Scotland [SCT]
2025/26 Winter Meetings - dates for your diary:
Meetings are being held on the following dates, all at 14.30:
Thursday 9th October
Thursday 13th November
Thursday 11th December
Saturday 10th January
Friday 20th February (note change of date)
Thursday 12th March
Full details appear below.
February 2026 Branch Meeting - Change of Date:
The Scots Guard Club has apologised for no longer being able to accommodate the branch meeting on Saturday 21st February. Instead, we have been able to bring it forward one day to Friday 20th February, still starting at 14.30 at the same venue. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by thi change and hope to see you on this occasion.
2025 Falkirk Model Railway Exhibition:
We are delighted to report that the Branch had a stand at this exhibition which was held on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th November at the Forth Valley College, Grangemouth Road, Falkirk, FK2 9AD. Over the two days, the team sold £152 worth of books and photographs, and recruited one new member to the RCTS.
RCTS Scottish Branch stand at Falkirk show
Our branch venue
Our Winter Meetings will be held within the Function Room, The Scots Guards Club, 2 Clifton Terrace, Edinburgh EH12 5DR.
The Club is directly across from Edinburgh Haymarket station and is also very well served by buses and trams that stop across the road. The Function Room is on the first floor. The stairway is Stairlift-equipped, no elevator/lift being fitted. The Club operates a bar on the ground floor, providing drinks and snacks from 12.30 each day, all at very reasonable prices.
All meetings will be afternoon events to encourage members and friends to support the Branch meetings and we hope to see as many of the Branch membership attending this well-equipped venue.
Callum MacLeod
RCTS Scottish Branch Chairman
What's on
Venues
Click the venue name to see more
The Scots Guards Club
2 Clifton Terrace
Haymarket
Edinburgh.
EH12 5DR
Contacts
tel: 0131 623 3137 Mobile: 07774 066009
email: scotland@rcts.org.uk
2 Tryst Park, Hunter's Tryst, Fairmilehead, Edinburgh, EH10 7HD
Chairman & Treasurer
Deputy Chairman
Chris Hall
President
Ken Falconer
Committee Member
Bill Miller
________________________________________
Web Co-ordinator
email: ro-scotland@rcts.org.uk
Meeting reports
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Branch AGM and Members’ Presentations
Thursday 11th December. The 2025 AGM was held within our venue, the Scots Guards Club when seven members including the Chairman/Treasurer and Secretary, attended. During his introduction, the Chairman noted…
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The Atlantic Railway – the Campbeltown & Machrihanish
Thursday 13th November 2025 Gordon Casely, from near Banchory in Aberdeenshire, enlightened and educated our attendees on the “The Atlantic Railway – a look back at the Campbeltown & Machrihanish…
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Scottish Rails in Camera – 1964-2025
9th October 2025 When the scheduled speaker had to cancel because of health problems, the branch was very grateful that the RO Managing Editor Mike Robinson, at relatively short notice,…
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Railways in the 1960s and 1970s
Thursday 13th March The branch welcomed Hamish Stevenson from Bo’ness with his presentation featuring photographs from Arbroath to Alnwick taken by the late Douglas Hume and Ian Gordon, two erstwhile…
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Modern Traction Miscellany
Saturday 22nd February We welcomed Ian McInnes from Teesside for our February meeting. Using a combination of his own transparencies, some from Raymond Rourke and other sources, a large number…
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Dark Doings at Low Level
On Saturday 11th January we welcomed the return of retired railway executive Jim Summers with his presentation relating the history of the Caledonian lines through Glasgow Central Low Level. Opening…
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2024 Branch AGM & Members’ Images
On Thursday 12th December, the Branch held its 2024 AGM at the Scots Guard Club, which should have been the last under the guidance of retiring Chairman Ken Falconer, but…
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1960s Nostalgia – Scotland and North West England
On Thursday 14th November the Branch welcomed Keith Jones from Aberdeen with his presentation “1960s Nostalgia – Scotland and North West England”. Beginning with the Aberdeen/GNSR area, we saw the…
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Scotland for Steam – Part Two
Thursday 10th October 2024 To launch proceedings at its new venue, the Branch was delighted to welcome Rev’d Canon Brian Arman, Society President, with Part 2 of his “To Scotland…
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Perth Model Rail Show 2024
Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th June 2024 As usual, the branch attended this annual show, held within two large halls at the Dewar Centre in Perth’s Glover Street – about…
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Transforming the West Highland Line
Saturday 2nd March 2024 The final Branch meeting of the season featured the Branch Treasurer, Callum MacLeod, presenting “Transforming the West Highland Line”, recalling his stint as Business Manager Highland…
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Museum of Scottish Railways
Saturday 10th February 2024 The Branch welcomed Dr Becky Peacock, SRPS Museum Director, with the presentation “Museum of Scottish Railways, past, present and future”. The scope of the Museum…
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Pictorial Review of 2022 & 2023
Saturday 13th January 2024 The Branch were delighted on Saturday 13th January to welcome Branch member Keith Sanders, assisted by Davie Hall, Keith presenting his latest “Photographic Review” covering 2022…
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Early Glasgow Electrification
Tuesday 5th December 2023 The Branch were delighted to welcome on Tuesday 5th December 2023 Robert Gardiner and Andrew Boyd with the presentation “Glasgow Suburban Electrification”. This was a very…
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Locomotive and Coach Liveries Part 2
Our November Meeting featured Branch Member Stuart Malcolm with the presentation ‘Locomotive and Coach Liveries Part 2’, providing a very varied selection of images, mostly around Edinburgh. Beginning at Linlithgow,…
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SCT Branch Combined 2022/2023 AGM
Scottish Branch recently held their Combined AGM covering 2022 and 2023, 12 members attending. Due to Covid the Branch AGM was a year behind, 2021’s AGM being held in 2022.…
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Ayrshire slide show
Scottish Branch – Meeting report – 11th February 2023 The February meeting of Scottish Branch was “Ayrshire slide show”, presented by Hamish Stevenson assisted by Davie Hall on the Digital…
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Transport on the Isle of Man
Scottish Branch – Meeting report – 14th January 2023 Our January meeting was “Transport on the Isle of Man”, presented by Ian McInnes, who has visited the Isle of Man…
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In and out of Control
Our December meeting was “In and out of Control”, presented by Jim Summers. Jim never worked in Control but worked very much with Control during his railway career, always being…
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Liveries old and new, and liveries that cannot be repeated
Our November meeting was “Liveries old and New/Liveries that cannot be repeated”, presented by Branch member Stuart Malcolm. Stuart conducted the attendees on a tour of the UK, recording locomotive…
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Scottish Branch 2021 AGM report
The much deferred Scottish Branch AGM for 2021 was held during the last week of October. Branch Committee Members agreed to continue in post and were re-elected en bloc. The…
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The Railways of Aberdeen
Class Z5 No. 68192 (ex GNSR) at Kittybrewster shed. Image credit · Rob Freeman Our April meeting “The Railways of Aberdeen”, was presented by Keith Jones from Aberdeen. A photograph…
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Railways around Edinburgh
Our March meeting “Railways around Edinburgh”, was presented by Branch Chairman Ken Falconer. Starting at St Leonards, we journeyed via Duddingston, North Leith, South Leith & Leith Central stations, Seafield,…
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The Story of Wormit and the Tay Bridge Disaster
Our February meeting “The Story of Wormit and the Tay Bridge Disaster”, was presented by Charlie Armstrong. Sensible learned men agree the three main causes of the Tay Bridge…
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Photographic Review of 2020 and 2021
Keith Sanders with the presentation “Photographic Review of 2020 and 2021”, headlined our first public meeting since March 2020. Covid constrained Keith’s photography, 720 images being recorded in 2019, 221…
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25th January 2020 · ‘Photographic Review of 2018 and 2019’
Presenter: Keith Sanders Our well-attended January meeting featured Keith Sanders with the presentation “Photographic Review of 2018 and 2019”. The attendees witnessed a collection of images in chronological order. 2018…
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12th December 2019 · ‘A Walk Along the Balerno Branch’
Presenter: Kenny Williamson Our December meeting produced a healthy attendance to view the presentation “A walk along the Balerno Branch”, with Kenny Williamson. The 6 mile Balerno Branch, opened in…
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21st November 2019 · ‘Annual General Meeting & Members Presentations’
The meeting was attended by a number of members. The business was transacted relatively quickly, the increased Branch membership level resulting from the Free Membership offer during 2018 being generally…
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14th November 2019 · ‘From the Caledonian Railway Archive’
Presenter: Alistair Maclean Our well-attended November meeting featured Alistair Maclean with the presentation “From the Caledonian Railway Archive”. The archive comprises paper & similar items, including articles, photographs, transparencies and…
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11th April 2019 · The North British Loco Company at War
Presenter: John Ross Our well-attended April meeting featured John Ross from Elgin with the presentation “The North British Loco Company at War”. The company history, Neilson/Neilson Reid, Dubs & Sharp…
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14th March 2019 · “Sketching Scotland by Rail”
Presenter: Leo Du Fu. Our March meeting saw a healthy turnout for the presentation “Sketching Scotland by Rail”, by artist Leo Du Fu. Mr Du Fu is Artist in Residence…
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9th February 2019 · ‘Electrification of the E & G route”,
Presenter: Dr.Ann Glen Our February meeting saw a very healthy turnout for the presentation “Electrification of the E & G route”, by Dr Ann Glen. EGIP [Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme]…
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19th January 2019 · ‘Building Scotland’s best railway
Presenter: Alex Hynes, Scotrail Alliance Our January meeting saw a very large turnout for the presentation “Building Scotland’s best railway”, from Alex Hynes, MD of the Scotrail Alliance, a partnership…