The Railway Correspondence & Travel Society

"Steam & Diesel in the Northern Fells 2010 - 2016" - Presenter Ian Pilkington
2023-11-16 19:30 - 21:30 (Europe/London) | 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.

Archive and Library Open Day
2023-11-16 11:00 - 16:00, 2023-11-11 11:00 - 16:00, 2023-10-31 11:00 - 16:00 | RCTS Library, Leatherhead Station Approach, Leatherhead, KT22 7SQ, United Kingdom

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.

Five Go To Swansea (Part 1)
2023-11-14 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.
Presenter – Chris Jones
This presentation is about the seven railway termini in Swansea and the five railway companies that were involved. This is if you count The Mumbles train as a Railway- It did carry freight.
The stations will be looked at, as far as possible, and a trip taken along the lines from each. Chris is expecting to include some shots of the present sites as he is visiting Swansea for a week during October to do just that, though many have been obliterated but not the surviving one of course – Swansea High Street.
Doors open: 19:00
Details to follow.

"Back Pages" by David Pearce
2023-11-14 19:30 - 22:00 | CBR Fulbourn, Cambridge, The Swifts, Haggis Gap, Fulbourn, Cambridge, CB21 5HD, United Kingdom
A personal history of David’s interest in railway photography illustrated with his own pictures over a period of 11 years from his youthful days up to the age of 21. It divides into two parts 1962 to 1968 and the end of mainline steam, followed by images taken in subsequent years 1969 to 1973.

A Tenth Colour-Rail Journey
2023-11-14 19:30 - 22:00 | CSL Croydon, East Croydon United Reformed Church, Addiscombe Grove, Croydon, CR0 5LP, United Kingdom
Ten photographers take us on a journey all around Great Britain, and down through the years from 1955 to the present day, covering all the regions and all forms of motive power, conducted by Paul Chancellor: Mr Colour-Rail (and Society Strategic Planning Officer). The ten photographers, some well known such Roger Siviter and John Spencer-Gilks, others not so well known, and including Emery J Gulash, an American visitor, demonstrate a wide variety of styles, having produced in their various ways excellent images of all aspects of the railway, from steam sheds to bustling stations via fantastic scenic shots of trains in the landscape, promising a splendid evening’s entertainment.
Note: Since the start of this season, we are meeting in the Primary Room at the East Croydon URC (rather than the Small Hall)

Railways in a Cornish landscape part 1 by Steve Gay
2023-11-14 19:30 - 21:30 | SFD Sheffield Farm Road Sports & Social Club, Farm Road, Sheffield, S2 2TP, United Kingdom
In part 1 Steve will be covering the branches and main line heading west from the Gunnislake branch to the Newquay branch

The Waverley Route - Dennis Lovett
2023-11-14 14:00 - 17:00 | EMD Nottingham, The New Mechanics, 3 North Sherwood Street, Nottingham, NG1 4EZ, United Kingdom
Starting at Edinburgh Waverley we follow the route all the way to Carlisle covering all the major stations, infrastructure and depots on both the original line and the reopened Borders Railway which currently terminates at Tweedbank.

Keeping the Corporate Memory Alive on GB Rail
2023-11-13 19:30 - 22:00 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
The railway has been learning from accidents and incident since its inception, but in a fluid industry – where staff retire, move on or move in from elsewhere – there is a very real concern that lessons learnt in the more recent past will be forgotten. Author, RCTS member and Operational Feedback Lead at the Rail Safety & Standards Board Greg Morse will describe the railway accidents at Clapham (1988), Ladbroke Grove (1999) and Hatfield (2000), covering their causes and the lessons learnt from them. He will also consider why these lessons remain relevant on today’s railway.
For this virtual event, you 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 join in the same transaction, and 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.

A Life in Railways by Colin Fisher
2023-11-13 14:15 - 16:30 | IPS Ipswich, Greenfinch Church Hall, Greenfinch Avenue, Ipswich, IP2 0SQ, United Kingdom

Tolworth Showtrain
2023-11-12 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-11-11 10:00 - 17:30 | Tolworth Recreation Centre Fullers Way North, Tolworth, KT6 7LQ., Tolworth Recreation Centre, Fullers Way North, Tolworth, Surrey, KT6 7LQ., United Kingdom
Surrey Branch will be attending Tolworth Showtrain, the exhibition organised by the Hampton Court Model Railway Society.
Assistance with manning our sales stand will be appreciated.

RCTS West of England Branch Meeting Bernard Mills "Waterloo to the West Country - In the Diesel Era"
2023-11-11 19:00 - 21:30 | WEN Exeter [Mint Methodist Church], Fore Street, Exeter, EX4 3AT, United Kingdom
Our November Meeting will feature the return of an old friend of the Branch, Bernard Mills. Bernard will be entertaining us with another of his excellent talks. Based on his forthcoming book for Platform 5 Bernard will be taking us on a journey to the West using his extensive collection of images, which will give a real sense of nostalgia and how things have changed over the last 50 years! You can look forward to a plethora of interesting stories from Bernard and a selection of superb images.

In Days of Plenty on the Zafra
2023-11-08 19:00 - 22:00 | SWL Radyr, Cardiff, Old Church Rooms / Hen Ysgoldy'r Eglwys, Park Road, Radyr, Cardiff, CF15 8DF, United Kingdom
Regular visitor Tony Wardrobe makes a welcome return as a presenter with a series of images of railways in Cuba.

Railways and the Raj [Commonwealth Heritage Forum event]
2023-11-08 18:00 - 19:30 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
Wednesday 8 November, 6pm GMT: Christian Wolmar, ‘Railways and the Raj’, chaired by Pat Green
India joined the railway age late: the first line was not completed until 1853 but, by 1929, 41,000 miles of track served the country. However, the creation of this vast network was not intended to modernise India for the sake of its people but rather was a means for the colonial power to govern the huge country under its control, serving its British economic and military interests. By building India’s railways, Britain radically changed the nation but also unwittingly created the preconditions of independence. The Indian Railways network remains one of the largest in the world, serving over 25 million passengers each day. In this expertly told history, Christian Wolmar reveals the full story of India’s railways, from its very beginnings to the present day, and examines the chequered role they have played in Indian history and the creation of today’s modern state.
Christian Wolmar is an award-winning writer and broadcaster, specialising in transport and is the author of a series of books on railway history. His talk will explore the vast Indian Railways network from its very beginnings to the present day, examining the chequered role they have played in Indian history and the creation of today’s modern state.

SCT Locomotive & Coach liveries Part 2
2023-11-07 19:30 - 21:30 | SCT Edinburgh, Scots Guards Club, 2 Clifton Terrace,, Edinburgh, EH12 5DR, United Kingdom
Locomotive & Coach liveries Part 2
A further selection from Stuart’s archive.

‘The East Coast Main Line from Kings Cross to Edinburgh’ - Part 2, York to Edinburgh, by Stephen Gay
2023-11-07 19:00 - 21:30 | WFD Watford, Beechen Grove Baptist Church, Clarendon Road, Watford, WD17 1JJ, United Kingdom
STEPHEN GAY visits for the ninth time to present his new talk ‘The East Coast Main Line from Kings Cross to Edinburgh’ – Part 2, York to Edinburgh.
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.

That Was The Year That Was 1964
2023-11-03 19:30 - 22:00 | BTL North Filton, St Teresa’s Church Hall, 71 Gloucester Road, North Filton, BS34 7PL, United Kingdom
Geoff Plumb makes a welcome return to the branch to share with us the scenes that he recorded in 1964.

The Railway over the Stainmore Pass: Post War Boom & Bust on the North Trans-Pennine
2023-11-02 19:30 - 22:00 | MKY Milton Keynes, Network Rail - The Quadrant: MK, Elder Gate, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK9 1EN, United Kingdom
Chris Rowley (Network Rail Capacity Planning Director) has a particular affection for the Trans Pennine Stainmore route (Bishop Auckland – Kirby Stephen – Penrith) closed in 1962. He has written an authoritative history of the route, England’s highest main line, which is published in November. The talk will cover the history of the line and its operation, the wider financial crisis that engulfed Britain’s Railways in the late 1950s and why Stainmore became the first strategic cross country route to close in 1962. The presentation will share previously unseen images of the route and technology permitting… a short section of rare Super 8 footage of RCTS operations over Stainmore summit in 1962.

SETTLE AND CARLISLE RAILWAY DEVPT CO
2023-11-01 19:30 - 21:30 | Suffolk, United Kingdom
speakers John Moorhouse and Katie Chesworth from the Settle and Carlisle Development Company will make a presentation describing the History of the Line, the setting up of the Development Company following its reprieve from closure and its ongoing work.

The Severn Valley and The Gloucester & Warwickshire Railways
2023-10-31 14:00 - 16:30 | HTC Welwyn, Digswell Village Church Hall, Welwyn, Hertfordshire, AL6 0DH, United Kingdom
A Hitchin & Welwyn Garden City presentation by Richard Morris.
The Severn Valley Railway was one of the first heritage railways to rise from the ashes of the wholesale closure of branch line railways in the 1960s and has developed into one of the country’s premier heritage railways. It was up and running 6 years or so before the line which now forms the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway was closed by BR! The current fortunes of both are really rather different – we take a look at developments of both railways and bring the story up-to-date.
Doors open 13:30.

Officers' Conference 2023
2023-10-28 10:30 - 15:30 | Danum Gallery Library and Museum, Doncaster, Waterdale, Doncaster, DN1 3BZ, United Kingdom

"Docker's Umbrella" The Liverpool Overhead Railway. By Keith Hick
2023-10-27 19:30 - 22:00 | LNW Preston, Fulwood Lawn Tennis Club, Watling Street Road, Preston, PR2 8DY, United Kingdom

The Last Years of British Steam; and Early Ventures Seeking it Overseas
2023-10-26 19:30 - 22:00 | Virtual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, United Kingdom
In the late 1960s Colin Miell started travelling to take colour slides of steam in its last years on British Rail – including spending 15 guineas on 1T57. And when it was over in Britain, he started venturing overseas in search of more, visiting Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and Europe (both sides of the iron curtain), and then further afield. Half a century later, he started scanning his slides, and tonight shows the fruits of his labours, including some earlier black and white images from the mid 1960s; while some ‘modern (then!) traction’ and ferries also feature. Those familiar with his photography will know we have a treat in store.
One of the Halle test locos, 18 201, stands at Berlin Lichtenberg Station, having just arrived with a regular passenger working from the north on 8th September 1969. Taken during that year’s very successful LCGB tour of the DDR, just after our arrival from Neubrandenburg. Image Credit: Colin Miell

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.

The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway
2023-10-25 19:15 - 21:30 | CHR Bassil Shippam Centre, Tozer Way, St Pancras, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 7LG, United Kingdom
Simon Bowden traces the history of the railway running through the beautiful mid Wales countryside.
NOTE THIS IS A CHANGE TO OUR PREVIOUSLY ADVERTISED MEETING, AS THE ORIGINAL SPEAKER IS NOT NOW ABLE TO COME TO CHICHESTER ON THIS DATE.
