Branch Annual General Meeting
2023-12-18 19:30 - 21:30 (Europe/London) | 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.
Please note this meeting is in person at Cox Green Community Centre only, it will not be available to join online

Off the Beaten (Railway) Track 2023
2023-12-18 19:30 - 22:30 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
Our own Iain Scotchman will tell us about his 2023 travels over the railways in four less-travelled areas of the world: Cambodia, Alaska, Morocco and Argentina.
The AGM and Members slides previously scheduled for this meeting, will now be held on 18th March 2024 and will be a physical meeting at Shenfield Parish Hall

Industrial Action
2023-12-19 14:00 - 16:30 | HTC Welwyn, Digswell Village Church Hall, Welwyn, Hertfordshire, AL6 0DH, United Kingdom
A Hitchin and Welwyn Garden City Branch presentation.
This is a change from the previously advertised presentation.
Presenter: Geoff Plumb.
In the presentation Geoff will take a look at some industrial systems around the country, including steelworks at Corby and Staveley, paper mills in Kent, cement in Essex and a visit to Avonmouth Docks. Also, colliery workings in Derbyshire, Yorkshire, County Durham, Northumberland and South Wales plus slate in North Wales, together with a few other oddities. A variety of steam and fireless locos are seen hard at work and at rest, plus the odd diesel. These are presented in chronological order from 1962 to 1971.
Doors open: 13:30

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Railways following Branch AGM
2023-12-19 19:00 - 21:30
In November 2022 Stuart Hicks and other railway enthusiasts made a maiden visit to the railways of Saudi Arabia, not long after the country had started welcoming tourists. His trip took him to all three standard gauge passenger routes, an after-hours’ visit to the metro in the Women’s university, to the trolley bus route and to passenger and freight depots. He also saw the remains of the Hejaz railway and some tourist sites as well. All this and more will be revealed in this show.

Archive and Library Open Day
2023-12-20 11:00 - 16:00, 2024-01-06 11:00 - 16:00, 2024-01-11 11:00 - 16:00 | RCTS Library, Leatherhead Station Approach, Leatherhead, KT22 7SQ, United Kingdom

15 in 15
2023-12-20 19:30 - 22:00 | SOE Eastleigh, Junction Church (formerly Eastleigh Railway Institute), 2 Romsey Road, Eastleigh, SO50 9FE, United Kingdom
Members evening and Festive Buffet

Great Western, The Hawksworth Years 1941-1947
2023-12-21 19:00 - 22:00 | CHM Cheltenham, Victory Club, Burlington House, Lypiatt Road, Cheltenham, GL50 2SY, United Kingdom
Frederick Hawksworth became the last CME for the Great Western Railway, taking up the reins in 1941. Although he had only a relatively short period ‘in the chair’, he contributed some fine locomotives to the GWR portfolio. Society President, Revd Canon Brian Arman, returns to Cheltenham to bring us this chapter in the history of God’s Wonderful Railway.

International Railways
2023-12-21 19:15 - 21:30 | SRY Woking, Woking United Reform Church, White Rose Lane, Woking, GU22 7HA, United Kingdom
International Railways

The evening will commence with the Branch AGM and our popular Christmas buffet followed by a presentation, subject to be confirmed.
Please note that we have had to change the speaker due to being unable to contact the previously advertised speaker.

Britain's Railways in the 1930s
2023-12-28 19:30 - 22:00 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
A presentation from the LCGB/NRM Ken Nunn collection, by Jeremy Harrison, of images from the 1930s.
Perhaps the zenith of Britain’s railways, marked by the new streamlined trains of the LNER and LMSR, the 1930s also saw them celebrate their history, marking the 50th anniversary of the ‘Race to the North’ with a recreated train of 6-wheel coaches behind GNR Stirling single No.1 – whose contemporaries were still in regular service. So we will be seeing a combination of the familiar, that lasted into the 1960s (even if we only remember it from its final days), and the unfamiliar, that didn’t see out the decade.

For this virtual event, you need to obtain 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.

Northampton Gateway Strategic Railfreight Interchange, by George Collinson
2024-01-02 19:00 - 21:30 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
Northampton Gateway Strategic Railfreight Interchange – Project Overview and Construction Update, by George Collinson.
Note this is a Virtual Zoom Meeting for which you can register via the ‘Register with Zoom’ link below. There is no charge for this meeting but donations would be gratefully received, these can be made by following the ‘organiser’ link, also below.

isle of man and irish peat bog railway
2024-01-03 19:30 - 21:30
colin kenni9ngton will present a series of videos from the isle of man and irish peat bog railways

Travels in 2023
2024-01-04 19:30 - 21:00 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
For our first meeting of 2024, please join us on Zoom with member John Tigg who will take us on his travels through 2023, from the lineside on the WCML to Fawley Hill, and from Tallylyn to Barrow Hill.

Scenes from the 1960's in colour. By John Sloane
2024-01-05 19:30 - 22:00 | LNW Preston, Fulwood Lawn Tennis Club, Watling Street Road, Preston, PR2 8DY, United Kingdom
Featuring many images from around the North West including some fascinating industrial views as well as images from visits around the country.

Hugh Ballantyne's Somerset & Dorset Railway
2024-01-05 19:30 - 22:00 | BTL North Filton, St Teresa’s Church Hall, 71 Gloucester Road, North Filton, BS34 7PL, United Kingdom
Hugh’s excellent pictures presented by his friend Hugh Pelham

Irish Rail 2004-2008: A Period of Rapid Change
2024-01-08 19:30 - 22:00 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
David Allen was made aware of an ongoing programme involving resignalling and the delivery a large fleet of dmus, following a meeting in 2003 with the then Modernisation Manager Irish Rail, Oliver Doyle, The aim was to rid secondary routes of loco haulage and at the same time, replace traditional mechanical signalling by centralised control from Connolly (Dublin). In all, there was too much to see and too little time. For those not familiar with Irish Rail in 2003, loco haulage was the norm; steam heated ‘Cravens’ stock were still in everyday use and most of the network was semaphore signalled with single lines controlled by Tokens. The aim of this presentation is to look at the ‘old’ as it gave way to the ‘new’.
For this virtual event, you need to obtain 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.

The Ripley Rattlers - Kurt Hatton
2024-01-09 19:30 - 21:30 | EMD Nottingham, The New Mechanics, 3 North Sherwood Street, Nottingham, NG1 4EZ, United Kingdom

"March" by Richard Munns
2024-01-09 19:30 - 22:00 | CBR Fulbourn, Cambridge, The Swifts, Haggis Gap, Fulbourn, Cambridge, CB21 5HD, United Kingdom
March had a strategic position in the movement of coal and industrial products from the Midlands and North to the Home Counties, as well as outbound traffic in agricultural produce from East Anglia.
This talk traces the history of both the station and marshalling yards through to the present day.

That was the Year that Was – 1966
2024-01-09 19:30 - 22:00 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
1966 was a busy year for Geoff: whilst still a schoolboy, he covered a considerable amount of the country. This presentation includes scenes on various North Wales Narrow Gauge Lines and the Cambrian Coast, holidays in the north west of England and several RCTS railtours. These include the ’Somerset & Dorset Farewell’, the ‘Longmoor Military Railtour’ (which ran twice), the ‘Eight Counties Railtour’ and ‘East Midlander No. 7’. A couple of visits to Crewe Works, Southern Region steam and lines out of Marylebone, a smattering of London Transport steam and scenes around Chester and Birkenhead – the vast majority of photos in colour.
Geoff Plumb is a lifelong railway enthusiast, born in Sheffield in March 1949. From an early age he took thousands of photos, the vast majority in colour, documenting the decline and fall of steam locomotives. Geoff’s interest in photography led to his forty plus years career in Television, starting with London Weekend TV as a cameraman in 1968, later with Granada TV and finally as a freelance ‘lighting cameraman’. Many of Geoff’s photos have been published in magazines such as The Railway Magazine and Steam World, and in books including Red Panniers – Last Steam on the Underground. The Royal Mail has even used a couple of his photos on specialist stamp issues! Geoff has an active photo gallery website at: www.plumbloco.co.uk where many of his pictures can be seen.

The Corris Railway - Past, Present & Future
2024-01-09 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.
THIS IS A CHANGE FROM THE PUBLISHED PROGRAMME
Presenter: Chris Jones.
Chris is stepping in at very short notice, as Richard Allen is unfortunately unable to attend.
Doors open 19:00

BRANCH AGM FOLLOWED BY ON MONA'S ISLE and THE STATFOLD BARN RAILWAY
2024-01-10 19:00 - 22:00 | SWL Radyr, Cardiff, Old Church Rooms / Hen Ysgoldy'r Eglwys, Park Road, Radyr, Cardiff, CF15 8DF, United Kingdom
Following the Branch AGM we will feature two short presentations:

On Mona’s Isle by Nigel Wassell and
The Statfold Barn Railway by Phil Stallard

Out and about in the UK and Europe 2023 by Robert Pritchard
2024-01-10 19:30 - 21:30 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
Robert Pritchard returns with his traditional New Year virtual show and will present a wide selection of his photos from recent travels in the UK and Europe. Nine different countries will feature tonight, and whilst most images will be from the UK, Robert will also describe a marathon 21 hour journey by train from Bratislava to Sheffield back in May. Please note this meeting is on a WEDNESDAY.

SCT Photographic Review of 2022 & 2023
2024-01-13 14:30 - 16:30 | SCT Edinburgh, Scots Guards Club, 2 Clifton Terrace,, Edinburgh, EH12 5DR, United Kingdom
Photographic Review of 2022 & 2023
Keith will present the latest instalment of his photographic reviews.

AGM followed by Stuart Hammond - In Search of Steam
2024-01-13 19:00 - 21:30 | WEN Exeter [Mint Methodist Church], Fore Street, Exeter, EX4 3AT, United Kingdom
The AGM will take place in the first part of the evening, and be followed by a talk from Stuart Hammond one of our members who will entertain with a talk entitled “In search of Steam and other Railway images”

Lessons learnt from the Hixon and Ladbroke Grove Disasters - Fraser Pithie
2024-01-15 14:00 - 16:00 | Cheylesmore Community Centre, Poitiers Road, Coventry 5JX, Poitiers Road, Cheylesmore,, Coventry, CV3 5JX
Today our good friend, Fraser Pithie, turns his attention to railway accidents as he describes the Hixon and Ladbroke Grove disasters and the lessons learnt from these events. One not to be missed.

Roaming around London with a camera by Geoff Brockett.
2024-01-15 14:15 - 16:30 | IPS Ipswich, Greenfinch Church Hall, Greenfinch Avenue, Ipswich, IP2 0SQ, United Kingdom

Steam and Modern Traction 1999-2024
2024-01-15 19:30 - 21:45 | MCN Bromborough, The Bromborough Suite. The Merebrook, Greenfields Avenue, Bromborough, Wirral, Merseyside, CH62 6DD, United Kingdom

Transforming rail travel across East Anglia – the Greater Anglia story
2024-01-15 19:30 - 22:30 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom

HSD branch - Diesels in the Peak District
2024-01-16 13:30 - 16:00
Diesels in the Peak District
