Western Rail Society

[ba14eagle]

Back in the 1980's, when I was just a mere schoolboy, I used to belong to a group called "The Western Rail Society".

They used to run mini-bus / coach tours to places of railway interest, for all us number crunchers.

I only went on 4 or 5 trips, but remember, with the aid of depot permits, scratching lots of cops! 

The only thing is, I no longer have the notebooks taken on these trips and only a handful of dodgy photographs, taken on an old Zenit B camera.

 

Does anyone else remember this Society? Were you a member of it? Do any of the newsletters still exist? (crammed with lists of numbers seen on trips). 

 

The internet seems to draw a blank, hence my request. 

thanks

Iain

[bazjones1711]

I was a member , done many of their trips , the chairman was a Simon Guppy , I have somewhere 1 or 2 tatty trip report brochures , remember doing IIRC a 4/5 day grand tour of Scotland and north east , highlight was drinking too much at on overnight stay ( possibly in Darlington) and being very ill the next day . In the trip report it stated people who had cleared a class of loco , my name was mentioned as Barrie who cleared his stomach, other names I seem to remember were John Virgin who had one false arm , Jeff Trebey , Andy Down ( Cardiff), Ian Hall ( Bristol) , Mike Edge (Caerphilly) , Royston IIRC from Westbury I will see what else I can find / remember !

Edited March 9, 2018 by bazjones1711

[bazjones1711]

Class 27 at Tinsley depot. Picture taken on south bound return from grand Scottish tour ,

[ba14eagle]

Many thanks Baz

Royston was from Trowbridge - as am I. A few of the other names I remember. My initial contact was through John Bishop, who was also from Trowbridge.

I remember my first trip was to Merseyside and Manchester, then I think Humberside / Lincolnshire - was this the trip I have slides taken at March depot? (In my slide scans thread)

Then there was an East Midlands trip and, lastly, a trip to London depots - I have photos taken around Stratford (both depot and works) and Old Oak Common.

On one of the trips, we had to take someone back to South Wales and the minbus ran out of fuel on the M4 somewhere between Bristol and Bath - I dont think I made school the next day!

Iain