Railway Societies

[ryan125hst]

I attended the Bassetlaw Railway Societies Annual Model Railway Exhibition yesterday for the first time in a few years. While I was there, I got speaking to a couple of members of the Gresley Society Trust. After talking about steam locos for a bit, they asked me if I was in any societies, and I never have been, so I thought I'd join as I've always loved Gresley steam locomotives.

There doesn't seem to be much about the various societies on here so I thought i'd ask what societies you are a member of?

Also, how active are you in the societies? The Gresley Society have a meeting in March where an ex Top Shed fireman is going to speak, but I found out after I joined that it is on a weekday which is no use to me as I'm now in full time employment and study at University one day per week . Hopefully, some meetings will fall on weekends so I can attend as it will be fascinating to hear stories of the days of steam, particularly as I was born many years after the end of steam on BR.

 

[JonathanP]

The Gresley Society have a meeting in March where an ex Top Shed fireman is going to speak, but I found out after I joined that it is on a weekday which is no use to me as I'm now in full time employment and study at University one day per week .

I usually steer well clear of organisations that do things like that, on the assumption that they are run by retired people, for retired people.

 

[ryan125hst]

The sad thing is that they were pleased I was joining given my age, so it's not as if they don't want younger people to join. It's clearly something they need to consider if they want to attract more younger members.

 

[Rover]

I've been in the RCTS (Railway Correspondence & Travel Society) for 35 years. When I first joined in the early 80s the impression I got was that, although the magazine was modern-day in its outlook, the majority of members were firmly entrenched in the steam age. This was not surprising, older members, who were the majority, had grown up with steam. There was much talk of having to attract younger members to keep the society going.

Now, I'm one of the older "dinosaurs", I grew up in the diesel era under BR, I'm entrenched in it, and I now understand how the die-hard steam fans felt. The magazine though still reflects the modern-day railway scene as it must. And there is still talk of having to attract younger members, that won't change. The problems thay have today though in achieving this is the climate of social media and it's immediacy, but they are not alone in that.

Would I join the RCTS today if I was 23 years old now? Yes I would, it doesn't let oldies like me dominate the agenda and it reflects today's railway.

 

[pdeaves]

Hello Rover, also RCTS member here. 'Only' 21 years for me!

 

[theblackwatch]

One of the RCTS branches

I've been in the RCTS (Railway Correspondence & Travel Society) for 35 years. When I first joined in the early 80s the impression I got was that, although the magazine was modern-day in its outlook, the majority of members were firmly entrenched in the steam age. This was not surprising, older members, who were the majority, had grown up with steam. There was much talk of having to attract younger members to keep the society going.

Now, I'm one of the older "dinosaurs", I grew up in the diesel era under BR, I'm entrenched in it, and I now understand how the die-hard steam fans felt. The magazine though still reflects the modern-day railway scene as it must. And there is still talk of having to attract younger members, that won't change. The problems thay have today though in achieving this is the climate of social media and it's immediacy, but they are not alone in that.

Would I join the RCTS today if I was 23 years old now? Yes I would, it doesn't let oldies like me dominate the agenda and it reflects today's railway.

Looking at the RCTS mag (the 'RO'), there are often obituaries in it, and I do wonder what the age of the majority of members is! One member I know told me his local branch holds alternate meetings in the daytime, as a lot of the attendees are in advanced years and don't like to go out in the evening. That's probably a good compromise to be fair, as it means the other alternate meetings are held in the evening when the majority of the working population are free to attend.

Certainly, the RO was probably quite ahead of its time in the 70s/early 80s as it was pretty much the only place to get detailed loco information and cover things like coaching stock.

The ICRS (InterCity Railway Society) seems to be doing quite well, no doubt because of all the books it produces, while the Branch Line Society, which I became a member of a few years back, has moved into the 21st Century in recent years....the typewriter has been ditched and they now have several events a month and their new website even has the facility for online bookings!

I'm not sure how many universities have societies/clubs nowadays, but the one at Cambridge seems to be flourishing - if you see their programme of talks at http://talks.cam.ac.uk/show/index/9839 , they've got some quite well known names there.

 

[43096]

the Branch Line Society, which I became a member of a few years back, has moved into the 21st Century in recent years....the typewriter has been ditched and they now have several events a month and their new website even has the facility for online bookings!

Whilst not a member, the BLS certainly seems to be in rude good health, with the irrepressible Kev Adlam very much in the forefront of this.

What would “Gas” say about web bookings and ditching the typewriter?!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I am pleased to say that I am a member of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Society.

 

[Rover]

Hello Rover, also RCTS member here. 'Only' 21 years for me!

Hi! You're just a spring chicken then!

 

[Rover]

What would “Gas” say about web bookings and ditching the typewriter?!

Ahh, "Gas" and his typewriter - legendary!

 

[CarltonA]

I joined the Great Western Society (Didcot) and enjoyed a year of membership visiting the centre about a dozen times over the twelve months. Members get free entry and quite a good magazine and a fair bit of correspondence by post. Each time I visited I spent over £10 in the shop and on lunch in the canteen etc which means I don't have a conscience about what happened later.

When my membership was due for renewal I decided to let it lapse and perhaps re-join in a couple of years. Oddly, they continued to send me their magazine and correspondence for a couple of months but no mention of renewing. I was about to write to them about this when I received a shirty letter saying that my renewal was three months overdue and as I had been receiving stuff from them the membership would be backdated by the three months. Frankly, I was unimpressed, that is not the way to do things in my opinion so I never contacted them again.

I once belonged to a preserved railway that held their AGM and quarterly meetings on a Wednesday night in some obscure village hall in the middle of nowhere, unsurprisingly not many members attended. This I suspect was their design to keep the elderly locals in charge and deter gricers and people from outside the area from their cliquey meetings.

 

[102 fan]

In my experience, some preserved railways are 'it's your railway' when looking for membership money, but 'the committee makes the decisions' at all other times.

 

[birchesgreen]

I'm a member of the London Underground Railway Society. Though as i don't live anywhere near London my society activities are restricted to reading the (excellent) monthly magazine.

http://www.lurs.org.uk/index.htm

 

[D365]

I'm not sure how many universities have societies/clubs nowadays, but the one at Cambridge seems to be flourishing - if you see their programme of talks at http://talks.cam.ac.uk/show/index/9839 , they've got some quite well known names there.

Thank you for your post. It's a shame I hadn't come across this society before, as looks like I've missed a number of interesting talks, especially the one on Crossrail 2.

 

[markindurham]

I'm a member of the North Eastern Railway Association. Well worth joining for those who have an interest in the activities of the old NER, its predecessors and successors

 

[dakta]

I'm friends with someone and I was for a long time before I realised they co-owned a loco under restoration, and being into (mildly) railways and hoping to one day get employed in the industry when i found out I was very interested and went along for a few weekends before becoming a member. I'd say i was quite hands on, you were perfectly entitled to sign up and not get involved and you'd get your news every so often as promised and that'd be that but I wanted to be a bit more active and quite excited that they were enthusiastic to receive the time. As most societies are.

I do think restoration groups and heritage railways as a whole seem to miss a trick though, often the chain of command does get quite impersonal and I ultimately stopped being a member of the host railway where I volunteered because I got booted off their web-forum for not being active enough (part of a purge) they did offer to reinstate me got the overall impression nobody cared and so whilst I remain friendly to the group I originally joined, that put me out enough to make me feel unwelcome and so my visits waned.

There is one thing, and maybe this isn't the best thread to air it, but it does want noting - I personally think from my own experience societies are potentially missing a trick. They always have the same pre-amble - come join us, whatever your skill you'll be needed and there will be something you can do! But what about training? I don't mean formal qualification kind...but the country needs engineers and what better environment to create them? From painting, to routine maintenance, to project management and organisation to welding, fabrication, engine overhaul, designing parts with CAD and all the way to CAM, and even overhead crane operation in some cases (which oddly enough i do have a license for) - they could have it all and there are enthusiastic people out there, even though I don't think many young engineers-to be even recognise it as a route to getting their hands dirty but that could change.

All too often if you can't do something, or don't know how to do something, or even if you just lack a bit of confidence not knowing everyone - leads to the job just gets pushed to someone who can and you can't get into it at all, which means there's little ladder climbing opportunity or skill development. Heritage railways could really get something back out of organised mentoring schemes IMO

I look forward to identifying a society and getting back into it, would love to get into welding and have a bit of a interest in older dmu's so i won't rule out volunteering in the future, but not sure if id have the confidence to take the plunge tbh nowadays.

I'm also a member of a local miniature railway society as I have a battery 7 1/4" loco my dad bought before he passed, thats a friendly club and I spend many a weekend through summer giving kids rides at the club track. Maybe not a 'proper' railway but has a very good group of people in it and I get a lot out of it as I remember being a visitor when i was little, it's like a trip down memory lane every time.

In both cases (miniature railway clubs and heritage railways) i've found if you want a peaceful life try and avoid getting involved in decisions, comittees or any politics at all.

 

[12CSVT]

Whilst not a member, the BLS certainly seems to be in rude good health, with the irrepressible Kev Adlam very much in the forefront of this.

What would “Gas” say about web bookings and ditching the typewriter?!

Has to be said that BLS have progressed a long way in the past 5 years, you just need to be on any one of their main line tours to see what a professional setup they are.

Quite frankly, Gas Hill was just becoming more and more of a hinderance to BLS before he was booted off the committee in 2012.

 

[Rover]

In the late 70s early 80s I was a member of Midland Railfans, they did countless tours to railway installations around the country by coach and I went on many of them and the odd rail tour. I really enjoyed them and have fond memories of those days, looking for the 08 at Hitchin at 2.30 in the morning, on the way to Scotland pulling up at Gateshead at 03.00 and 40 blokes piled out to relieve themselves against a wall after unwise alcohol consumption before boarding and being "right-away" from Derby!

They seemed to disappear around 1984 but I see that they have a website and are still doing pretty much what they did all those years ago as regards depot visits albeit the coach is now a minibus, a sign of the times I suppose. And still organised by a gentleman named Bob Taylor, I have to admire his indefatigability, I struggle to get excited by the privatised railway but each to their own.

 

[High Dyke]

In my experience, some preserved railways are 'it's your railway' when looking for membership money, but 'the committee makes the decisions' at all other times.

Not just preserved railways... I am currently a member of a transport museum society, of which I used to edit their in house magazine. However I was relieved of the editors position because certain 'Board' members wanted to move things in their direction, although this view wasn't shared by all. Furthermore the Chairman sent me a strongly worded letter which stated that I was not permitted to speak or convey to any society member why I had been 'sacked'. Suffice to say I do very little as a society member now, although I do still keep my membership up - more to annoy them now. I've since found out that the particular board have fallen out with leading officers resigning. Despite this most of the membership are still in the dark about such happenings are not told what is going on. Yes it seems to be a 'boys club', albeit run by old men.

However back to the thread years ago I used to belong to an active railway enthusiast group that held regular meetings and trips to depots etc. Most of the people in the group were around my age group so everyone felt at ease. Also my local (former) BRSA club holds a couple of meeting per year for the Tracks Through Grantham group - http://www.tracksthroughgrantham.uk/ Whilst it does concentrate on matters appertaining to the Grantham area it does yield an interest for all aspects of railway operation in the area.