The Slough & Windsor Railway Society meets on Friday evenings at The Manor, by Slough railway station, from about 7:15pm. The meeting is open to all, not just members. It usually features an illustrated talk on the subject of railways or some other transport-related theme, often presented by a visiting speaker (see programme page for details). There is a small admission charge to cover costs.

Details of this week's talk will be updated here soon.

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Photo: 'The Manor', the SWRS meeting place adjacent to Slough Station.

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

Ken Mumford continues his photographic tour of the railways in and around the South Wales valleys with a further look at the southern part of the Brecon and Merthyr Railway.

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Photo: "GWR '5600' class 0-6-2T no 5607 at Merthyr, awaiting its next turn of duty.
– 13 September 1946 – User: Ben Brooksbank – [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons"

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.

A chance to munch on a burger or hot dog in the sunshine, chat to fellow rail enthusiasts, and watch the trains go by. (If it's raining, we'll eat and chat inside!)

The Manor forecourt has a grandstand view of Slough Railway Station and the trains passing on the GW main line – an ideal venue for our annual barbecue.

For non-members, it's also a great chance to find out what we do, see inside the Manor, visit our museum, and have a go on the OO model railway.

(Although primarily a social event, this is also a fund-raising exercise, so admission fees still apply and you will need cash or card to pay for your food.)

(If you have particular dietary needs, please bring your own food, and we will cook it for you, although do bear in mind it will be sharing the one barbecue grid.)

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

Illustrated talk: Rob Holder will be giving us another of his enjoyable evenings of transport-related photos. These usually cover a varied mix of railway trips, local history, trains, boats, planes, a touch of humour, and more.

In this all-new selection, Rob includes photos of Hymeks, Harriers, and Hhhhhhh (no, I give up on the alliteration!) trams in Strasbourg!

Photo: "Beyer Peacock B-B Diesel Hydraulic locomotive, later BR TOPS Class 35, no. D7018 preserved by the Diesel and Electric Preservation Group. – Rob Holder"

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.

SWRS member, Jeff Bowers, will be reliving rail trips to Australia and India.

Dr Richard Marks is a freelance historian based in Berkshire, known for bringing Britain's industrial past vividly to life. With a PhD in History from the University of Reading (2024), he specialises in industrial, military, and railway history, as well as the history of science — weaving together technical insight and human stories with compelling clarity.

Richard lectures part-time at the University of Oxford. His current research explores the forces of industrial and social change in the Victorian era, charting the evolution of Britain's railways, canals, and manufacturing landscapes.

Photo: "NSWR Class C30T 4-6-0 No.3001 at the New South Wales Railway Museum, Thirlmere – 24 April 2025 – Anton Leddin – [CC-by-4.0], via Wikimedia Commons"

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.

Our speaker will be relating his experiences volunteering as a Guard/Ticket Inspector on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR).

Richard started volunteering in 2017, when he stepped away from a semi-retirement full time work 'on the buses' in Cheltenham. Initially he qualified as a Travelling Ticket Inspector, then as a Guard in 2021 (pandemic got in the way of earlier qualification for this role!).

Richard is old enough - just - to remember steam on the main line. His parents did not drive a car so early memories of travelling anywhere were always by bus, coach or train. Consequently, he has been an enthusiast of such forms of transport ever since. Richard joined the RCTS in late 1976, and is currently serving his second term as Society Secretary. In 2017 he started volunteering on the GWSR and between the two roles, he is kept very well occupied.

Photo: "6023 'King Edward I' retires to the shed at Toddington after a day's work. (Someone in our loco department was having a bit of a joke – I wonder if the SWRS members can spot it?!) Image: Richard Morris"

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.

All members are encouraged to attend this important meeting.

Further details may be found here.

If the official business is concluded by half-time, in the second half we can enjoy watching a DVD, or something, on the big screen; however, there are plenty of important matters to discuss...

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

* This will be a 'hybrid' meeting. It will take place at The Manor, and everyone is encouraged to attend in person; but for those who are unable to do so, the presentation will also be shared via the Google Meet video conferencing software: please contact John Medley to take part.

Industrial and Railway historian Richard Marks explores the impact of World War Two upon Britain's railways. Find out the important role that Britain's four railway companies had in achieving victory on World War Two. Discover the war work that was undertaken in the railway company works across the country and the impact of Luftwaffe operations over Britain's railway network during the war. This talk will also look at how the legacy left by the Victorian railway builders benefitted Britain in World War Two.

Dr Richard Marks is a freelance historian based in Berkshire, known for bringing Britain's industrial past vividly to life. With a PhD in History from the University of Reading (2024), he specialises in industrial, military, and railway history, as well as the history of science — weaving together technical insight and human stories with compelling clarity.

Richard lectures part-time at the University of Oxford. His current research explores the forces of industrial and social change in the Victorian era, charting the evolution of Britain's railways, canals, and manufacturing landscapes.

Photo: "Troops of the 1st Polish Corps man an armoured train on a line at North Berwick in Scotland. The train was armed with a 6-pdr gun, two Boys anti-tank rifles and six Bren guns. – 4 February 1941 (Second World War) – War Office official photographer, Lockeyear W T (Lt)" – [Public Domain], via Wikimedia Commons"

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.

Jeremy will be looking back at what he was able to photograph in the early years of this century (now some 20 years ago!), both on preserved railways and the mainline. The presentation is all scanned slides.

This evening marks a welcome return for Jeremy, from The Locomotive Club of Great Britain (LCGB), who has visited us on a number of previous occasions showing photographs from the historic Ken Nunn collection.

Photo: "Visiting Beattie 2-4-0WT 30587 works a photographic charter freight on the Mid-Hants Railway, in March 2004. Image: Jeremy Harrison"

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.

Geoff goes back sixty years to 1965 with travels around the UK, starting with Sir Winston Churchill's Funeral Train, the LSWR main line with Bulleid Pacifics and others, Isle of Wight scenes, and parts of what are now the Chiltern main lines. Several RCTS tours are included, with a 'Royal Scot' and 'Jubilees', plus 'The Great Marquess'.

There are visits to North Wales – both standard and narrow gauge – industrial areas in the North-East, Crewe Works, and a trip to the Somerset & Dorset around Christmas time, plus plenty more! Apart from a couple of introductory pictures, this is an all-colour presentation.

Geoff was born in Sheffield in 1949, into a railway-mad family, starting his railway enthusiasm at the age of around 18 months. After some early attempts with the family Box Brownie camera in the 1950s, he was given his first 'proper' camera for his thirteenth birthday, in March 1962 – this eventually leading to his career as a Television Cameraman.

Having last year shown us 1962 and 1963, this evening's presentation will feature a further selection of Geoff's high quality images (both black & white and colour) taken around the country during 1964.

Photo: "GWR Castle Class 4-6-0 No. 7029 'Clun Castle' on the climb of Saunderton Bank on the beautiful sunny afternoon of Friday 11th June 1965 with train M48, the 16:15 from London Paddington to Banbury. This was the last regularly steam-hauled train from Paddington and this was the last day it ran – hence the well-polished engine adorned with all its name and numberplates and headboards. The usual four or five coach set was strengthened to nine coaches on this occasion. – Photo © Geoff Plumb."

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.

Tonight's presentation features photos and videos from a number of trips to the Western USA from the late 1990s until the 2010s. The journey will start in Los Angeles and go north through California to Canada and Alaska and then back down through the west to Arizona and Colorado.

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Chris Ardy is a life-long railway enthusiast. His mother used to take him in his pram to watch the trains going in and out of Victoria in the late 1940s. He began trainspotting in 1953 and continued until the end of steam on BR.

Chris's interest in trains was rekindled in the 1980s, and he is now a volunteer on the GWSR, in the loco department, and a member of the support crew for Tornado. Chris is a shareholder and director of the 35006 Loco Preservation Society ("Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co."), and also runs its Facebook page, website and sales stand!

Photo: "Denver & Rio Grande Western No. 489, a class K-36 2-8-2 built by Baldwin in 1925, waiting to leave Antonito in Colorado to go to Chama in New Mexico on the Cumbres & Toltec Railway in 2011. – Chris Ardy"

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

With the UK rail industry operating an ageing fleet of locomotives, many of which are circa 60 years old, it's time to consider their replacement. This presentation looks at what we continue to use locomotives for in the UK and what we replace them with? The presentation also takes a closer look at the new Stadler Class 93 tri-mode and Class 99 bi-mode locomotives.

Karl Watts is the founder and Managing Director of Railmotive Ltd, and founder and former President of the Rail Operations Group (ROG), whose locomotives will have been seen passing through Slough on a variety of rolling stock moves for other companies. ROG is behind the development of the Class 93 tri-mode locomotive, built in Spain by Stadler.

Photo: "Tri-mode locomotive 93 007 in Rail Operations Group livery, at the Rail Live 2025 exhibition on 19th June 2025. – Foulger Rail Photos"
[CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons"

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

The Manor will be open as usual for members to come along and socialise with like-minded folk, enjoy a tea/coffee and biscuits, chat about the model railway, take part in the raffle, and watch video on our big screen.

Not yet sure what's planned for entertainment. It might be watching a couple of railway DVDs from the Society's extensive collection, or Yours Truly sharing a selection of interesting railway-related videos found on YouTube, or one of the members presenting something else. Come along and find out!

Entry is free to non-members on "Members' Evenings", although of course we would welcome a donation towards upkeep of The Manor.

(Photo: West Ealing Station Garden. – 2nd September 2023 – Mark Percy
([CC-by-SA 2.0], Geograph via Wikimedia Commons))

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.

Part 1 – "Thames Valley 50s" – David Keogh
Part 2 – "Class 50 Preservation – a Personal View" – Joe Burr

Dave Keogh was the founding Chairman of The Fifty Fund which was launched in the late 1980s to preserve one or more class 50s for posterity. Dave has a large photographic collection which he will use to illustrate his talk on the 50s and their services along the Thames Valley.

Joe Burr is the current Chairman of The Fifty Fund, and he has been involved both from an engineering and a management perceptive since the purchase of the first locomotive 50035 "Ark Royal" from BR. Joe's talk looks at the challenges and rewards of preserving a complex locomotive and keeping them running on the UK mainline.

Photo: "An unidentified English Electric Class 50 heads a rake of Mk 1 coaching stock into the sunset. (Crop)"

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

This evening: the late Jim Livesey's odyssey to South America in 1976 in search of "The Perfect Railway Picture". Expect volcanoes, giant landscapes, snow, deserts, and high mountains.

Jim Livesey was one of the finest railway photographers, and this presentation includes many of his best pictures. From tiny narrow gauge tank engines to giant Texans and Mallets, the vast variety of locomotives in South America is showcased in this presentation by well-known transport journalist, Simon Colbeck.

Simon Colbeck is a lifelong railway and heritage road steam enthusiast and live-steam modeller, and is well-known as a photographer, being a correspondent for Old Glory and Steam Railway magazines.

Photo: "A steam-hauled mixed (passenger and freight) train charges across a plain, somewhere in South America in 1976. – Jim Livesey"

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

Tonight's presentation looks at preservation at UK heritage railways and on the main line. It is a personal observation and was a very difficult – but interesting – task deciding what to show out of several thousand pictures taken by electronic means on Bob's trusty Nikon cameras. It has also been a reminder of what he needs to sort out properly for a useful record!

The evening starts with a look at the very last years of the first decade of the 21st century. There are pictures of various railtours, and a trio of heritage railways, ending with the most recent 2026 Winter Steam Gala at the Great Central Railway.

The evening features a mixture of monochrome pictures scanned from prints and negatives, plus Bob's digital pictures from 2010 onwards, thus spanning from 1956 to 2025, right up to this August.

Bob Stonehouse is a retired science teacher, and former bench chemist with what became GSK. He has been a railway enthusiast since about the age of two when his mother took him to the goods yard at Stowmarket in Suffolk on the GE Norwich main line to watch the activities. He joined the Locomotive Club of Great Britain in 1974 and has since become heavily involved with the running of the LCGB Central London branch, and the LCGB more generally.

Photo: "BR Standard Pacific 70013 'Oliver Cromwell' heads a mainline railtour along the sea wall through Dawlish in 2009. – Bob Stonehouse"

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

Illustrated talk, including: a brief look at Air Traffic Control; an explanation of what is required to get an A319 Airbus ready for a flight from Heathrow to Edinburgh; explanation of the pilot's flight instruments and the information they display; a look at landing aids, and the challenges of operating into Heathrow.

Lorimer Burn started his flying career in 1967, flying helicopters from Royal Navy ships. After 12 years' military service he joined British Airways Helicopters to fly S61 and Chinooks to North Sea oil rigs. In 1988 he moved from helicopters to airliners, flying Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 planes from Heathrow for British Midland. Since retirement Lorimer has remained firmly on the ground, but spends his time giving presentations about his flying experience and other aviation topics.

Photo: "The cockpit crew of a Boeing 737 operating the controls on a commercial flight from Oslo to Munich – John Christian Fjellestad – 18 March 2017"
[CC BY 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons"

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

This evening's presentation is a variety of images, with a definite cold winter theme, starting in the UK then moving through Europe and Ukraine to China.

Peter Robins is the guest judge for the Annual SWRS Photo Competition (held in December), so we can expect some cracking photography.

Photo: "Then newly-restored Black 5 No.5305 'Alderman A.E.Draper' stands in Hull Paragon in the snow with a special train to Scarborough on 28th December 1985 – Peter Robins"

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

Videographer and tram enthusiast, John Laker, and retired photographer Keith Spillett, are presenting another evening of their high-definition video, complete with sound system and live commentary.

This evening will feature trains from around the world, including: St Pancras to Zermatt and the Gornagrat Bahn; then, after the interval: Brig to Interlaken West; the Glacier Express; the Muottas Muragl Bahn, and the Wuppertahl Schwebebahn.

Photo: Gornergratbahn push-pull train consisting of Bhe 4/4 and control car between Gornergrat and Rotenboden, Switzerland, 17 February 2013. – David Gubler
  [Wikimedia Commons - CC-by-SA-3.0]
Not featured in the evening's entertainment, but representative...

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

Ken Mumford continues his two-week residency at The Manor, this time looking at the navvies and their families.

It is hard to imagine, in our highly mechanised age, how the majority of the railways were built by hand. The tough labourers known as navvies used picks, shovels and wheelbarrows to carve the route of the railways through the virgin landscape by muscle power alone.

Photo: "Navvies in Finland, 1918 – Museum of Central Finland – [Public Domain], via Wikimedia Commons"

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

Ken Mumford continues his photographic tour of the railways in and around the South Wales valleys with a look at the southern part of the Brecon and Merthyr Railway.

This is a welcome return to the Manor for Gordon, who has previously given us a number of interesting talks including: Train Ferries of WW1 and WW2, Eastleigh Works, and the railways around Southampton.

Photo: "GWR '5600' class 0-6-2T no 5607 at Merthyr, awaiting its next turn of duty.
– 13 September 1946 – User: Ben Brooksbank – [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons"

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

Tonight's digital presentation will cover The Greatest Gathering – the celebration of Rail 200 held at Alstoms's Derby Litchurch Lane works on the first weekend in August 2025 – and the replica of Locomotion and its train running in September 2025. In addition we will look at other preservation locations surrounding both events.

This is a welcome return to the Manor for Gordon, who has previously given us a number of interesting talks including: Train Ferries of WW1 and WW2, Eastleigh Works, and the railways around Southampton.

Photo: "Line-up of 'heritage' diesel locomotives at The Greatest Gathering, the celebration of Rail 200 held at Alstoms's Derby Litchurch Lane works, 1-3 August 2025.
Visible: Class 44's D4 'Great Gable' and D8 'Penyghent'; Class 45s 45108 and 45118 'The Royal Artilleryman' (closest to camera); Class 46 46045; Class 42 D821 'Greyhound'; Class 52 D1015 'Western Champion'; and Class 08 shunter 13000.
– User: dphotos01: 02 August 2025 – [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons"

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

The South Devon Railway between Exeter and Plymouth had to traverse difficult hilly terrain, and the company adopted the atmospheric system in which trains were drawn by a piston in a tube laid between the rails, a vacuum being created by stationary engines. Although services operated for nearly a year between Exeter and Newton Abbott, the revolutionary system proved to have insuperable technical difficulties and was abandoned.

Paul Garnsworthy is the editor of the Broad Gauge Society's lavishly illustrated publication, "Brunel's Atmospheric Railway".

Dick has presented to SWRS on a number of previous occasions.

Photo: Cover of the book 'Brunel's Atmospheric Railway', edited by Paul Garnsworthy
– Broad Gauge Society

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

COMMUNITY RAIL reviews the work of Community Rail Partnerships, Station Adoption Teams and Rail User groups from a selection of areas highlighting some of the results and successes in promoting local and rural railways.

Dick Crane (as he is better known!) has been the chief lecturer/tutor at "Talking of Trains" since 2002. Talking of Trains is a 'programme of education, entertainment and variety for those interested in railways and public transport', meeting at Surbiton Library, that has been running for over 66 years.

Dick has presented to SWRS on a number of previous occasions.

Photo: "Ex-London Underground D78 stock, now rebuilt as DEMU 230 005 for London Northwestern Railway, sitting at Millbrook station, Bedfordshire, 20th April 2022 – courtesy Marston Vale Line Community Rail Partnership"

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

Geoff was born in Sheffield in 1949, into a railway-mad family, starting his railway enthusiasm at the age of around 18 months. After some early attempts with the family Box Brownie camera in the 1950s, he was given his first 'proper' camera for his thirteenth birthday, in March 1962 – this eventually leading to his career as a Television Cameraman.

Having last year shown us 1962 and 1963, this evening's presentation will feature a further selection of Geoff's high quality images (both black & white and colour) taken around the country during 1964.

Photo: "A 'Duchess' in foreign parts! 46251 'City of Nottingham' awaits the return of tour participants from the visit around Swindon Works before returning to Nottingham with the RCTS 'East Midlander No.7' Railtour on Saturday 9th May 1964. – Geoff Plumb"

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

To kick off the SWRS 2026 programme, our very own Social Secretary, Ray Bradford, will be giving us a brief history of the London bus, and then relating tales from his career driving them.

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and are looking forward to 2026.

[Webmaster's note: I cannot remember whether Ray has told us he drove Routemasters, but it seemed a fairly good punt for a photo!]

Photo: Two AEC Routemaster buses waiting at Aldgate Bus Station at the eastern end of London bus route 253. – User: TedQuackenbush: 14 September 1983. [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

It now seems to be an SWRS tradition that the Friday after Christmas is shown as 'No Meeting' in the programme, but enough members decide that they want to come along regardless, that we open up anyway!

And therefore... the Manor will be open as usual for members to come along and socialise with like-minded folk, enjoy coffee or tea and biscuits, run trains on the model railway, take part in the raffle (subject to sufficient attendees!), and watch video on our big screen.

No specific entertainment is yet planned, so we are open to suggestions, but otherwise we will watch something from the Society's library of railway DVDs, or possibly dip into YouTube if the Webmaster feels inclined to set this up.

Photo: A snowy scene at Swindon Locomotive Works, featuring GWR engines and 43001, a visiting LM Region Ivatt 2-6-0, 29 November 1964 (Ben Brooksbank – Geograph [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons)

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

The Manor will be open as usual for members to come along and socialise with like-minded folk, enjoy coffee or tea and biscuits, chat about the model railway, take part in the raffle, and watch video on our big screen.

This week it's the turn of your webmaster to present, sharing a selection of interesting railway-related videos found on YouTube, several with a seasonal flavour. Should be a good evening.

And of course, being the last meeting before Christmas, the beer train will be coming out for its annual run on the club model railway.

Hope to see you there!

The laptop and projector will also be available. If you have digital films or photos to share with fellow enthusiasts, please contact info@swrs.co.uk in advance, or see Peter Jewell before the meeting.

(There will be an opportunity after Christmas for members to show non-digital media. The first two meetings in January will be members' evenings: on 5th Jan we will have an epidiascope set up (eg for print photos or other printed items), and on 12th Jan, a slide projector.)

(Photo: DB Class '001' (DRG Class '01') coal-fired 4-6-2 No.001 111 in largely original condition, climbing the Schiefe Ebene on a Bamberg–Hof express. Feb 1973
(Hugh Llewelyn [CC-by-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons))

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

In a welcome return to The Manor, Adrian Palmer will be giving us an illustrated talk on a two-week visit to the USA during October 2024. The tour was mainly based in West Virginia and Pennsylvania and covered railway preservation and heritage operations.

Time permitting, Adrian will also show photos of a trip to New Zealand in February and March this year. This tour included both North and South Islands and features heritage railways and some mainline workings.

As organiser of overseas study tours for members of the Locomotive Club of Great Britain (LCGB), Adrian Palmer has an extensive knowledge of railways worldwide.

Photo: "Canadian National 89 (E-10-a class 2-6-0 'Mogul'), approaches East Strasburg on the Strasburg Railroad, October 2024 – Adrian Palmer"

This talk was advertised elsewhere as "Year 2000 Travel Log", until Adrian realised he had already shown us that presentation!

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

Yes! It's time for the Annual SWRS Photo Competition.

Members have been busy submitting their photographs to the SWRS Webmaster to collate, and we should be in for a good evening, with guest judge, photographer Peter Robins.

The closing date has passed, and we will be holding the competition at The Manor on Friday night as usual.

As ever, it's a festive social evening, so please 'bring and share' some party food and join us for drinks and nibbles at the break! !

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

* This will be what we used to call a 'Hybrid Zoom' evening:
the meeting will take place at The Manor, and everyone is encouraged to attend in person; but for those who are unable to do so, the presentation will also be shared online via Google Meet video conferencing, which is similar to Zoom, but with fewer restrictions!
(We're going to have to come up with a better name for the next one!)

Members on the SWRS Mailing list will already have received email instructions on how to take part.

Following on from his entertaining Great Train Robbery talk last year, Ian Boskett returns to give us a trip down memory lane.

The evening is a blast from the 50's, 60's, and 70's, featuring steam, early diesel and electric traction in photos he has begged, borrowed, or stolen (his words!), including a selection rescued from a skip.

Locations are varied and many unknown: a real mixture covering all of the Big Four railway companies and British Railways too.

Photo – "ex-GWR 4-6-0 No. 6877 'Llanfair Grange' – a class more usually used for freight workings – heading a Summer Saturday relief express passenger from Swansea to Paignton, is held on the Down Independent (through) line at Exeter St Davids station.
(Ben Brooksbank – 26 July 1958 – via Wikimedia Commons)"

NB - photo is just illustrative, not actually part of the talk!

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

Unfortunately, Jack Boskett has gone down with the lurgi (his description!) and his voice is not up to presenting a show to us this week.

Hopefully he will be able to visit us sometime in the new year.

As for this Friday, the Manor will be open as usual for our meeting, and we shall probably be viewing something interesting from our extensive railway DVD library on the big screen.

Multi-award winning photographer Jack Boskett delves into the narratives behind his photographs, offering a glimpse into some truly captivating moments. His extensive portfolio includes his experiences as an official photographer during the solemn occasion of Queen Elizabeth II's funeral and the grandeur of King Charles III's Coronation.

Aside from photography, Jack's biggest passion is railways. As a result he has an extensive catalogue of railway photography in his portfolio and regularly travels across the UK to follow different excursions and movements. He is also a volunteer on two preserved railways in Gloucestershire.

Jack attributes his remarkable professional journey to his initial passion for railways; the catalyst for his eventual career. As he unravels his story, the audience will see the unexpected twists and turns that led Jack to where he stands today, showcasing his extraordinary talent and unique perspective.

Through Jack Boskett's lens, the convergence of railways and royal occasions becomes a tale worth hearing, unveiling the fascinating link between seemingly disparate worlds. Get ready to embark on a visual journey where unexpected passions intertwine to create a remarkable photographic legacy.

Photo – Copyright Jack Boskett

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

Donald Wilson is a seasoned traveller and writer who has visited more than 40 countries in pursuit of steam locomotives. Tonight, using his own analogue photographic slides, Donald Wilson will be showing us some of what he has found on his travels.

Donald is a rail enthusiast and former railwayman. He retired from Chiltern Railways in 2007, having been the stationmaster at Marylebone for 13 years. He has volunteered at heritage railways for even longer: as a DMU driver on the West Somerset Railway, and in other roles at the Wensleydale Railway in North Yorkshire, and the Kent and East Sussex Railway at Tenterden.

Photo: Preserved 2-6-2T locomotive FCS 400 on the viaduct near Belvi-Aritzo, Sardinia, Italy. (Manfred Kopka – 8 December 2015 – via Wikimedia Commons)

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

Illustrated talk: Rob Holder will be giving us another of his enjoyable evenings of transport-related photos. These usually cover a varied mix of railway trips, local history, trains, boats, planes, a touch of humour, and more.

In this all-new selection, Rob will be sharing photos of recent visits, unusual vehicles, and modelling projects, among other things.

Photo: "Diesel outline locomotive hauling visitors on the 7¼-inch gauge Mini Train des Marais railway in Normandy, France. – Rob Holder"

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

India was always a wonderful but slightly frustrating country that was full of surprises – some good, some not so. This two-part presentation draws from visits made between 1981 and 1996.

The presentation includes a variety of steam classes at work on broad and metre gauge, and on a number of the charming narrow gauge lines at various locations. Industrial lines also feature as does steam over the border in Pakistan.

Part 2 covers 1991, 1994, and 1996, and includes the last of broad gauge steam in the Punjab but concentrates mainly on the narrow gauge, including Darjeeling and a return to Pakistan.

Peter Robins is the guest judge for the Annual SWRS Photo Competition (held in December), so we can expect some cracking photography.

Photo: "HGS class 2-8-0 No.2277 leading and No.2303 tailing a special train up the Khyber Pass in Northern Pakistan on 26th January 1996. [Peter Robins]"

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

Many members will be busy preparing for the #SWRSMRX25 Model Railway Exhibition this coming weekend, so we haven't prepared anything formal. The Manor will still be open for a members' evening so anyone can come along for a coffee or tea and a chat and generally socialise.

Non-members are still welcome, but as we don't have a speaker lined up, we'll pick something from our large library of excellent railway DVDs to view on our big screen.

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

We always encourage our members to share experiences of their travels or train-spotting adventures when they feel able, and Jeff Bower will be doing just that this week.

Beyond being his Travels in India, I don't have more details on Jeff's talk, so you'll have to come along and find out what it's about for yourself!

Rest assured there will be a meeting at the Manor both days – we meet every Friday (unless the weather is particularly horrible) – and if we don't have a speaker lined up, as a reserve we have a large library of excellent railway DVDs to view on our big screen.

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

The situation regarding October 10th and 17th is a little unclear. Several members have volunteered to give presentations, but as yet the Webmaster does not have concrete information as to what's happening, hence these are being labelled as 'Members' Evenings', for now.

Rest assured there will be a meeting at the Manor both days – we meet every Friday (unless the weather is particularly horrible) – and if we don't have a speaker lined up, as a reserve we have a large library of excellent railway DVDs to view on our big screen.

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

Illustrated talk: Rob Holder will be giving us another of his enjoyable evenings of transport-related photos. These usually cover a varied mix of recent railway trips, local history, trains, boats, planes, a touch of humour, and more.

Rob used to be a fitter maintaining the air-side vehicle fleet at Heathrow, working on things such as tugs and lifts. This gave him the opportunity to capture behind-the-scenes airport activity and incidents, some of which he will be sharing with us tonight.

Please note this evening is a change to the advertised programme.
Christian Wolmar was due to tell us about "The Liberation Line", but had to cancel at short notice. We are trying to arrange a new date for Christian to visit us, very soon.
Our thanks to Rob for offering to step in again. (And hopefully the motorway will co-operate this time!)

Photo: "Airbus A300-600(F) D-AEAA in Air Cargo Mongolia livery at Heathrow Airport. – Rob Holder"

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

A photographic essay on the Steam Locomotive in China, featuring historic images from the archive of British- and European-built steam engines in China, along with scenes from the last day of steam.

Simon Colbeck is a lifelong railway and heritage road steam enthusiast and live-steam modeller, and is well-known as a photographer, being a correspondent for Old Glory and Steam Railway magazines.

Photo: "China Railways 'SY' Class 2-8-2 ('Mikado') no. SY1035 at a power station in China"
– Simon Colbeck

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

The Yorkshire Pullman was a named passenger train introduced by the London and North Eastern Railway from 30 September 1935. It ran between London King's Cross and Harrogate, with a through portion for Hull via Doncaster. It was a very popular service and continued until being withdrawn by British Rail in 1978.

It was one of a number of principal titled trains to run on the East Coast main line. The presentation is a pictorial journey over the years from Kings Cross to Leeds, Bradford and Harrogate.

Photo: "LNER Peppercorn Class A1 4-6-2 60133 Pommern hauling the Yorkshire Pullman sometime during the 1950s – ER Morten"

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

Illustrated talk: Rob Holder will be giving us another of his enjoyable evenings of transport-related photos. These usually cover a varied mix of recent railway trips, local history, trains, boats, planes, a touch of humour, and more.

Rob used to be a fitter maintaining the air-side vehicle fleet at Heathrow, working on things such as tugs and lifts. This gave him the opportunity to capture behind-the-scenes airport activity and incidents, some of which he will be sharing with us tonight.

Please note this evening is a change to the advertised programme.
Lorimer Burn was due to tell us about "My Flying Career", but hopefully he will be able to visit us on another occasion.
Our thanks to Rob for stepping in at short notice.

Photo: "Airbus A300-600(F) D-AEAA in Air Cargo Mongolia livery at Heathrow Airport. – Rob Holder"

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

The presentation includes scenes from around Britain, The Netherlands, Germany and India, recorded on Bob's milestone birthday present Nikon D60 – he now uses a Nikon D40, which works well – plus some pictures Bob has purchased.

The evening features a mixture of monochrome pictures scanned from prints and negatives, plus Bob's digital pictures from 2010 onwards, thus spanning from 1956 to 2025, right up to this August.

Bob Stonehouse is a retired science teacher, and former bench chemist with what became GSK. He has been a railway enthusiast since about the age of two when his mother took him to the goods yard at Stowmarket in Suffolk on the GE Norwich main line to watch the activities. He joined the Locomotive Club of Great Britain in 1974 and has since become heavily involved with the running of the LCGB Central London branch, and the LCGB more generally.

Photo: "BR Standard Pacific 70000 'Britannia' heads a mainline railtour through Harrow & Wealdstone station in 2024. – Bob Stonehouse"

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PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

Mainly social evenings: a chance to chat with fellow enthusiasts, visit the museum, run the model railway, enjoy a coffee, see a film show, or watch the trains go by. Railway books and No.3 memorabilia will be on sale.

There is no organised speaker, the evening is 'Anything Goes': big screen video, photos, ciné, projected prints, or slides; presented by SWRS members, and featuring railway or other transport subjects from Great Britain or further afield.

If you have digital films or photos to share with fellow enthusiasts, please bring them along: the laptop and projector will be ready.

(For non-digital media, please contact info@swrs.co.uk in advance. A slide projector or an epidiascope (eg for print photos) can be set up if needed.)

Note: 22nd August will be another Trainspotters' Barbecue

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

Pendon Museum was founded in 1954 by an Australian – Roye England – who came to Britain to patent a model railway automatic control system. Staying with relatives in the Vale of White Horse in the mid-1920s he saw the idyllic rural scene was rapidly changing; the harmony between man and nature disappearing. He determined to capture the disappearing scene before it was lost forever, and started to make models of buildings, the landscape and the railway that served the local communities.

Seventy years later a band of volunteers are close to completing that vision with a stunning scene that captures life and transport from 100 years ago. The rural landscape of the Vale of White Horse in Wiltshire and Old Berkshire is faithfully captured. A typical spring-line village, its railway station, chalk lanes and old canal are all faithfully preserved for us in model form, allowing us to appreciate how much the past differs from our modern experiences.

The railway running through the scene, a faithful miniature version of the GWR in its prime, brings the picture to life. Our presentation takes the audience behind the scenes and reveals part of the story so far at Pendon.

A long-time volunteer at the Museum, Chris Webber has in the past been Chair of the Museum Trust, and served ten years as its Curator. A Chartered Surveyor, it was the faithful representation of the real buildings of the Vale that drew him to the project. He has a broad understanding of the history of both the period and of Pendon and brings it to life in a way that is both informative and entertaining.

Photo: "A section of the Vale of White Horse, the stunning centrepiece of Pendon Museum. Dwarfed by the scenery, a couple of GWR trains bring the model to life. – Pendon Museum"

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PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

A chance to munch on a burger or hot dog in the sunshine, chat to fellow rail enthusiasts, and watch the trains go by. (If it's raining, we'll eat and chat inside!)

The Manor forecourt has a grandstand view of Slough Railway Station and the trains passing on the GW main line – an ideal venue for our annual barbecue.

For non-members, it's also a great chance to find out what we do, see inside the Manor, and visit our museum.

(Although primarily a social event, this is also a fund-raising exercise, so admission fees still apply and you will need cash or card to pay for your food.)

(If you have particular dietary requirements, please bring your own food, and we will cook it for you, although do bear in mind it will be sharing the one barbecue grid.)

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

Tonight's Broad Gauge Journey starts at the Great Western Railway's original Paddington station, opened with the first part of the line, to Taplow, in 1838, and covers the route of "Brunel's Billiard Table" through Reading, Didcot, and on to Swindon. Slough will of course feature, laying claim to several historical railway milestones, despite not having an actual station for another two years!

The Reverend Canon (one 'n'!) Brian Arman is the editor of The Broad Gauge Society's magazine, and President of The Railway Correspondence & Travel Society. He has written a number of publications about Brunel's broad gauge railways, and himself comes from a long family line of railway employees working for the GWR since Swindon works opened in the mid-1800s.

Photo: An early photo (1850's) of Slough Station, showing the unique early GWR practice of having both Up and Down station platforms on the same side of the line. The Down Train Shed is in the foreground, with the Up Train Shed behind, on the London side of the station.
– The Broad Gauge Society Collection

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

Japan's famous Shinkansen – the Standard Gauge high speed railways – have revolutionised long distance travel since 1964; but the classic 3'6" gauge network remains vital to the Japanese lifestyle and economy. There are very comfortable "Limited Express" inter-city trains; the world's busiest urban networks; remote rural branches; and interesting local railways too. There are also some delightful tourist trains, a few with steam power.

In February 2024, Geoff travelled over 10,000 km around Japan. The journey reached all the four main islands, from southern Kyūshū to northern, snowy Hokkaidō. The presentation shows examples of what Japan offers the visiting railfan and includes some tramways as well.

Photo: "'SL Fuyu no Shitsugen' is a steam operation that runs from mid-January to mid-March. On 17th February 2024, JR Hokkaidō's C11 171 (Kawasaki 2333/ 1940) was seen running into Kushiro station for the journey to Shibecha. – Geoff Warren"

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

Geoff was born in Sheffield in 1949, into a railway-mad family, starting his railway enthusiasm at the age of around 18 months. After some early attempts with the family Box Brownie camera in the 1950s, he was given his first 'proper' camera for his thirteenth birthday, in March 1962 – this eventually leading to his career as a Television Cameraman.

Continuing from 1962, this evening's presentation will feature a further selection of Geoff's high quality images (both black & white and colour) taken around the country during 1963.

Photo: "GWR Manor Class 4-6-0 No. 7828 'Odney Manor' is in very clean condition as it waits in the sidings at Welshpool to take over the down Cambrian Coast Express from Paddington to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli (the train dividing into two portions at Machynlleth). The engine is already carrying 'Class One' headcode lamps and the train headboard. Geoff Plumb – Saturday 24th August 1963."

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PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

The China Railway K3/4 is a weekly international train from Moscow to Beijing via Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) mainly using the Trans-Siberian and Trans-Mongolian railways. The 7826km (4863 mile) journey takes about five-and-a-half days.

Mongolia's railways are built to the broad Russian Gauge, and China's railways are built to Standard Gauge, so the journey involves a stop for several hours at Erlian (Erenhot), on the Mongolia-China border, in order to perform a bogie swap.

When the service commenced in the 1960s, most passengers were government officials and the rolling stock was under 24/7 police guard, earning it the nickname "The Mystery Train of the East". Nowadays the passengers are mostly tourists, although the service is currently suspended due to the war in Ukraine.

Nick Teale will be telling us all about this exciting journey.

Photo: "The Trans-Mongolian train 003 from Beijing to Moscow passing through the Gobi Desert in Mongolia in 2005. Taken from the train window as it rounded a curve!
– Matthew Mayer – ([CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons)"

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

The GWR route from Reading to Taunton was completed in 1906, to provide faster direct services from Paddington to Devon and Cornwall (avoiding the much longer route via Bristol). The first section – Reading to Westbury – is often known as the Berks and Hants Line, despite it never entering the county of Hampshire.

David Canning is a railway enthusiast and career railwayman. After working as a press photographer, David joined BR as a signalman in 1967 until retirement in 2004. Continuing to enjoy his life-long interest in photographing trains, David and his wife have been documenting the history of the Berks and Hants Line over the past 50 years.

Photo: "GWR 4-6-0 No. 7018 'Drysllwyn Castle' heading through Newbury with the Down 11:30 Paddington-Penzance express – sometime in the 1960s (David Canning)"

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PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

The story of the American-built 0-6-0Ts supplied to Europe in WW2 and in particular how 14 (15) of them ended as the property of the Southern Railway, and half of those are now part of the UK preservation story.

John Bird is a life-long railway enthusiast and photographer, and author of several books about the steam locomotives of the Southern Railway.

John also runs the online photo archive Railway Images UK, a searchable library of 1000s of pictures.

Photo: "Southern Railway 'USA' Class 72 0-6-0T in Eastleigh Works Yard at an Open Day in August 1964. Later based at Guildford Shed, 30072 was the last one, surviving on BR until July 1967. – 05 August 1964 (Ben Brooksbank / Ex-US Army 0-6-0T at Eastleigh Works Yard / [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons)"

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PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

An 0-8-0 freight loco would seem an unlikely choice of motive power for a passenger train, but this did sometimes happen. Ken Mumford has been researching one such working in his native South Wales: a summer Sunday train from Brynmawr to the seaside resort of Barry Island.

The six-coach train, hauled by a 'Super D'*, took a circuitous route via Tredegar, Blackwood, Pontllanfraith, Hengoed (High Level), Ystrad Mynach, Aber Junction, Penrhos Junction, Walnut Tree Viaduct, Wenvoe, and Cadaxton.

This third illustrated talk continues from Part 2, looking at the long journey that passed many places of interest and used lines mostly now closed or built over.

* 'Super D' was the nickname given to the London & North Western Railway's various 0-8-0 freight locomotives, particularly the G2 Class built 1921-2.

Photo: "An unidentified 'Super D' entering Albion Station, heading along the Stour Valley line in the Wolverhampton direction. – 1st January 1960. – Original photo by the late John Evans, copyright 2010, The Steve Jones Collection. – [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons"

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PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

Strictly Freight Only is an illustrated two-part presentation looking at the history of British rail freight over the past 70 years. It charts the changes to both the traffic and customers and how this affected the railway industry, along with the changing method of operating freight trains and their traction.

Part 1 looked at the steam-hauled era of British Railways, and the subsequent modernisation plans. Part 2 continues the story through the diesel and electric period and the transformation from BR to the privatised rail companies.

Brian Ringer worked in the rail industry for over thirty years, nearly all his career was connected with freight traffic. Starting as a British Rail management trainee in 1975 it concluded working for the Strategic Rail Authority in 2005.

Photo: DB Class 60 No. 60020 passing Newport High Street station on the 0500 Robeston to Westerleigh Murco oil tanks – April 2014 – Brian Ringer

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PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

Geoff has joined forces with well-known Guildford historian, David Rose, to create this new illustrated talk. The 180-year history covers the coming of the railway to Guildford in 1845, the impact of railways on the town, and the various forms of traction from steam to the diesels and electrics of the present day. A tremendous selection of previously unseen photographs are included.

Geoff is a railwayman of broad experience, going back to BR steam days when he started out as an Engine Cleaner and Fireman at Guildford Motive Power Depot (70C) from 1961 to 1967. This was followed by a move to more modern forms of traction as Secondman and Passed Secondman at Woking MT leading to his Driving days at Effingham Junction and Woking MT.

Geoff then went on to become a Senior Instructor at Waterloo South Side Training School and finally, Training Design Manager at South West Trains Operations Safety Training Centre at Basingstoke.

This is a welcome return visit to the Manor for Geoff, as he has given us presentations on a number of previous occasions. He is a great speaker, so this will be a very entertaining and informative evening.

Photo: Guildford Station in the 1950s. A former Southern Railway EMU, forming an express Portsmouth to Waterloo service, is flanked by 1897-built ex-LSWR Drummond '700' class 0-6-0 no. 30700, and 1942-built SR Bulleid Q1 class 0-6-0 no. 33019. – 01 April 1958 (Ben Brooksbank – Geograph [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons)

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PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
(They will also finish earlier!) The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm.

John Day is a lifelong railway enthusiast, brought up with steam from the early 1950s. Having seen pretty well all running BR steam by the time steam finished in 1968 he took a step back, although not losing interest completely, until the early 1980s. Then, with family and work commitments out of the way, interest was rekindled and he started photographing all aspects of railways and railway operations.

"21st Century Steam" showcases steam working on the main lines and heritage railways in the UK, in the USA, China, Ukraine, and around Europe, with a number of interesting – but personal – cameos along the way.

Photo: "GWR King Class 4-6-0 6024 'King Edward I' departs Bristol Temple Meads as the 1Z27 09:10 to Kingswear on 30th May 2010. [John Day]"

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PLEASE NOTE: Friday meetings are now starting at the earlier time of 7:15pm.
They will also finish earlier! The talk will now begin at 7:30pm.

The history of the railways of South Wales is unlike that of any other area in the UK. Instead of companies gradually merging or being taken over by larger players, most of the lines were promoted by local companies ‐ such as the Taff Vale or the Rhymney ‐ which ferociously fought one another and maintained their independence until take over by the GWR was forced on them after the First World War.

The coal mining that supported that network has now gone but that history has left numerous reminders of closed railways from an era when almost every valley had its own line. Whilst we will see some trains, mostly we be looking at infrastructure such as bridges (and remains of bridges), stations (open and closed), and track formations.

Photo: "A Freightliner class 66 on a train of empty stone wagons returning to Machen Quarry crosses the Ebbw River near Bassaleg over one of the oldest railway viaducts in the world, built 1826 by the horse-worked Rumney (sic) Railway. [2 December 2024 – Stephen Bigley]"

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The High Speed Trains were launched with a prototype in 1975 leading to a significant production build that remained in front line service for 43 years. They served the Western Region, Eastern Region and Midland Main Line, as well as Cross Country services. Even now some units survive working class 2 trains in Devon and Cornwall and across Scotland.

This evening is an enthusiast's perspective of these iconic trains, which served the country so well for so long.

The second half will be an 'out and about', mostly from 2023. Hopefully there should be something for everyone: Great Western steam, little bit about a holiday in Germany (all modern traction), all sorts of other trains around the national network, and some heritage railways in the UK.

Photo: "IC125 power car 43162 has arrived at Cheltenham Spa on the very last HST run: the 1818 from London Paddington on 18th May 2019. Photo: Richard Morris"

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A presentation featuring the railway scene past and present at Ashford and Hastings, with pictures from the early 1900s through to 2025 along the once-threatened branch line between the two rail centres.

More recently known as the 'Marshlink Line', the non-electrified branch is a small oasis of diesel traction in otherwise Southern third-rail territory.

Photo: "Southern Class 171 2-car DMU, set no. 171 729, calls at Appledore in 2022 working between Ashford - Hastings - Eastbourne. Photo: Dick Crane"

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A slide-show of pictures and video footage of Matt's train-spotting exploits from the last 18 months. There will be highlights from the mainline, featuring steam, diesel, and electric traction, together with some heritage railway steam events that he has attended.

As well as being SWRS Vice-Chairman, and organiser of the SWRS Model Railway Exhibition (25th-26th October), Matt's job and hobbies allow many opportunities for rail travel at home and abroad. He enjoys sharing his spotting adventures on social media, and you can follow him on Instagram (@mattsmaritimeandrail), Facebook, and YouTube.

NOTE: We had hoped to welcome back Paul Joyce this evening, for some "Reading Railways", as advertised, but technical difficulties mean this must wait for another day. Our apologies for any inconvenience.

Photo: "SWRS Vice-Chairman Matt Francis photographing his favourite, rebuilt Merchant Navy Bulleid Pacific no. 35006 'Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co.', at Toddington on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway, 5th April 2025. Image Credit: James Taviner"

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All members are encouraged to attend this important meeting.

Further details may be found here.

If the official business is concluded by half-time, in the second half we can enjoy watching a DVD, or something, on the big screen; however, there are plenty of important matters to discuss...

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* This will be a 'hybrid' Zoom evening: the meeting will take place at The Manor, and everyone is encouraged to attend in person; but for those who are unable to do so, the presentation will also be shared via the Zoom video conferencing software: please contact Frank Taylor to take part.

Unfortunately, the meeting will not be available online via Zoom, this year. Efforts are in hand to once more provide Zoom access to occasional Friday meetings, but there are financial and administrative considerations.

Jeremy Harrison presents a selection of images from the LCGB/NRM Ken Nunn collection, covering the period 1923-1929.

It is over 100 years since the 1923 Grouping, when most of the railways of Great Britain were amalgamated into the 'Big Four' – the greatest reorganisation they had suffered in their first century, which was marked by the Railway Century Exhibition at Darlington in 1925.

Tonight's presentation looks at Britain's railways between 1923 and 1929, as the multitude of preceding companies were reorganised into the four systems which most of us are familiar with – a process which did not always go smoothly.

Photo: "LMS Hughes 5P 4-6-0 10474, heading a train of the latest coaches, participating in the Cavalcade at the Darlington Railway Centenary Exhibition, 2nd July 1925."
Image Credit: LCGB/NRM Ken Nunn Collection

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35006 "Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co." is a Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2 steam locomotive, designed by Oliver Bulleid for the Southern Railway, and built at Eastleigh locomotive works in December 1941.

The loco has been part of Chris's life since 1953: on the way to a family holiday, the sight of 35006 hauling a train across the A30 near Honiton started a life-long enthusiasm for railways.

Chris's talk will cover the history of the loco, its restoration, and operation from 2014.

Along with "Clan Line" it was one of the last two of the class to be rebuilt, in October 1959.Withdrawn in 1964, 35006 languished at Woodham's Scrapyard, Barry until 1983, when it was move to Toddington on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway. A lengthy restoration followed, including construction of a new tender, and 35006 finally returned to steam in 2015.

Chris Ardy was an avid trainspotter until the end of steam on BR. His interest was rekindled in the 1980s, and he is now a volunteer on the GWSR, in the loco department, and a member of the support crew for Tornado. Chris is a shareholder and director of the 35006 Loco Preservation Society, and also runs its sales stand!

Photo: "Rebuilt Merchant Navy Bulleid Pacific no. 35006, Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co., on a passenger service at the May2016 gala on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway.
– 28 May 2016 [Photo:Chris Ardy]"

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Geoff was born in Sheffield in 1949, into a railway-mad family, starting his railway enthusiasm at the age of around 18 months. After some early attempts with the family Box Brownie camera in the 1950s, he was given his first 'proper' camera for his thirteenth birthday, in March 1962 – this eventually leading to his career as a Television Cameraman.

The first half of tonight's presentation covers Geoff's early background, before moving on to a variety of high quality (mainly black and white) images taken around the country during 1962.

Photo: "Peppercorn A1 Class 4-6-2 No. 60139 'Sea Eagle' roars through Hadley Wood station with a northbound express from King's Cross, on Saturday, 4th August 1962. The engine is allocated to 36A, Doncaster MPD. [Photo: © Geoff Plumb]"

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India was always a wonderful but slightly frustrating country that was full of surprises – some good, some not so. This two-part presentation draws from visits made between 1981 and 1996.

The presentation includes a variety of steam classes at work on broad and metre gauge, and on a number of the charming narrow gauge lines at various locations. Industrial lines also feature as does steam over the border in Pakistan.

Part 1 covers 1981 and 1987, and includes Punjab, Pakistan, Darjeeling, and Ooty (Ootacamund). (Part 2 is scheduled for October.)

Peter Robins is the guest judge for the Annual SWRS Photo Competition (held in December), so we can expect some cracking photography.

Photo: "WP class 4-6-2 'Pacific' locomotive no. 7687 restarting its train from Amritsar to New Delhi out of Jalandhar on 2nd January 1981. [Peter Robins]"

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Derek makes short videos for his YouTube channel 'Pico Railway Videos'. Tonight he will be showing a selection of these video plus a couple of his unpublished films from 2024.

The videos will feature mainly railways, both main line and preserved, in the West Country and Southern England. This show was first shown at Reading Transport Group in January this year.

Derek Spicer is a professional videographer with a life-long interest in steam railways. He has been a keen amateur photographer for many years, winning awards at various competitions. Turning to video in 2000, he started a company to create short promotional videos for companies and charities. More of Derek's railway videos may be found on his YouTube channel: Pico Railway Videos.

Photo: "LNER Thomson B1 4-6-0 61306 'Mayflower', leaving Kingswear on the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway, sometime during 2024. [Derek Spicer]"

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A photographic essay of steam power on road and rail over the last couple of years. It will feature narrow gauge and standard gauge preserved railways, together with the best of UK road steam. As a bonus, there will be some archive material – fresh off the scanner – to remind us of the good old days of UK steam.

Simon Colbeck is a lifelong railway and heritage road steam enthusiast and live-steam modeller, and is well-known as a photographer, being a correspondent for Old Glory and Steam Railway magazines.

Photo: "1914 Fowler 10NHP B6 Showmans Road Locomotive 'Carry On' (works no 14425, reg. no. DP 4418), in livery of 'McGivern's Gigantic Pleasure Fairs', hard at work generating power for a vintage fairground ride. – Simon Colbeck"

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Videographer and tram enthusiast, John Laker, and retired photographer Keith Spillett, are presenting another evening of their high-definition video, complete with sound system and live commentary.

This evening will feature trains from around the world, including: from 2001, The Rocky Mountaineer (Vancouver to Banff) and Via Rail (Jasper to Toronto); the Petit Train de Cerdagnes (2005); the Bernina Express (2009); and then, after the interval, from 2019: the Pilatus Bahn Rack Railway and the Brienz Rothorn Steam Railway.

(Photo: Train of Rhätische Bahn on the Bernina line, with the Morteratsch Glacier in the background, 16 August 2004. – Rainer Göttlinger   [Wikimedia Commons - CC-by-SA-3.0]
Not featured in the evening's entertainment, but is representative of an RhB train. It may, or may not, be the Bernina Express; but it's certainly similar!)

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British Rail's corporate identity introduced BR Rail Blue in 1966, and this livery lasted well into the 1980s. The "BR Blue" era is fondly remembered by those who started their train-spotting during those years.

This evening we shall be watching classic diesel traction in Yorkshire in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with a very high content of freight! It's from a DVD donated to the Society, and the sound is something else. So, if you love the gentle roar of Sulzers, English Electrics and Napier Deltics, you'll love this.

Fans of Peaks, Whistlers, Tractors, Choppers, Grids, Rats, and Deltics will be in their element, and there's a glorious cameo from a Hoover on a railtour!

If there's time, we'll also watch some footage of Slough Station in 1985, featuring Class 50's, 47's, 31's, HSTs and DMUs.

Photo: "BR Class 45 1Co-Co1 diesel locomotive no. 45054 heads south from Loughborough with a passenger train for London St. Pancras, 9th July 1975. – Nigel Tout
– (CC-by-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons"
[I know it's the wrong region, but it's a fantastic photo! - Webmaster]

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The stories commence with naval helicopter operations off Iceland during the 'Cod Wars', then continue with helicopter flying in the Royal Navy, including some dramatic video of landing a Lynx helicopter on the deck of a frigate in a gale.

Moving to civilian aviation, the stories continue with helicopter operations to the North Sea oil rigs, including passenger ditching training, and operations of the S61N and Chinook helicopters. Finally, "Don't fly through a thunderstorm!" – the story of an accidental flight into a cumulonimbus cloud over Basingstoke, UK.

Lorimer Burn started his flying career in 1967, flying helicopters from Royal Navy ships. After 12 years' military service he joined British Airways Helicopters to fly S61 and Chinooks to North Sea oil rigs. In 1988 he moved from helicopters to airliners, flying Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 planes from Heathrow for British Midland. Since retirement Lorimer has remained firmly on the ground, but spends his time giving presentations about his flying experience and other aviation topics.

This will be a welcome return to the Manor for Lorimer, who gave us an illustrated talk on Incredible Flying Boats, last year.

Photo: "The Lynx Mk8 helicopter of HMS Campbeltown, a Type 22 Frigate, is pictured on exercise over the Red Sea in January 2007.
– LA(Phot) Des Wade – Crown Copyright / MOD 45147445 [OGL v1.0], via Wikimedia Commons"

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

In anticipation of a proper "Return to Steam" celebration later in the year, this is an opportunity for members to look out their pictures and videos of No.3, and to share these and other reminiscences with fellow members.

"Slough Estates No.3" is one of the 0-6-0 steam locomotives that used to shunt wagons around the Slough Trading Estate's private railway system, between 1924 and 1973. Slough & Windsor Railway Society are custodians of "No.3" (as we know her), and SWRS members were instrumental in restoring the locomotive to working order again, after 25 years out of use.

October 2024 was No.3's 100th birthday, and we had hoped to celebrate this with a trip to the Middleton Railway in Leeds, where No. 3 is currently based. This couldn't happen as No.3 is still in pieces, deep into her second boiler overhaul since restoration. Happily, the overhaul is approaching completion and should be finished within the next few months.

This evening is a chance to see pictures and film of No.3 at work on the Trading Estate, under restoration at Stoke Place, and in action at the Swindon & Cricklade Railway, and the Middleton Railway. We should also have an update on the progress of her latest overhaul.

Members are invited to bring their photos of No.3, particularly at work on the Trading Estate or in pieces at Stoke Place (or the Watercress Line), to share with others. And if anyone can bring along a Super 8 ciné projector, we can show an archive film of the engines that was made during their last year of operation.

(Photo: Slough Estates No.3 pauses between duties outside Weston's Biscuit Factory, sometime during the 1960s (P Jewell Collection))

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

Please note that new heaters have been installed in The Manor, so winter meetings are a lot warmer than they used to be! (But do wrap up, as they struggle a bit when it's near freezing.)

In anticipation of a proper "Return to Steam" celebration later in the year, this is an opportunity for members to look out their pictures and videos of No.3, and to share these and other reminiscences with fellow members.

Please note: at the beginning of the evening there will be an Open Meeting for all members to discuss the current vacancies within the Committee.

"Slough Estates No.3" is one of the 0-6-0 steam locomotives that used to shunt wagons around the Slough Trading Estate's private railway system, between 1924 and 1973. Slough & Windsor Railway Society are custodians of "No.3" (as we know her), and SWRS members were instrumental in restoring the locomotive to working order again, after 25 years out of use.

No. 3 is currently based at the Middleton Railway in Leeds, but out-of-traffic for her second boiler overhaul since restoration. Happily, the overhaul is approaching completion and should be finished within the next few months.

Members are invited to bring their photos of No.3, particularly at work on the Trading Estate or in pieces at Stoke Place (or the Watercress Line), to share with others. And if anyone can bring along a Super 8 ciné projector, we can show an archive film of the engines that was made during their last year of operation.

(Photo: Slough Estates No.3 pauses between duties outside Weston's Biscuit Factory, sometime during the 1960s (P Jewell Collection))

This evening is open to non-members as well as SWRS members.

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

The Manor will be open as usual for members to come along and socialise, catch up on the latest railway news, enjoy a tea or coffee, join in the raffle, and chat to the people running the OO model railway.

As for entertainment... This evening is an opportunity for members to present their photos or videos of railway-related activity: heritage railway visits, rail tours, mainline specials, train-spotting exploits, etc, with other like-minded enthusiasts.

But as a fallback, we can watch a railway-related DVD on our big screen!

Next week – look out your photos to share at our Slough Estates No. 3 evening.

(Photo: GWR 2-6-2T 5164 in the snow at Kidderminster Town on the Severn Valley Railway. 23rd March 2013 (Tony Hisgett [CC-by-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons))

Please see the Programme page for more about Friday meetings.

Please note that new heaters have been installed in The Manor, so winter meetings are a lot warmer than they used to be! (But do wrap up, as they struggle a bit when it's near freezing.)