The Railway Correspondence & Travel Society

The History of the Mansfield to Worksop Railway
2023-09-26 19:30 - 21:30 (Europe/London) | EMD Nottingham, The New Mechanics, 3 North Sherwood Street, Nottingham, NG1 4EZ, United Kingdom
Denis Hill will take a brief look at how different railways had already reached Mansfield and Worksop but had not joined the two together. We look at the fight to make that connection and to see just what it provided and how it boosted the local economy.

Archive and Library Open Day
2023-09-27 11:00 - 16:00, 2023-10-03 11:00 - 16:00, 2023-10-14 11:00 - 16:00, 2023-10-19 11:00 - 16:00 | RCTS Library, Leatherhead Station Approach, Leatherhead, KT22 7SQ, United Kingdom

Irish Narrow Gauge
2023-09-27 19:00 - 21:30 | SWL Swansea, Dyfatty Community Centre, Chapel Street, Dyfatty, Swansea, SA1 1NB, United Kingdom
Branch Sales Officer and Fixture Secretary Nigel Wassell relaunches our Swansea programme with a series of images capturing the variety of narrow gauge in Ireland.

Outside the Foyle Valley Railway Museum, Londonderry The locomotive in the image is a 3ft narrow gauge locomotive built for the County Donegal Joint Railways Committee (CDJRC) in 1907 by Nasmith and Wilson, originally numbered No. 16 and named “Donegal”. She was superheated in 1926 and then renamed and renumbered as No. 4 “Meenglas” in 1937. The locomotive was withdrawn from service on the 31-12-1959, when the CDJRC ceased to exist as a railway company.

An American Rail Rover
2023-09-27 19:15 - 21:30 | CHR Bassil Shippam Centre, Tozer Way, St Pancras, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 7LG, United Kingdom
John’s talk will look at railway operations across the USA from the East Coast across to Chicago, the Mid-West to the rocky mountains. North to the Canadian border and south through the Sierra Nevada’s, the high desert to the Californian Tehachapi range to San Francisco and through the Cajon mountains towards Los Angeles. Featuring long freight trains, locals, Amtrak and regional passengers trains, light rail, street running at La Grange Kentucky and some main line steam. All taken from the 1990s through to the mid 2010s.

The World beyond our Shores - Part 1
2023-09-28 19:30 - 22:00 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
Tony Bowles of The Restoration & Archiving Trust returns with what promises to be another excellent prestation from their collections, featuring the work of the late Gerald Dixon, taken between 1960 & 1976 in chronological order. It starts in Australia & ends in Argentina via parts of Europe, Africa & Asia, in some cases returning to a country in different years. A globe trotting treat!
For this virtual event, you require a ticket, via the ‘Buy Zoom Ticket’ link – there is no need to register with Zoom. RCTS members are free-of-charge, but are invited to make a £2.50 donation at the checkout. Non-member tickets are £2.50. Or sign up for membership and a ticket at the same time, and benefit from the members’ rate!
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.

‘London Underground Then & Now. As it was and as it is’, by Brian Hardy
2023-10-03 19:00 - 21:30 | WFD Watford, Beechen Grove Baptist Church, Clarendon Road, Watford, WD17 1JJ, United Kingdom
BRIAN HARDY: Brian returns to present: ‘London Underground Then & Now. As it was and as it is’.
This is a physical event, doors open at the venue from around 18:30 for a 19:00 start, there will be a midway break for refreshments and we aim to finish around 21:30.

SCT Branch AGM followed by Member’s Slide/Digital Presentations
2023-10-03 19:30 - 21:30 | SCT Edinburgh, Scots Guards Club, 2 Clifton Terrace,, Edinburgh, EH12 5DR, United Kingdom
Branch AGM followed by Member’s Slide/Digital Presentations

The Superb Years : 1950s - 1960s : Part 2
2023-10-04 13:45 - 15:30 | MCN Liverpool, Haig House Social Club, Woolton Road, Garston, Liverpool, L19 5NQ, United Kingdom
Taking place despite the rail strike since Merseyrail is expected to be running services.

Cathedrals of Steam
2023-10-05 19:30 - 22:00 | MKY Milton Keynes, Network Rail - The Quadrant: MK, Elder Gate, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK9 1EN, United Kingdom
Christian Wolmar, transport writer, broadcaster and author of numerous books, traces the development of the major London stations, providing unique insights into their history, with many entertaining anecdotes, and celebrates the recent transformation of several of these stations into wonderful blends of the old and the new.

An Audience with Professional Photographer - Jack Boskett
2023-10-06 19:30 - 22:00 | BTL North Filton, St Teresa’s Church Hall, 71 Gloucester Road, North Filton, BS34 7PL, United Kingdom
Top railway photographer Jack Boskett will be presenting a selection of his superb images.

Heineken Days-Part 1 (A Railway Miscellany) by Andy Grimmett
2023-10-09 19:15 - 21:45 | IPS Ipswich, Greenfinch Church Hall, Greenfinch Avenue, Ipswich, IP2 0SQ, United Kingdom

UK Rail Freight Motive Power Options Going Forward
2023-10-09 19:30 - 21:30 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
At present, the standard option for rail freight motive power is a diesel locomotive, from one of several classes. With the ongoing environmental ‘green’ pressures, changes will coming – but to what? Bob Tiller, Engineering Specialist with GB Railfreight Ltd, one of our leading railfreight operators, will be coming to give a presentation of the options for the future. Following this, there will be an opportunity for questions and discussion.

For this virtual event, you require a ticket. RCTS members are free-of-charge, but will be invited to make a £2.50 donation at the checkout. Non-member tickets are £2.50.

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.

'Seventy Years of Railway Photography' by Colin Boocock
2023-10-10 14:00 - 16:00 | SFD Sheffield Farm Road Sports & Social Club, Farm Road, Sheffield, S2 2TP, United Kingdom
Colin’s presentation will be based on his book
‘Seventy Years of Railway Photography: Seven Decades Behind the Lens’.
Note this is a change from the originally advertised speaker.

The LMS Patriot Project
2023-10-10 14:00 - 17:00 | EMD Nottingham, The New Mechanics, 3 North Sherwood Street, Nottingham, NG1 4EZ, United Kingdom
The project is recreating a working replica of an express steam locomotive type – the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) ‘Patriot’ class – which did not survive in the 1960’s, when steam traction ended on the then British Railways. When complete, it will join a select family of other LMS express passenger locomotives that still operate on our UK railway.
The present forecast sees the locomotive completed by 2029, 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.

Charles Firminger Looks Back
2023-10-10 19:30 - 22:00 | CSL Croydon, East Croydon United Reformed Church, Addiscombe Grove, Croydon, CR0 5LP, United Kingdom
Charles Firminger, President of the Locomotive Club of Great Britain, comes to look back to the 1950s, with a selection of images taken between 1957 and 1959, both in Britain and Europe.
Note: Since the start of this season, we are meeting in the Primary Room at the East Croydon URC (rather than the Small Hall)

"The Fylde Line: An 80s Ride from Manchester Victoria to Blackpool" by Alan Jones
2023-10-10 19:30 - 22:00 | CBR Fulbourn, Cambridge, The Swifts, Haggis Gap, Fulbourn, Cambridge, CB21 5HD, United Kingdom
The 1980s were a period of significant change on BR. New multiple units began to replace first generation ones. Long standing traffics moved to road, such as newspapers printed in Manchester and traditionally dispatched by rail to towns and cities across Northern England. Remnants of domestic coal traffic still existed, illustrated by workings on the Deepdale branch from Preston. Decades old infrastructure remained at stations large and small along with mechanical signalling. This changing scene is illustrated by a photographic journey from Manchester Victoria via Bolton and Preston to Blackpool North and South.

Steam in the 1960's
2023-10-10 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 Wright.
Chris Wright, a native of Gorleston-on-Sea, spent many school holidays 1959-1965 spotting in Hitchin. In a two-part presentation, the first Tuesday 10th October, the second Tuesday May 14th 2024, he will talk about his early spotting ventures in Norfolk; the end of steam in East Anglia; spotting at Benslow bridge; and the many trips he took from Hitchin, in the company of local spotters in pursuit of steam. Starting in the 1950’s, he will also talk about the increasingly frenetic drive to visit the last outposts of steam during 1965-1967.
Doors open 19:00.

My Favourite Trips
2023-10-11 19:00 - 22:00 | Hertfordshire
Branch Treasurer and regular contributor to the Branch newsletter Right Tracks, Steve Rickett will present his favourite images from 40 years of railway photography.

One of Steve’s recent images from a branch Observation outing is 710 269 at Barking working 2J39, the 10.54 Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside on 20 May

My Favourite Moments 1986 to 2019
2023-10-11 19:00 - 22:00 | SWL Radyr, Cardiff, Old Church Rooms / Hen Ysgoldy'r Eglwys, Park Road, Radyr, Cardiff, CF15 8DF, United Kingdom
Steve Rickett, Branch Treasurer and regular contributor to Right Tracks, the Branch Newsletter will present a series of images celebrating more than 40 years of following and photographing trains across Great Britain

Steve’s image of 710269 working 2J39 10:54 Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside at Barking on 20 May 2023 during a branch observation in London

Farnham & District MRC Exhibition
2023-10-14 10:00 - 17:00, 2023-10-15 10:00 - 16:30 | Alderwood Leisure Centre, Tongham Road, Aldershot, GU12 4AS, Alderwood Leisure Centre, Tongham Road, Aldershot,, GU12 4AS, United Kingdom
Surrey Branch will be attending the Farnham & District MRC Exhibition, with our sales stand, at Alderwood Leisure Centre, Tongham Road, Aldershot, GU12 4AS.
Assistance with manning the stand would be appreciated.

Railways in the 1970's
2023-10-14 19:00 - 21:30 | WEN Exeter [Mint Methodist Church], Fore Street, Exeter, EX4 3AT, United Kingdom
For the first meeting of the 2023/24 programme, David Hunt, will provide an evening of nostalgia which will cover the railways of the UK in the corporate rail blue era of the 1970s with its variety of loco classes and variety of freight, the majority of which is long gone. It will be an entertaining evening!

The LMS Patriot Project
2023-10-16 14:00 - 16:00 | Cheylesmore Community Centre, Poitiers Road, Coventry 5JX, Poitiers Road, Cheylesmore,, Coventry, CV3 5JX
The LMS-Patriot Project – Our aims and progress to date
The LMS-Patriot is building a working Patriot class steam locomotive as a National Memorial Engine, recreating a railway heritage and Remembrance link established after the Great War and lost in the 1960s. 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.

Colin Hall, the Project Chairman, will give a presentation and will bring us up to date on the ups and downs of the project to the present day.

British Rail in the early 1980s – The Swansong of Corporate Identity
2023-10-16 19:30 - 22:30 | ESX Shenfield, Shenfield Parish Hall, 60 Hutton Road, Shenfield, CM15 8LB, United Kingdom
Mervyn joined British Rail after university in September 1973 as a Traffic Management Trainee based in the Doncaster Divisional Management Office. His first two roles after training were Traffic Assistant at Shirebrook and then shift manager of freight operations on Tees-side based in Tees Yard. He moved south in 1979, becoming Area Passenger and Parcels Manager at Broxbourne and then Regional Parcels Manager South based at Liverpool Street. In 1983 he became Area Manager Shenfield, then Area Manager Stratford and finally Area Manager North Thameside (based at Southend Central).
He left BR in late 1985 and joined Deloitte Haskins and Sells as a management consultant in logistics, specialising in the defence sector. Merger and acquisition activity saw the firm become Coopers & Lybrand, Price Waterhouse Coopers and finally IBM. He retired in early 2012.

WW1 & WW2 Cross Channel Train Ferries and Associated Railways
2023-10-17 19:00 - 21:30 | TVY Didcot, Didcot Civic Hall, Britwell Road, Didcot, OX11 7JN, United Kingdom
The presentation will initially look at how Cross Channel Train Ferries were first introduced during WW1 to move Railway Equipment to France. We will the look at the use in WW2 following commercial introduction of the Harwich Zeebrugge and Dover Calais Train Ferries between the wars. There will also be coverage of British railway activity associated with movement of rolling stock and troops, and in addition the significant involvement of the US army during WW2.

HSD branch - Yorkshire diesels Part 1 1985-96
2023-10-17 19:30 - 22:00 | HSD Hull, The Highway, Willerby Road, Hull, HU5 5LH, United Kingdom
Yorkshire diesels Part 1 1985-96

Grumpies, Goggles, Vectrons and more
2023-10-18 19:30 - 22:00 | SOE Eastleigh, Junction Church (formerly Eastleigh Railway Institute), 2 Romsey Road, Eastleigh, SO50 9FE, United Kingdom
