CBR Cambridge branch

Based on his own involvement with the locomotive, Steve Lacey describes her rescue and restoration from Barry and the complexities of keeping 34081 in working order on the Nene Valley Railway.

Thousands of industrial locomotives once shunted numerous private sidings across the UK, with some steam locomotives remaining in use even after steam had finished on BR in August 1968. This talk illustrates the wide variety which could once be seen.

Our Annual General Meeting followed by an opportunity for members to present a selection of their photographs. Please bring your photographs on a USB memory stick or advise cambridge@rcts.org.uk if anything other than a digital projector is required.

Passage through these mountains still provides a stern test even for modern traction. This video presentation shows a variety of such workings, all set in spectacular scenery.

We are certain of a fantastic evening on Tuesday, February 11th as our guest speaker, Iain Scotchman, guides us round the railway networks of Saudi Arabia, Israel and Jordan. These networks are rarely visited by enthusiasts, but Iain has toured all three and provides a fascinating insight into their respective operations.

On Tuesday 8th April 2025 we welcome local railway historian and photographer David Scudamore for the fourth in his highly popular and erudite series on railways around Cambridge. The talk will look at many aspects of the railways from opening to the present day, ranging from locomotives and trains to railway infrastructure. Starting in Cambridge, after…

For our final meeting of the 2024/25 season, we are delighted to welcome Dave Pearce who will be presenting ‘Roger Harrison’s East Anglian Railways’. Roger Harrison was an avid and loyal member of the Norfolk Railway Society from its inception in 1955 until he passed away in 2010. He was extraordinarily generous to the Society…

Our 2025/26 season opens with a much-anticipated visit from Raymond Schofield who will take us through the history of the East Coast Main Line. The North-East of England was at the forefront of railway growth, starting some 300 years ago with colliery lines delivering coal to staithes on the Tyne and Tees. Early passenger lines…

On Tuesday 14th October we welcome Tony Roberts who will give a presentation on the different routes taken by freight trains and steam specials to cross London. This will be a video presentation, focusing on important junctions, and is guaranteed to expand everyone's knowledge of the capital's rail network!

On Tuesday November 11th 2025 we are delighted to welcome Clive Feather who will take us through some of the marvels of modern railway signalling and its development over several decades. This is sure to be a fantastic evening, that will give many insights into an aspect of railway operation that can be quite difficult…

Tuesday 9thDecember is our AGM, followed my Members' Photographs. The Agenda for the AGM can be found here and the Chairman's Report is here.