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About the SWRS
The Slough & Windsor Railway Society is essentially a social group for anyone interested in rail transport of any kind, especially railways in the local area. A model railway section also meets on Wednesday evenings.
New members are always welcome (and you don't have to live in Slough or Windsor!).
The Society meets for illustrated talks on Friday nights in a former Great Western Railway building adjacent to Slough railway station, known to us as The Manor.
Non-members are most welcome.
"Friday Nights at The Manor"
24 Jul 2026
Cuban and Other Railways
Peter Robins
7:15pm, at 'The Manor', Slough Station (directions)
The first half of the presentation looks at the "Zafra" sugar cane season in Cuba in 2001 and 2002 with steam action at a number of mills across the country. The second half is a 'pot pourri' of other railways Peter has visited on his travels.
(The original title included South African railways, but this part of the presentation is not yet ready, so we have that to look forward to in the future.)
Peter Robins is the guest judge for the Annual SWRS Photo Competition (held in December), so we can expect some cracking photography.
Photo: "A double-headed train loaded with sugar cane approaches mill No.207 'Gregorio Arlee Manalich' on 18th February 2002. Both locos were Baldwin-built with the lead loco, No.1308 constructed in 1900 and No.1338 in 1920. – Peter Robins
Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.
NOTE: The start time is now 7:15pm, with the talk beginning promptly at 7:30pm.
If you would like more information or to join the Society, please see the Membership page.
"Slough Estates No. 3"
In addition to holding weekly meetings and other events, the Society is the support group for Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST "Slough Estates Ltd No.3", a 1924-built steam locomotive which operated for 50 years on the Slough Trading Estate Railway.
After a prolonged restoration (read more here), No.3 was finally returned to steam in 2000, and spent a number of years hauling passenger services at the Swindon & Cricklade Railway in Wiltshire.
In 2011, No.3 was relocated to the Middleton Railway in Leeds on long-term loan. This line is close to the site of the Railway Foundry where she was built in 1924. No.3 also closely resembles the last steam loco to work over the railway in NCB days in 1958. It is thus appropriate that she should have 'returned home' to Leeds.
No.3's steam boiler certificate expired again in April 2021, so she was taken out of traffic until completion of a ten-yearly inspection, which required complete dismantling of the locomotive. The overhaul was undertaken by volunteers at the Middleton Railway, and she returned to traffic in June 2026. Further details may be found on the No.3 News page.
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