West Riding [WRD]
Welcome to the West Riding Branch pages of the RCTS website. Members' meetings are convened on the third Thursday of the month from September through to June and are held at the Methodist Church Hall in Saltaire, commencing at 7.30pm usually finishing around 9.30pm.
Speakers from around the country offer presentations covering a wide range of railway subjects across the ages, mainly in digital format, although both slide and film show formats often feature.
For the summer months of July and August focus concentrates onto outdoor activities at local railway establishments of interest.
RCTS members, non-members/visitors and guests are welcome to attend all of our meetings for which a donation of £2.00 is requested.
What's on
Venues
Click the venue name to see more
Contacts
Chairman
Linfit, Henley Mount, Rawdon, Leeds, LS19 6PX
Newsletters
September 2022
May 2023
January 2024
August 2024
October 2022
July 2023
February 2024
September 2024
November 2022
August 2023
March 2024
October 2024
December 2022
September 2023
April 2024
November 2024
January 2023
October 2023
May 2024
February 2023
November 2023
June 2024
April 2023
December 2023
July 2024
Meeting reports
Branch EGM + “Looking Back – New Zealand”
Presenter: Bill Jagger The October meeting opened with an EGM, significantly set up to elect two new members of the Branch Committee as Secretary Bob Green and Treasurer David Beeken…
“A West Riding Roundabout”
Presenter: John Holroyd September’s meeting was specifically set up in order to recognise that this current year happens to be the 70th Anniversary of the West Riding Branch. To recognise…
Visit to Bradford Model Engineers – Shipley
Activities for the summer months focussed on an August visit to Bradford Model Engineers at their woodland premises in Shipley, where a pleasant evening of summer weather contributed to an…
“Steam Days in the South Pennines”
Presenter: Steve Armitage Entertainment for the July meeting was provided by the well-known and renowned presenter Steve Armitage who delivered a talk to a well-attended meeting that recorded “Steam Days…
“A Colour Rail Journey”
Presenter: Paul Chancellor The monthly meeting for June was presented by Paul Chancellor of Colour Rail who, from his vast collection of photographs, composed a most interesting rendition describing a…
“60 Years on the Calder Valley”
Presenter: Roger Hepworth Due to the unavailability of the booked speaker Roger Hepworth, a West Riding enthusiast and presenter, kindly stepped into the breach to narrate and show his photographic…
“Along the ECML – King’s Cross to York”
Presenter: Stephen Gay The April Branch meeting comprised of a modern-day journey along the East Coast main line, presented by Stephen Gay, starting at King’s Cross when journeying through to…
AGM/Members’ Presentations
March was to be the AGM of the Branch which was well attended by a good number of members. However, due to the pending retirements of both the Secretary and…
“Fifty Years Ago”
Presenter: Roger Hepworth Due to the unavailability of the booked speaker for the first meeting of the new year Roger Hepworth stood in as the deputy when he presented a…
“Christmas Quiz + Bygone Memories”
Presenter: John Holroyd The pre-Christmas entertainment came from Deputy Branch Chairman John Holroyd who entertained the well attended meeting with a slide presentation composed of two distinct elements. Those being…
“Steam & Diesel in the Northern Fells”
Presenter: Ian Pilkington Ian Pilkington, of recent RO photographic renown, was the presenter at the November meeting telling of “Steam & Diesels in the Northern Fells”. Concentrating between 2010-2017…
“Along the Trackside”
Presenter: Steve Batty The October Branch meeting welcomed Steve Batty to Saltaire who had once again delved into the back of his cupboard in order to put on show a…
“The Keith Pirt Collection”
Presenter: Bob Gellatly Bob Gellatly was the presenter for the first meeting of the new 2023-24 season which covered the work of Keith Pirt, who was an early day exponent…
Observations at Doncaster
The second of the summer season outside activities was the traditional August evening visit to Doncaster when half a dozen enthusiasts with modern day railway leanings, turned out for an…
Outside Visit to Bradford Model Engineers
Activities for the summer months began with a July visit to Bradford Model Engineers at their woodland domain in Shipley. Doubtless the excellent weather contributed to the entertainment that focussed…
“Sheffield to Carlisle by Steam”
Presenter: Roger Hepworth The well attended June meeting brought Roger Hepworth to the Branch who, being a local photographer and rail enthusiast over many years, has much to show of…
“North Yorkshire Moors Railway 1968 – 2022”
Presenter: David Birtle Later in the month (May) David Birtle, a long time founder member of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, was to be the speaker at the regular evening…
“Missed Locos & Lost Locations”
Presenter: Ted Parker Early in the month of May Ted Parker, a famed producer of steam related videos, came to Saltaire to present “Missed Locos & Lost Locations” which was…
AGM + Members’ Presentations
AGM Followed by Members’ Presentations A good number of members turned out for the April meeting which opened with the Branch AGM. Political matters were rapidly dealt with as informative…
“A Colour Rail Journey”
Presenter: Paul Chancellor A most excellent show was given to the March meeting by Paul Chancellor of Colour-Rail fame, when he presented his latest version of a “Colour Rail Journey”. …
“Shots in the Dark”
Presenter: Peter Holden The meeting in February brought Peter Holden, of Bradford Railway Circle fame, to the Branch in order to present “Shots in the Dark” which exclusively concentrated on…
“Steam Day Memories – Past & Present”
Presenter: Vic Drake The first meeting of 2023 attracted the now usual good attendance in order to witness Vic Drake present a collection of black and white photographs by a…
“Steam’s Last Redoubt”
Presenter: David Fowler The December meeting was an absolute delight and appropriately set the festive season off to an excellent start. David Fowler from West of the Pennines was the…
“All things North and North Eastern”
Presenter: Steve Armitage On a dark and dreary November evening Steve Armitage delighted an excellent turn-out of members by presenting his collection of superb images entitled “All things North and…
“Adventures in Search of Steam”
Presenter: David Tillotson At a well attended October meeting the audience was treated to an excellent totally steam orientated presentation given by David Tillotson, who is a well travelled organiser…
“Far Away and Close to Home”
Presenter: John Holroyd Following the completion of the summer season of outside activities the setting up of the first meeting of the 2022/23 indoor season in September became the priority. …
Observation at Doncaster
To round off the current season the traditional evening of observation at Doncaster took place, which in order to avoid the many rail strikes was deferred by a week to…
Visit to Shipley Glen Tramway
The annual July branch visit to an outdoor location of interest for this year took members and friends to the Shipley Glen Tramway where an excellent turnout was treated to…
“Northern Excursions”
Presenter: Roger Hepworth Roger Hepworth, a well-known local photographer, provided the entertainment for another well attended meeting in June. The initial phase of the show displayed extensive coverage of latter-day…
“Looking Back”
Presenter: Bill Jagger Due to unforeseen circumstances the programmed speaker for the meeting in May was unable to attend and Branch Chairman Bill Jagger stepped in to present the second…
Branch AGM + Members’ Presentations
The excellent trend of post-Covid meeting attendances continued when another excellent collection of members turned out for April’s Annual General Meeting of the Branch. Political matters were quickly dealt with…
“From the Back of the Cupboard”
Presenter: Steve Batty Steve Batty, a prolific photographic contributor to the pages of “The Railway Observer” was the presenter of the March indoor meeting, who narrated his show of top…
Tramways of the Dales (Part II)
Presenter: Stewart Liles The February meeting commenced with a formal presentation to David Beeken who has been awarded the very first “Certificate of Appreciation” by the Board of Trustees in…
“Extreme Gricing”
Presenter: Austin Hughes The first meeting of 2022 was a presentation by branch member Austin Hughes, telling of a couple of distant trainspotting adventures to the title of “Extreme Gricing”.…
Photographic Journeys
Presenter: John Holroyd December’s well attended pre-Christmas meeting was presented by John Holroyd which was to comprise of several differing but distinct elements. Phase one illustrated extensive coverage of the…
The John Bearpark Collection
Presenter: Vic Drake Encouraging consistent numbers continue to attend indoor Branch meetings as once again nearly thirty members and friends met for the November gathering. This was a presentation by…
AGM + Members’ Presentations
October’s monthly meeting was the Covid delayed 2021 AGM. Attended by a good number of members political matters were quickly dealt with. Of significance existing committee members were confirmed as…
Looking Back
Presenter: Bill Jagger Following excellent attendances at each of the two earlier summer outdoor meetings the trend continued when yet another goodly collection of thirty members and friends attended the…