AGM and German Steam
2025-03-25 14:00 - 16:30 (Europe/London) | HTC Welwyn, Digswell Village Church Hall, Welwyn, Hertfordshire, AL6 0DH, United Kingdom
The Hitchin & Welwyn Garden City branch AGM followed by a presentation by George Howe.
Details to follow.
Doors open 13:30 for a 14:00 start.

Testing trains on BR since the 1950s - Dave Coxon
2025-03-25 19:00 - 21:30 | EMD Nottingham, The New Mechanics, 3 North Sherwood Street, Nottingham, NG1 4EZ, United Kingdom
The talk encompasses the early days of Nationalisation and looks of the improvements to steam engines, the introduction of the ‘Modernisation Plan’ and new diesels and the pioneering work undertaken at the RTC Derby. The last part reviews numerous tests undertaken in Dave’s career at the RTC

The Last Years of British Steam & Early Ventures Seeking It Overseas
2025-03-26 19:15 - 21:30
Scanned slides from the late sixties through to the mid-seventies, in both the UK and beyond”.

India (Part 1)
2025-03-27 19:30 - 22:00 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
Peter Robins presents images from his trips to India (and on into Pakistan) in the 1980s. India was always a wonderful but slightly frustrating country that was full of surprises – some good, some not so. From visits made in 1981 and 1987, this presentation includes a variety of steam classes at work on both broad and metre gauges, and on a number of the charming narrow gauge lines, at various locations, including Punjab, Darjeeling and Ootacamund. Industrial lines also feature, as does steam over the border in Pakistan.
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.

"Rails around Preston the book" by Mike Rhodes.
2025-03-28 19:30 - 22:00 | Fulwood Lawn Tennis club Highgate Ave Preston PR2 8DY, Highgate Ave, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 8DY
A presentation that’s looks at the Preston areas railways based on Mike’s latest book.

Archive And Library Open Day
2025-03-29 11:00 - 16:00, 2025-04-03 11:00 - 16:00, 2025-04-09 11:00 - 16:00, 2025-04-15 11:00 - 16:00 | RCTS Library, Leatherhead Station Approach, Leatherhead, KT22 7SQ, United Kingdom

WFD Branch - Branch AGM, followed by 'The Northern Line Extensions', by Brian Hardy, 1st April 2025
2025-04-01 18:45 - 21:30 | WFD Watford, Beechen Grove Baptist Church, Clarendon Road, Watford, WD17 1JJ, United Kingdom
AGM start 18:45. Then at 19:15 BRIAN HARDY – ‘The Northern Line Extensions’ (Bushey Heath, Alexandra Palace, etc.) – i.e. what was planned under the 1935-40 New Works Programme, what was done, what was abandoned and what remains now.
Further details may be available nearer the date.
Please note this is a physical meeting, doors open from 18:30 for 18:45 commencement of proceedings – please also note the earlier start time.

L & Y Engines at work - Part 3 by Paul Shackcloth
2025-04-02 13:30 - 15:45 | MCN Liverpool, Haig House Social Club, Woolton Road, Garston, Liverpool, L19 5NQ, United Kingdom

50 years of Merseyrail
2025-04-02 19:30 - 21:30 | FLL Carnforth, Royal Station Hotel, Market Street, Carnforth, LA5 9BT, United Kingdom
Martyn Hibbert has aspent much time exploring Merseyrail and will give a presentation which promises to be very interesting

Milton Keynes Branch Meeting - ‘Member's Presentations’
2025-04-03 19:30 - 21:30 | MKY Milton Keynes, Network Rail - The Quadrant: MK, Elder Gate, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK9 1EN, United Kingdom
Unfortunately David Cross, who was to present a selection of his late father Derek’s excellent images, is unavailable at short notice for this meeting. Therefore the evening will consist of member’s presentations. Apologies for any disappointment this may cause and hopefully David will be able to join us later in the year.

Bristol - David Cross Presents 'My Father's Pictures in The West of England'
2025-04-04 19:30 - 22:00 | BTL North Filton, St Teresa’s Church Hall, 71 Gloucester Road, North Filton, BS34 7PL, United Kingdom
David Cross presents an evening of his father’s excellent pictures taken in the West of England. Locations include, Bristol, Bath, and the Somerset & Dorset Railway.

Members Day and AGM 2025
2025-04-05 10:00 - 17:00 | Grand Station, Wolverhampton, Sun Street, Wolverhampton, WV10 0BF, United Kingdom
The Annual Members Day and AGM will take place at The Grand Station, Sun Street, Wolverhampton, WV10 0BF on Saturday 5th April 2025. We have a wide ranging line up of guest speakers coming to give us presentations: –
Gus Dunster (CEO, Severn Valley Railway) who will present From Pendolino to Preservation
Steve Oates (Chairman, Heritage Railway Association) who will present Heritage Railways in the year of Rail 200
Mike Lamport (member of the Rail200 Steering Group) who will present Celebrating 200 years of Railways
Pete Waterman, OBE (Music impresario and renowned railway enthusiast and modeller) will lead a Q&A session at the location where he had his first railway job as a porter on GWR Wolverhampton Low Level Station, which has now been transformed into The Grand Station venue.
Lunch will be available and must be booked in advance using this link:-
https://rcts.org.uk/product/agm-2025-lunch/
The AGM itself will commence at 1300hrs – the agenda, and reports of activities in 2024, and accounts for the year ending 31st October 2024 will appear in the supplement to be issued with the April RO. The supplement will also be available on line.
PLEASE NOTE: – This event is strictly for RCTS and SLS members only. It is not open to the general public.

The Eric Oldham Legacy Collection by John Hillier (Note the change of speaker), Northampton Branch Meeting
2025-04-07 14:00 - 16:30 | NHN Northampton – Weston Favell, Weston Favell Parish Hall, Booth Lane South, Northampton, NN3 3EP, United Kingdom

Visit to Tamworth, Nuneaton & Water Orton
2025-04-08

Geoff Plumb. That was the year that was: 1962.
2025-04-08 14:00 - 16:00 | SFD Sheffield Farm Road Sports & Social Club, Farm Road, Sheffield, S2 2TP, United Kingdom
Staveley Iron Works near Chesterfield had its own internal rail system, but hired in motive power from the Midland Railway. It apparently had a 100 year contract, which rather outlasted the provision of Midland power, but did ensure some ancient engines survived! Here, Johnson “Half-Cab” class 1F 0-6-0T is shunting internal user wagons within the works on Sunday 12th August 1962.
In Sheffield branch’s 75th anniversary year Geoff makes a welcome return – his father Derek Plumb was one of the branches founder members.
Geoff was born in Sheffield in 1949, into a railway-mad family, starting his railway enthusiasm at the age of around 18 months. After some early attempts with the family Box Brownie camera in the 1950s, he was given his first ‘proper’ camera for his thirteenth birthday in March 1962, this eventually leading to his career as a Television Cameraman. The first half of the presentation covers his early background before moving on to a variety of high quality (mainly Black & White) images taken around the country during 1962.

A Caledonian Collection
2025-04-08 14:00 - 16:30 | St Marks Church Hall, Hitchin SG5 1UR, St Mark's Close, Lancaster Avenue, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 1UR
A Hitchin & Welwyn Garden City branch presentation by Roger Pidgeon.
In the photo –
Caledonian express locomotive No 78 at the West Walls engine shed, just north of Carlisle Citadel Station . Loco rebuilt 1868. Photo around early 1870s
Note the 8 ft driving wheel , the big Crewe end and the Giffard injector by the cab door.
Doors open at 13:30 for a 14:00 start.

Funicular Railways - David Hanger
2025-04-08 19:00 - 21:30 | EMD Nottingham, The New Mechanics, 3 North Sherwood Street, Nottingham, NG1 4EZ, United Kingdom
A return visit by David who will present
Funicular Railways – This talk covers the history of cable haulage of tramways and railways before looking at each of the funicular railways in the UK plus a number in Europe

“Cambridge Area Railways Yesterday and Today (Part 4)” by David Scudamore
2025-04-08 19:30 - 22:00 | CBR Fulbourn, Cambridge, The Swifts, Haggis Gap, Fulbourn, Cambridge, CB21 5HD, United Kingdom
On Tuesday 8th April 2025 we welcome local railway historian and photographer David Scudamore for the fourth in his highly popular and erudite series on railways around Cambridge. The talk will look at many aspects of the railways from opening to the present day, ranging from locomotives and trains to railway infrastructure. Starting in Cambridge, after a brief look at the new Cambridge South station area, we head along the LNW Varsity line to Oxford as far as Sandy. We then move to Ely where we finished Part 1 and will look at the line to March and the vast Whitemoor marshalling yards.

Czechoslovak Railways
2025-04-08 19:30 - 22:00 | CSL Croydon, East Croydon United Reformed Church, Addiscombe Grove, Croydon, CR0 5LP, United Kingdom
Jeremy Harrison shows us images of Czechoslovak Railways (ČSD) from his visits to the country with the LCGB in 1989, for their celebration of 150 Years of Railways in the country, and 1992, for a substantially steam hauled tour which took us across the country.

TThe Railway Photographic Record of John Wiltshire and Derek Chaplin : Gloucestershire and the Somerset & Dorset 1959-1975
2025-04-09 19:00 - 22:00 | SWL Radyr, Cardiff, Old Church Rooms / Hen Ysgoldy'r Eglwys, Park Road, Radyr, Cardiff, CF15 8DF, United Kingdom
Presented by Peter Brabham

CHM Branch - Annual Business Meeting and members' entertain
2025-04-10 19:00 - 22:00 | CHM Cheltenham, Victory Club, Burlington House, Lypiatt Road, Cheltenham, GL50 2SY, United Kingdom
Time for our own members to unearth those images gathering dust on their computer file directories and show us what they have been up to in the past 12 months or so. We will endeavour to keep the business part of the meeting as brief as we can, but we do need to receive reports and elect a committee for the next 12 months.

PLEASE NOTE – this meeting is a week earlier than normal, on the second Thursday. This is to avoid the Easter weekend.

AGM and Members' Presentations
2025-04-10 19:30 - 21:30 | WRD Shipley, Saltaire Methodist Church, Saltaire Road, Shipley, BD18 3HJ, United Kingdom

RCTS WEN Branch Meeting Bernard Mills - Title to be confirmed
2025-04-12 19:00 - 21:30
Our final meeting of the 2024/25 season sees the welcome return of our friend Bernard Mills. It will be an evening of classic Mills entertainment, with a varied selection of images from Bernards extensive collection

Narrow Gauge Railways in Saxony - Dave Coxon
2025-04-14 14:00 - 16:00
Dave Coxon worked for the railway for 50 years starting at Derby Locomotive Works and finishing at Derby Litchurch Lane Works.
During his long career he worked for the Research Division, the DM&EE Testing Section , The Commissioning Section and later for Serco. He was fortunate to undertake a number of trips abroad and later joined Bombardier from where he retired in 2018.

Dave’s talk concerns a rail tour in 2015 which he was very fortunate to join.
It encompassed a trip by rail from London to Dresden, visits to various narrow gauge steam lines in the area, a visit to the main steam shed at Bahnbetriebswerk Dresden-Altstadt and to a preserved tramway system. Unfortunately the steam paddle steamers were not operating due to the very low water levels in the Elbe but nevertheless this was a trip of a lifetime!

Addicted to Interrailing by Dave Hepper.
2025-04-14 19:15 - 21:45 | Greenfinch Hall,Greenfinch Avenue Ipswich IP2 0SQ

Roaming around London with a Camera
2025-04-15 19:00 - 21:30 | TVY Didcot, Didcot Civic Hall, Britwell Road, Didcot, OX11 7JN, United Kingdom
Geoff’s slide show covers specifically what can be seen on the railways of London. The slide show contains a brief selection of older shots but is largely up to date, covering the last 2½ years. The emphasis being on the new and unusual workings.

HSD branch - Yorkshire diesels Pt 2,1996 onwards
2025-04-15 19:30 - 22:00 | HSD Hull, The Highway, Willerby Road, Hull, HU5 5LH, United Kingdom
Peter Holden – “Yorkshire diesels Pt 2,1996 onwards.”
