
2026-01-08 19:00 - 21:30 | PBR Peterborough, St Luke’s Church, Mayor's Walk, Peterborough, PE3 6EZ, United Kingdom
Michael Smyth from our Cambridge branch visits us to give a pictorial presentation of images of the Settle and Carlisle line from the last six decades.
Come and join us for an evening of great photographs of one of the most scenic railway routes in the UK.

Milton Keynes Branch Zoom Presentation - 'That Was the Year That Was - 1963'
2026-01-08 19:30 - 22:00 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
Join us for our first meeting of the year on Zoom for Geoff Plumb to take us through ‘That Was the Year That Was – 1963’.

Photographic Review of 2024 and 2025
2026-01-10 14:30 - 16:30 | SCT Edinburgh, Scots Guards Club, 2 Clifton Terrace,, Edinburgh, EH12 5DR, United Kingdom
We welcome back prolific RCTS photographer Keith Sanders with the latest instalment of his images taken during 2024 and 2025.

WEN : AGM followed by John Beaumont - Mainly GBRf Views
2026-01-10 19:30 - 21:30 | WEN Exeter [Mint Methodist Church], Fore Street, Exeter, EX4 3AT, United Kingdom
After the AGM John Beaumont will be entertaining us with a set of his videos covering GBRf workings throughout the country from his extensive travels in the areas where GBRf operate

Members digital images (no 35mm slides)
2026-01-13 13:00 - 15:30 | Fulwood Lawn Tennis club Highgate Ave Preston PR2 8DY, Highgate Ave, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 8DY

AGM plus ETCS Project on ECML - Ed Cooper
2026-01-13 14:00 - 16:30 | EMD Nottingham, The New Mechanics, 3 North Sherwood Street, Nottingham, NG1 4EZ, United Kingdom

Eurostar - 30 Years & Counting
2026-01-13 14:00 - 16:30 | 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 McCanless.
Details to follow.
Doors open at 13:30 for a 14:00 start.

"Bilston and Wolverhampton from Steam Days to Tramway" by Michael Smyth
2026-01-13 19:30 - 22:00 | CBR Fulbourn, Cambridge, The Swifts, Haggis Gap, Fulbourn, Cambridge, CB21 5HD, United Kingdom
Wolverhampton was served by two mainlines, the ex GWR route from Paddington and the ex LMS route from Euston. BR’s investment in the 1960s was focused entirely on the ex LMS route, and once the full electric service to Euston began in March 1967 the GWR route to Birmingham went into terminal decline and closed on the 4th March 1972. However, Snow Hill station was re-opened in 1987 and the former GWR trackbed to Wolverhampton has been converted into a tram route, which opened in 1999.
This presentation starts in the early 1960s when steam was still predominant on both routes, through the years of transition to diesel and electric traction, and the many years of change from the 1970s through to the present day. It also illustrates how the area, especially around Bilston, Wolverhampton, was once a heartland of manufacturing industry all of which has now vanished. A presentation created by two of our members Mike Page and Michael Smyth, both of who once worked at same large factory in Bilston.

That Was The Year That Was - 1967
2026-01-13 19:30 - 22:00 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
Excellent photographer (and Watford Branch chairman) Geoff Plumb returns to give us the next in his series of ‘That Was The Year That Was’ presentatations, this time covering 1967 . This was the penultimate year of regular standard gauge steam on British Railways, and the last year of its working in Southern England, and so was much photographed by Geoff, along with other delights.

Robert Pritchard - 2025 in Review & Branch AGM
2026-01-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
Robert presents his annual round up of the railway scene in 2025 at home and abroad. The branch AGM will immediately follow the presentation. NB this meeting is on a Wednesday

RCTS South Wales Branch AGM
2026-01-14 19:30 - 22:00 | SWL Radyr, Cardiff, Old Church Rooms / Hen Ysgoldy'r Eglwys, Park Road, Radyr, Cardiff, CF15 8DF, United Kingdom
As always, the first RCTS South Wales Branch meeting of the year will be the Annual General Meeting. For 2026 the AGM will be followed by a medley of images from a number of local photographers, led by Jeremy Segrott. As always, our preloved book stall will be open for you to make that vital purchase you never knew you needed and our competitively priced Kit Kats will be available at half time, along with the complimentary tea and coffee.
37418 waiting at Rhymney with a driver training run to Cardiff Canton

A Dawlish Adventure
2026-01-15 14:00 - 16:30 | CHR Bassil Shippam Centre, Tozer Way, St Pancras, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 7LG, United Kingdom
The coastal route in and around Dawlish during the period from the late1950’s to the early 2020’s is explored in this 4 part video presentation. The changing motive power scene from steam through diesel hydraulics, diesel electrics and on to high speed trains and bi mode Azuma’s is illustrated together with changes to the railway infrastructure.

By Train to Many Destinations
2026-01-15 19:00 - 21:30 | NEA Darlington, Darlington Cricket Club, South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Presented by Neal Woods

CHM Branch - The Dutch Railway Scene
2026-01-15 19:00 - 22:00 | CHM Cheltenham, Victory Club, Burlington House, Lypiatt Road, Cheltenham, GL50 2SY, United Kingdom
The railways in Holland have been getting new trains on local, regional and inter city services in recent years – not to mention Eurostar services running through from London to Amsterdam. Come along and see what Sholto has been discovering from recent trips to Holland.

Surrey Branch - Great Western Railway
2026-01-15 19:15 - 21:30 | SRY Woking, Woking United Reform Church, White Rose Lane, Woking, GU22 7HA, United Kingdom
Great Western Railway
By Mark Hopwood CBE, Managing Director, Great Western Railway

WRD - Ossett to Penzance via Wick
2026-01-15 19:30 - 22:00 | WRD Shipley, Saltaire Methodist Church, Saltaire Road, Shipley, BD18 3HJ, United Kingdom
Roger Hepworth brings us this epic railway journey to the furthest station in the south west of England via the far north of Scotland

Early spotting days - 1960s & 70s by Mike McManus
2026-01-19 13:30 - 15:45 | MCN Bromborough, The Bromborough Suite. The Merebrook, Greenfields Avenue, Bromborough, Wirral, Merseyside, CH62 6DD, United Kingdom

The Railways of Pakistan & The Hedjaz Railway - Syria & Jordan
2026-01-19 14:00 - 16:00 | WMD Coventry, Cheylesmore Community Centre, Arundel/Poitiers Road, Coventry, CV3 5JX, United Kingdom
Our Secretary, Derek Huntriss, will present a superb collection of images taken on his adventures in Pakistan and on The Hedjaz Railway in Syria and Jordan.

Tyne to Tweed and branches in between
2026-01-19 14:00 - 16:30 | NHN Northampton – Weston Favell, Weston Favell Parish Hall, Booth Lane South, Northampton, NN3 3EP, United Kingdom

The Greatest Gathering - A Personal Record
2026-01-19 19:30 - 22:30 | ESX Shenfield, Shenfield Parish Hall, 60 Hutton Road, Shenfield, CM15 8LB, United Kingdom
This presentation, by our own Iain Scotchman covers Iain’s visit to the Greatest Gathering in Derby to celebrate 200 years of the railways

Physical meeting at Shenfield Parish Hall also available on Zoom as a Hybrid Meeting.

Archive And Library Open Day
2026-01-20 11:00 - 16:00 | RCTS Library, Leatherhead Station Approach, Leatherhead, KT22 7SQ, United Kingdom

Manchester to Leeds via Calder Valley
2026-01-20 13:30 - 16:00 | HSD Hull, The Highway, Willerby Road, Hull, HU5 5LH, United Kingdom

TVY Branch - Conditions of Carriage Part 1 - the History of Railway Carriages
2026-01-20 14:00 - 16:30 | TVY Didcot, Didcot Civic Hall, Britwell Road, Didcot, OX11 7JN, United Kingdom
Railway carriages may be overshadowed by the glamour of the locomotive, but they can be
glamorous too – or very basic! This presentation traces the diverse and fascinating story of how
carriages evolved from the early stagecoach on rails; to modern day vehicles, with more than a few
trials and errors along the way. Take your seats….

Branch AGM
2026-01-21 18:30 - 19:30 | SOE Eastleigh, Junction Church (formerly Eastleigh Railway Institute), 2 Romsey Road, Eastleigh, SO50 9FE, United Kingdom

Railways of South Wales
2026-01-21 19:30 - 22:00 | SOE Eastleigh, Junction Church (formerly Eastleigh Railway Institute), 2 Romsey Road, Eastleigh, SO50 9FE, United Kingdom

The future of UK Locomotive Operations
2026-01-26 19:30 - 22:00 | MHD Cox Green, Cox Green Community Centre, Highfield Lane, Cox Green, Maidenhead, SL6 3AX, United Kingdom
Karl is the founder and MD of Railmotive. He is also the founder, co-owner and former CEO of the Rail Operations Group (ROG) group of companies. He is a career railwayman, business owner and rail industry pioneer. Karl also pioneered the development and procurement of the UK’s first fleet of environmentally-friendly, high-performing class 93 tri-mode locomotives, the first of which enters service in 2025. He spearheaded the development and growth of Rail Operations Group, the UK’s first dedicated rolling stock services and test train operating company. He is now driving a number of revolutionary and game-changing initiatives to deliver rail industry modernisation and leads on the UK’s future locomotive strategy.

Six Months at Stratford Depot - My recollections from 1988
2026-01-27 14:00 - 16:30 | HTC Welwyn, Digswell Village Church Hall, Welwyn, Hertfordshire, AL6 0DH, United Kingdom
A Hitchin & Welwyn Garden City Branch meeting.
Details to follow.
Doors open at 13:30 for 14:00 start.
