The Railway Correspondence & Travel Society

Archive and Library Open Day
2023-12-09 11:00 - 16:00, 2023-11-28 11:00 - 16:00, 2023-11-22 11:00 - 16:00, 2023-11-16 11:00 - 16:00 (Europe/London) | RCTS Library, Leatherhead Station Approach, Leatherhead, KT22 7SQ, United Kingdom

Milton Keynes Branch Annual General Meeting
2023-12-07 19:30 - 22:00 | MKY Milton Keynes, Network Rail - The Quadrant: MK, Elder Gate, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK9 1EN, United Kingdom
AGM and member’s presentations. Further details to be confirmed nearer to the date.

agm and quiz for the machell trophy
2023-12-06 19:30 - 21:30 | United Kingdom
our annual agm (brief) will be followed by the stephen machell trophy quiz

Leeds Engines of Empire [Commonwealth Heritage Forum event]
2023-12-06 18:00 - 19:30 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
Wednesday 6 December, 6pm GMT: John McGoldrick, ‘Leeds Engines of Empire’, chaired by Rowenna Malone
The city of Leeds is perhaps not as well-known as it should be as an industrial powerhouse. A major engine of the city’s prosperity was the railway locomotive building sector. Exports to former British and other colonies filled company order books as domestic markets became increasingly saturated. Leeds products fuelled Empire building projects in the areas of docks and harbours, extraction of natural resources and the movements of military forces. The talk will highlight how colonial orders helped shape the communities and urban fabric of the colonial metropolis. The talk will also examine the areas of specialisation covered by individual companies and chart the journeys of specific locomotives, including the return to the UK from India of the John Fowler locomotive ‘Cheetal’. The talk addresses case studies evidencing the human aspects of Leeds’ railway connections with former colonial territories.
John McGoldrick is Curator of Industrial History at Leeds Museum and Galleries. A major engine of Leeds’ prosperity was the railway locomotive building sector and exports to former British and other colonies filled company order books. John’s talk will chart the journeys of specific locomotives, evidencing the human aspects of Leeds’ railway connections with former colonial territories.

Steam in North Wales since 2010
2023-12-06 13:45 - 15:30 | MCN Liverpool, Haig House Social Club, Woolton Road, Garston, Liverpool, L19 5NQ, United Kingdom

SCT Glasgow Suburban Electrification
2023-12-05 19:30 - 21:30 | SCT Edinburgh, Scots Guards Club, 2 Clifton Terrace,, Edinburgh, EH12 5DR, United Kingdom
Glasgow Suburban Electrification
The talk describes the origins of Glasgow’s ’Blue Trains’. The scale and complexity of the project(s) will be described, including initial teething problems causing total withdrawal of the fleet, the talk concluding with an explanation of how the Class 303 at Bo’ness was modified to operate with Blue Star fitted locomotives

‘Members’ Presentations’, plus Lizzie’s Mince Pies and Sausage Rolls!
2023-12-05 19:00 - 21:30 | WFD Watford, Beechen Grove Baptist Church, Clarendon Road, Watford, WD17 1JJ, United Kingdom
Another chance for Watford Branch members to show off your prowess with a camera (but don’t worry about the quality, feel the width!) – stills or videos, film or digital. Please bring along some 35mm slides or image files on a memory stick or DVD disc and we’ll endeavour to treat everyone to your photographic efforts – any railway related subjects welcome! Branch members will be given priority, visitors are welcome to bring material as well. Festive refreshments will be available at the half-time break.
Doors open from 18:30 for 19:00 commencement of proceedings.

Steam in Southern Africa Through 26 Years
2023-12-01 19:30 - 22:00 | BTL North Filton, St Teresa’s Church Hall, 71 Gloucester Road, North Filton, BS34 7PL, United Kingdom
Long time branch member Roger Griffiths presents images of Steam Trains taken on numerous visits to South Africa.

Narrow Gauge in the British Isles
2023-11-30 19:30 - 22:00 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
James Waite is well known as an enthusiast for narrow gauge railways, and has explored them all around the world, but tonight he is staying close to home, and confining himself to the British Isles, but covering both well and lesser known lines.
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 will be 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 to RCTS-National+subscribe@groups.io.

Refurbishment of the old Railway Bridges at Rail Corridor Singapore [Commonwealth Heritage Forum event]
2023-11-29 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
Wednesday 29 November, 1pm GMT, Wong Kia Fu: ‘Refurbishment of the old Railway Bridges at Rail Corridor Singapore’, chaired by Kelvin Ang
In 2011, the former Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) railway line ceased operations at the Tanjong Pager and Bukit Timah stations and the land was returned to Singapore. This presented an extraordinary opportunity to reimagine how to best make use of the uninterrupted 24km- long stretch of land, from Woodlands in the north all the way to Tanjong Pagar in the south.
Following extensive engagements with the community on the 24km-long strip of land now called ‘Rail Corridor’, the feedback was distilled into a set of goals for the Rail Corridor’s transformation. Agencies embarked on efforts to carefully plan and enhance the Rail Corridor into a place that everyone can enjoy. A three-way balance between the different goals was achieved by preserving the Rail Corridor as a continuous green artery and community space for users of all ages and abilities, celebrating the heritage by conserving, restoring and repurposing key railway buildings and elements, and developing the parcels of land adjacent to the Rail Corridor to meet Singaporean’s’ needs for homes, jobs and amenities.
To demonstrate the approach, the Urban Redevelopment Authority and National Parks Board drew up the implementation plan and carried out the improvement works for a 4km-long central stretch of the Rail Corridor, between Hillview and the conserved Bukit Timah Railway Station. The project was completed in two phases, with work on the paved trail and restoration of bridges that formed the connectivity done in 2021, and environmental improvement works to the nodes at both ends of the trail a year later.
Two steel truss bridges, one steel girder bridge, and one reinforced concrete bridge were sensitively restored and refurbished. The conserved Bukit Timah Railway Station building, along with its key architectural and railway elements, was carefully restored and repurposed as a heritage gallery. The conserved Railway Staff Quarters, a former staff housing block, has been repurposed into a café with a rustic, relaxed ambience. The 4km-long trail was strengthened with more durable pavement materials and finishes that complemented the character of the route at different stretches.
Wong Kia Fu is a civil engineer at the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore and a part-time lecturer at Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority Academy. In his talk, Wong will share his experience of working on the Rail Corridor project, Singapore, which has seen the preservation of the Rail Corridor as a continuous green artery and community space, celebrating the heritage by conserving key railway buildings and developing the parcels of land adjacent to meet Singaporean’s needs for homes, jobs, and amenities.

Railways at the dawn of Nationalisation - Robin Mathams
2023-11-28 19:30 - 21:30 | EMD Nottingham, The New Mechanics, 3 North Sherwood Street, Nottingham, NG1 4EZ, United Kingdom

An A-Z of Switzerland
2023-11-28 14:00 - 16:30 | HTC Welwyn, Digswell Village Church Hall, Welwyn, Hertfordshire, AL6 0DH, United Kingdom
A Hitchin & Welwyn Garden City Branch presentation
Presenter: Steve Ollive
In the second of three parts describing the Railways of Switzerland, Steve will cover the railways from D to M inclusive, starting with the Dolder Bahn in Zurich and ending with the Transport Montreux-Vevey-Riviera now part of the MOB organisation. As with part one, he will give a brief overview of the history of the railway and a map of the route, followed by some 21st Century photographs of the rolling stock, along with any updates about changes to the stock.
Doors open: 13:30
Details to follow.

The Great Train Robbery
2023-11-27 19:30 - 22:00 | MHD Cox Green, Cox Green Community Centre, Highfield Lane, Cox Green, Maidenhead, SL6 3AX, United Kingdom
Ian Boskett visits to tell the story of the most famous crime to occur on the railways, in this sixtieth anniversary year.
Please note that this presentation will be in person only at Cox Green Community Centre. The meeting will not be available to join online.

Branch AGM followed by members and visitors digital images (no slides please)
2023-11-24 19:30 - 22:00 | LNW Preston, Fulwood Lawn Tennis Club, Watling Street Road, Preston, PR2 8DY, United Kingdom

The Brecon & Cambrian Lines in the Sixties
2023-11-22 19:30 - 22:00 | SWL Swansea, Dyfatty Community Centre, Chapel Street, Dyfatty, Swansea, SA1 1NB, United Kingdom
John Davies will give us a photographic tour of these historic lines, including the lines through Talyllyn Junction shown in Sid Rickard’s image of 46518 bringing in the 1325 train from Brecon to Moat Lane Junction on 2 May 1959

The Coming of the Railway to Southampton
2023-11-22 19:15 - 21:30 | CHR Bassil Shippam Centre, Tozer Way, St Pancras, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 7LG, United Kingdom
The talk will cover the idea of building the London & Southampton Railway and its subsequent construction with a link to Portsmouth (Gosport), the proposal and subsequent extensions from Woking through Guilford to Havant and the rival fighting with the LB&SCR from the east. It also covers subsequent extensions westwards including Castleman’s Corkscrew.

The Barbados Trailway Project [Commonwealth Heritage Forum event]
2023-11-22 18:00 - 19:30 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
Wednesday 22 November, 6pm GMT, Dr Tara Inniss: ‘The Barbados Trailway Project: 21st Century Transformation of a Colonial Era Railway in the Caribbean’, chaired by Rachel Tranter
The Barbados Railway was operational from 1881-1937. Like many colonial era railways established throughout Britain’s empire in the nineteenth century it was fraught with funding and infrastructural challenges from the start which largely led to its demise. Originally envisaged to transport sugar and its byproducts from rural plantations to the urban port, the railway also became popular with locals and tourists visiting the island’s rugged East Coast. Eventually, motor vehicles and an improved road network rendered the railway obsolete with much of its physical assets being sold off or removed after 1937. Now, almost 100 years later, the old train line is being repurposed as multi-use rail to trail. This talk will trace the development and future use of railway reserves in post-colonial states as they grapple with issues of financing cultural heritage projects as well as growing health challenges with the rise of chronic non-communicable diseases.
Tara Inniss is a Lecturer in the Department of History and Philosophy at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus in Barbados, and Director of the Caribbean Heritage Network. Her talk will trace the development and future use of railway reserves in post-colonial states as they grapple with issues of financing cultural heritage projects, using the Barbados Railway as her case study.

HSD branch - Through my lens
2023-11-21 19:30 - 22:00
40 years of change in Lincolnshire

All Aboard the Pines Express (Part 2)
2023-11-21 14:00 - 16:30 | TVY Didcot, Didcot Civic Hall, Britwell Road, Didcot, OX11 7JN, United Kingdom
Please note that this is an afternoon Meeting
Back in October 2019 Chris gave us Part 1 of this talk. We are pleased that following an extended break due to Covid Chris is now coming back to give us Part 2 of this talk. In Chris’ first talk he took us on the Somerset and Dorset Railway from Bath Green Park to Evercreech Junction. In this second talk we travel from Burnham on Sea across the levels to Evercreech Junction, before heading South towards Bournemouth West via Templecombe (change for Waterloo and the West Country). In this talk Chris not only shows us the express trains on this route, but also the various freight and local passenger traffic serving the numerous stations, yards, and depots along the route.

That Was The Year That Was: 1966
2023-11-20 19:30 - 22:30 | ESX Shenfield, Shenfield Parish Hall, 60 Hutton Road, Shenfield, CM15 8LB, United Kingdom
1966 was a busy year for Geoff whilst still a schoolboy, covering a considerable amount of the country. This 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.

Sheet Stores Junction by Ian Mitchell
2023-11-20 14:00 - 16:30 | NHN Northampton – Weston Favell, Weston Favell Parish Hall, Booth Lane South, Northampton, NN3 3EP, United Kingdom
A familiar name at Trent Junction, Ian will speak on the history of the Midland Railway’s store for the manufacture of tarpaulins for its open wagons at Long Eaton by this junction

Broad Gauge journey from Swindon to South Wales & Swindon to the West of England
2023-11-20 14:00 - 16:00 | WMD Coventry, Cheylesmore Community Centre, Arundel/Poitiers Road, Coventry, CV3 5JX, United Kingdom
Having previously presented a journey from Paddington to Swindon, Canon Brian Arman continues from Swindon to South Wales followed by a journey from Swindon to the West of England

"Steam & Diesel in the Northern Fells 2010 - 2016" - Presenter Ian Pilkington
2023-11-16 19:30 - 21:30 | WRD Shipley, Saltaire Methodist Church, Saltaire Road, Shipley, BD18 3HJ, United Kingdom

Flying Scotsman: 100 years in 100 pictures
2023-11-16 19:15 - 21:30 | SRY Woking, Woking United Reform Church, White Rose Lane, Woking, GU22 7HA, United Kingdom

Three Years in the life of the Western Locomotive Association
2023-11-16 19:00 - 22:00 | CHM Cheltenham, Victory Club, Burlington House, Lypiatt Road, Cheltenham, GL50 2SY, United Kingdom
Unquestionably the very best diesel locomotives ever to grace the railways of Great Britain were the Western Class 52 diesel hydraulics. The Western Locomotive Association is responsible for two of the class which made it to preservation (seven of the original 74 are still alive around the country) and we are delighted to welcome Peter Bamber to come and tell us of the work of the WLA.

Northern Trains - a digital presentation
2023-11-15 19:30 - 22:00 | SOE Eastleigh, Junction Church (formerly Eastleigh Railway Institute), 2 Romsey Road, Eastleigh, SO50 9FE, United Kingdom
Philip Haines delving into his photo portfolio

Railways at the dawn of the Commonwealth [Commonwealth Heritage Forum event]
2023-11-15 18:00 - 19:30 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
Wednesday 15 November, 6pm GMT, Dr Oliver Betts: ‘Railways at the dawn of the Commonwealth’, chaired by Francis Maude
Railways in Britain were reaching their zenith as the Commonwealth of Nations took shape. During the previous century Britain’s railway industry had spread across its Empire and into the informal empire of British influence and capital too. For British manufacturers it had been a closed shop – India, the fastest growing rail network in the early twentieth century, was obliged to import British rails rather than make its own. For British railwaymen too, be they engineers or financiers or investors, this global network had been a land of opportunity. All of that changed post-war, and as the Commonwealth evolved so too did its railways. New routes, new manufacturers, new ideas, and, perhaps most importantly, new people were drawn into railways across the Commonwealth.
Drawing on the extensive collections at the National Railway Museum, this paper will explore how people across the Commonwealth adjusted to a new dawn of railways, how some succeeded and others faltered, and how this very nineteenth-century invention had to find new roles in the late twentieth century.
Oliver Betts is the National Railway Museum’s Research Lead. His talk will explore how people across the Commonwealth adjusted to a new dawn of railways, how some succeeded and others faltered, and how this very nineteenth-century invention had to find new roles in the twentieth century.
