WFD Branch - 'War and Peace', by Simon Colbeck, 4th March 2025
2025-03-04 19:00 - 21:30 (Europe/London) | WFD Watford, Beechen Grove Baptist Church, Clarendon Road, Watford, WD17 1JJ, United Kingdom
SIMON COLBECK – WAR AND PEACE
The railways of Bosnia and Sweden. Preserved and real steam in both countries, with plenty of archive images to add to the interest. Further details may be available nearer the date.
Please note this is a physical meeting, doors open from 18:30 for 19:00 commencement of proceedings.

Kents Bank a hidden gem
2025-03-05 19:30 - 21:30
paul salvesen who many of you will know will outline the fantastic changes he and his team have made since he purchased Kent Bank old railway station building

Archive And Library Open Day
2025-03-06 11:00 - 16:00, 2025-03-12 11:00 - 16:00, 2025-03-18 11:00 - 16:00 | RCTS Library, Leatherhead Station Approach, Leatherhead, KT22 7SQ, United Kingdom

Milton Keynes Branch Meeting - ‘Members Presentations’
2025-03-06 19:30 - 21:30 | MKY Milton Keynes, Network Rail - The Quadrant: MK, Elder Gate, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK9 1EN, United Kingdom
Join us for our first face to face meeting of the year. Unfortunately our booked speaker from East West Rail is now unable to attend, so we will be enjoying and evening of members presentations.

Bristol - 'LOCOMOTION & The Stockton & Darlington Railway 200' by SLS President Dr Michael Bailey
2025-03-07 19:30 - 22:00 | BTL North Filton, St Teresa’s Church Hall, 71 Gloucester Road, North Filton, BS34 7PL, United Kingdom
SLS President Dr Michael Bailey will be presenting the results of recent research into the historic locomotive LOCOMOTION and the history of the Stockton & Darlington Railway.

RCTS WEN Branch Meeting : Chris Holland - A Railway Life
2025-03-08 19:00 - 21:30 | WEN Exeter [Mint Methodist Church], Fore Street, Exeter, EX4 3AT, United Kingdom
For our March meeting we welcome Chris Holland a career railwayman who many will know for his work with Class 50s / Preservation and the Class 57 project for FGW. An accomplished photographer Chris will be entertaining us with a talk about his railway career

The Vintage Trains Story by Mike Corbett, Northampton Branch Meeting
2025-03-10 14:00 - 16:30 | NHN Northampton – Weston Favell, Weston Favell Parish Hall, Booth Lane South, Northampton, NN3 3EP, United Kingdom

CHR Private Test Event
2025-03-10 14:30 - 16:30
This is a private event not open to the public

Not so much a hobby-but a way of life by Jim Connor.
2025-03-10 19:15 - 21:45 | Greenfinch Hall,Greenfinch Avenue Ipswich IP2 0SQ
An affectionate look at Railway Enthusiasm over the years from the early twentieth Century.This presentation replaces that of Society President Brian Arman who is unable to visit us because of sickness.

1960's Cine Miscellany
2025-03-11 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 David Percival.
Details to follow.
Doors open 13:30 for a 14:00 start.

Rhys Jones. Steam in Scotland
2025-03-11 19:00 - 21:00 | SFD Sheffield Farm Road Sports & Social Club, Farm Road, Sheffield, S2 2TP, United Kingdom
Rhys presents photos from the mid-1950s to the present day depicting steam traction in action across Scotland.

That was the year that was - 1962 - Geoff Plumb
2025-03-11 19:00 - 21:30 | EMD Nottingham, The New Mechanics, 3 North Sherwood Street, Nottingham, NG1 4EZ, United Kingdom
A look at the UK railway scene in 1962

"A wee look around Scotland" by Robin Mathams
2025-03-11 19:30 - 22:00 | CBR Fulbourn, Cambridge, The Swifts, Haggis Gap, Fulbourn, Cambridge, CB21 5HD, United Kingdom

Swanning Around in the 1990s
2025-03-11 19:30 - 22:00 | CSL Croydon, East Croydon United Reformed Church, Addiscombe Grove, Croydon, CR0 5LP, United Kingdom
A look back at London’s Railways some thirty years ago, as the Network South East era gave way to Privatisation. A chance to see how things were, and how much has changed (or not) since. Just what I was able to get out, swan around and photograph…

A Tale of Two Continents
2025-03-12 19:00 - 22:00 | SWL Radyr, Cardiff, Old Church Rooms / Hen Ysgoldy'r Eglwys, Park Road, Radyr, Cardiff, CF15 8DF, United Kingdom
Dave Waldron will make a welcome return to the Branch with a photographic selection of images, particularly from the USA

A Tale of Two Continents David Waldron
2025-03-12 19:00 - 22:00 | SWL Radyr, Cardiff, Old Church Rooms / Hen Ysgoldy'r Eglwys, Park Road, Radyr, Cardiff, CF15 8DF, United Kingdom
Dave Waldron will return to the Branch to present a post-COVID five day test-trip to The Netherlands featuring steam trains and trams followed by two adventures in the NW USA which included ‘trains, planes and automobiles ‘- plus a few boats.

"Railways in the 1960s and 1970s" by Hamish Stevenson (assisted by Davie Hall)
2025-03-13 14:00 - 16:30 | SCT Edinburgh, Scots Guards Club, 2 Clifton Terrace,, Edinburgh, EH12 5DR, United Kingdom
Local member Hamish Stevenson (assisted by his friend Davie Hall) will present images collected from the archives of the late Ian R. Gordon and David Hume.

The legacy of Eric Oldham
2025-03-13 19:00 - 21:30 | PBR Peterborough, St Luke’s Church, Mayor's Walk, Peterborough, PE3 6EZ, United Kingdom
A presentation on the legacy of Eric Oldham, a photographer and painter active from the 1940s to the 1980s..

CHR Test Meeting
2025-03-14 21:00 - 22:00
Private Test Meeting

On-Line Transport Association (OTA) Images by Charles Roberts
2025-03-17 13:30 - 15:45 | MCN Bromborough, The Bromborough Suite. The Merebrook, Greenfields Avenue, Bromborough, Wirral, Merseyside, CH62 6DD, United Kingdom
Please note change of time from evening to afternoon

Railways in and around WW2 - The SCRS Moseley Collection - Robin Mathams
2025-03-17 14:00 - 16:00 | Cheylesmore Community Centre, Poitiers Road, Coventry 5JX, Poitiers Road, Cheylesmore,, Coventry, CV3 5JX

25 Years of Derek Cross Diesels 1959 to 1984
2025-03-17 19:30 - 22:30 | ESX Shenfield, Shenfield Parish Hall, 60 Hutton Road, Shenfield, CM15 8LB, United Kingdom
Physical meeting at Shenfield Parish Hall which will also be available on Zoom as a Hybrid Meeting.
David Cross will present some more of his father’s slides which this time will feature diesels photographed in England between the years 1959 and 1984.
Derek was a prolific photographer in the sixties and seventies but unlike many of his peers, he continued to take railway pictures after 1968 despite the demise of steam. The early 1960’s saw large numbers of very short life diesels and photos of many of these long forgotten classes are included in David’s presentation showing them at work and not just in a rusting line awaiting the cutter’s torch! Diesel locos really got into their groove in the late 1960s and were to be found on all freight workings and away from the electrified lines, pretty much all long distance passenger services. Whilst many of the small BR modernisation prototype fleets were withdrawn by the 1970s, a great number of classes survived into the 1980s amd 1990s with some classes, all be it with new engines, still to be found on the network today.

The Western Locomotive Association
2025-03-18 19:00 - 21:30 | TVY Didcot, Didcot Civic Hall, Britwell Road, Didcot, OX11 7JN, United Kingdom
Paul Finch the Vice Chairman & Publicity Officer of the Western Locomotive Association, gives us his presentation covering the highs and lows of preserving and operating three Western Class 52 diesel hydraulic locomotives, for more than four decades.

HSD branch - Steve Jordan - A local photographer with a varied show
2025-03-18 19:30 - 22:00 | HSD Hull, The Highway, Willerby Road, Hull, HU5 5LH, United Kingdom
Steve Jordan – A local photographer with a varied show.

Tracks in the Mist (Wooton Tramway/ Brill Branch and the Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway.)
2025-03-19 19:30 - 22:00 | SOE Eastleigh, Junction Church (formerly Eastleigh Railway Institute), 2 Romsey Road, Eastleigh, SO50 9FE, United Kingdom

North East Branch - The Waverley Route
2025-03-20 19:00 - 21:30 | NEA Darlington, Darlington Cricket Club, South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
The iconic Waverley Route – from Edinburgh to Carlisle via Galashiels and Hawick is the subject for Dennis Lovett. The Northern section of the route from Edinburgh to Tweedbank is, happily, resurrected as The Borders Railway, opening as such in September 2015.

CHM Branch - South Western England
2025-03-20 19:00 - 22:00 | CHM Cheltenham, Victory Club, Burlington House, Lypiatt Road, Cheltenham, GL50 2SY, United Kingdom
Michael Clemens comes to us with some cine film and stills of the good old days of the Midland and South Western Junction Railway and the Somerset and Dorset, so something for everyone. The films and slides were taken by much respected railway film maker and photographer Jim Clemens and Michael has transferred them onto a digital format.
The meeting is a joint venture with our friends from Cheltenham Railway Action Photographers
Michael has very recently had a book published by the RCTS, A Journey Through the Cotswold and Malvern Hills. The book can be purchased through the Branch for £20.00 (Members) or £25.00 (Non members) and by purchasing through the Branch you can save on the postage and packing! Please contact the Branch Treasurer, Rich Morris (cheltenham@rcts.org.uk) if you would like a copy – and we will arrange to get copies delivered.

The Rail Industry and Political Intervention - 1923 to 1973
2025-03-20 19:15 - 21:30 | SRY Woking, Woking United Reform Church, White Rose Lane, Woking, GU22 7HA, United Kingdom
The Rail Industry and Political Intervention – 1923 to 1973
Note that the talk title has been changed from “The Post War years to Railway 200 with a glimpse to the future”.
Stuart Palmer
Lifelong railwayman and former Managing Director of South West Trains
