Signalling Record Society - 50 Years
Calendar of Meetings and Events
Places on visits to Network Rail and London Underground are strictly limited and these places are only available to members. Registering in advance with the organiser is essential and, before registering, please ensure you can attend on the date concerned. If the number of members wishing to attend exceeds the available number of places the organiser will 'draw names from the hat' to determine who may attend.
Some visits to London Underground and Network Rail are arranged at short notice and may not get advertised here. If you would like to register an interest in advance, register here indicating which areas of the country interest you. You will then be sent detail of each visit by email so that you are certain to be notified in time.
By prior arrangement with the organiser concerned, members attending a visit to a Heritage Railway may take a friend with them.
If you are not yet a member, take the opportunity to join here.
All visit dates should be treated as provisional until participants have the date confirmed by the organiser.
Times quoted in the calendar are in 24 hour notation.
If you find you are unable to attend the visit please let the Organiser know immediately to allow your place to be offered to someone else, or if on the day to avoid the visit being delayed awaiting your arrival. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, failure to let the organiser know in good time may result in preference being given to others for subsequent visits.
Visit safety - Visits to Network Rail, London Underground and Heritage Railway premises often involve lineside access. Specific conditions normally apply to these visits. Please ensure you have fully read the conditions before applying to join the visit.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Saturday 31 August 2019 |
Members visit to Kent signal boxes Arrangements have been made to visit various signal boxes in Kent starting at Canterbury West station at 0830 hours. After visiting Canterbury West, the visit will continue by road to Sturry, Minster, Sandwich and Deal. Attendees will each be expected to make a charity donation of £10 which will go to a charity of Network Rail's choosing. National Rail Enquiries for train times or Traveline for other transport modes. Visit conditions strictly apply, including wearing high-vis clothing. Please register with the organiser (Peter Adds, visits@s-r-s.org.uk) if you wish to join this visit. If you don't have access to email his postal address is listed on the Back cover of the SRS News. |
| Saturday & Sunday 31 August & 1 September 2019 |
Guildex 2019 Gauge O Guild annual exhibition at Telford International Centre. The Society will have a stand at the show. Please come along and support. More information here. Nearest railway station is Telford Central. National Rail Enquiries for train times or Traveline for other transport modes. Location map here - click on the map marker for address detail and satnav information. |
| Saturday 7 September 2019 |
Members visit to Forest of Dean Railway Arrangements have been made to visit the signal boxes at Parkend and Norchard. Convene at Lydney Junction for the 1150 service to Parkend or park at Norchard and join this train there at 1204. You will need to purchase an All Day Rover ticket for travel on the trains; this can done in advance here. Attendees will each be expected to make a donation towards the work of the S&T Department. National Rail Enquiries for train times or Traveline for other transport modes. Location map for Norchard - click on the map marker for address detail and satnav information. Visit conditions strictly apply, including wearing high-vis clothing. Please register with the organiser (Edward Dorricott, visits2@s-r-s.org.uk) if you wish to join this visit. If you don't have access to email his postal address is listed on the Back cover of the SRS News. |
| Saturday 14 September 2019 |
Anniversary Special at the Society's Archives, Unit 6A, Princes Drive, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 2FD. 10:00 to 16:00. 1000 Doors open; Bookstall open. 1030 Light refreshments. 1100 Welcome by Richard Foster. 1105 “The Bedford and Cambridge Railway”, Stephen Owen. 1215 “The Archive Explained”, David Garland. 1240 Lunch break - bring your own lunch, we'll provide cake! 1325 Book Launch: London Transport Signal Box Register. 1330 “Slaggyford”, two films from the FARSAP series introduced by Charles Weightman. 1430 “South Eastern Re: Search”, the drawings of Arthur Earle-Edwards and other matters. John Creed. 1530 Forum and networking. 1600 Close. Exhibits: It is anticipated that the Praed Street model railway will be on display for the first time in more than 20 years. Block instruments have also been promised. Prior advice to the Webmaster would be appreciated if you are planning to come. Map here - click on the map marker for address detail and satnav information. Nearest railway stations are Coventry and Leamington Spa. Bus service X17 serves both stations, ask the driver to stop at Woodland Road, Kenilworth to let you off. National Rail Enquiries for train times or Traveline for other transport modes. |
| Wednesday 18 September 2019 |
Members visit to Guildford Power Signal Box. Arrangements have been made to visit Guildford Power Signal Box commencing at 1100 hours. After visiting Guildford, the visit will continue by rail to Farncombe and Haslemere signal boxes. If time permits the visit will go on by rail to Petersfield signal box. Attendees will each be expected to make a charity donation of £10 which will go to a charity of Network Rail's choosing. National Rail Enquiries for train times or Traveline for other transport modes. Visit conditions strictly apply, including wearing high-vis clothing. Please register with the organiser (Peter Adds, visits@s-r-s.org.uk) if you wish to join this visit. If you don't have access to email his postal address is listed on the Back cover of the SRS News. |
| Saturday 21 September 2019 |
Committee Meeting, Birmingham & Midland Institute, Margaret Street, Birmingham. Location map here - click on the map marker for address detail and satnav information. |
| Saturday 19 October 2019 |
London Meeting at the Model Railway Club, Keen House, 4 Calshot Street, Kings Cross. 1030 site opens, light refreshments available. To gain admittance: ring the door bell at the right-hand side of the double doors and wait for the door to be opened. 1100 Welcome, introduction and notices. 1115 “Stopping the Clansman” by John Francis. John is a former signalman in the Scottish lowlands and now a signaller in Hastings. He is a past President of the Institution of Railway Signalling Engineers. 1230 Lunch break. 1330 “St Albans South, The First 12 Years of Preservation” by John Webb. 1430 break. 1455 “GE Snippets in East London” by Andrew Procter. Photographs from his collection, principally of the Great Eastern main line in East London. 1600 Close. 1630 Site closes. Voluntary donations towards the costs of the day will be much appreciated. The entrance to The Model Railway Club in Calshot Street is close to the Pentonville Road end. Location Map - click on the map marker for address detail, satnav information. From Kings Cross walk along the north side of Pentonville Road. Nearest railway stations are at London Kings Cross. National Rail Enquiries for train times or Traveline for other transport modes. Allow 10 minutes if walking from Kings Cross main line station or 15 minutes from Kings Cross Underground station. |
| Saturday 26 October 2019 |
Joint Open Day with the London & North Western Society at the Societies' Archives, Unit 6A, Princes Drive, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 2FD. 10:00 to 17:00. Prior advice to the Archivist would be appreciated if you are planning to come. Map here - click on the map marker for address detail and satnav information. Nearest railway stations are Coventry and Leamington Spa. Bus service X17 serves both stations, ask the driver to stop at Woodland Road, Kenilworth to let you off. National Rail Enquiries for train times or Traveline for other transport modes. |
| Saturday 9 November 2019 |
Research Open Day at the Society's Archives, Unit 6A, Princes Drive, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 2FD. 10:00 to 17:00. Prior advice to the Archivist would be appreciated if you are planning to come. Map here - click on the map marker for address detail and satnav information. Nearest railway stations are Coventry and Leamington Spa. Bus service X17 serves both stations, ask the driver to stop at Woodland Road, Kenilworth to let you off. National Rail Enquiries for train times or Traveline for other transport modes. |
| Saturday 16 November 2019 |
North West Meeting, Crewe. Crewe North Junction Signal Box at The Crewe Heritage Centre. 1000 site opens, tea and biscuits available. 1045 Welcome, introduction and notices. 1100 “50 Years of S&T Engineering” by Chris Bellett. A talk with pictures, about a 50-year career in the S&T industry. A journey moving from telegraph pole holes in the Chiltern Hills and working in a nationalised industry, through to working in privatised industry with a small diversion via the Far East. Then back to nationalised industry in Scotland, the Southeast and finally the deep Southwest, ending with working in the privatised industry again and schemes involving modern hi-tech computer based interlocking 1230 Lunch break. Exeter West SB open and operational; Crewe Station 'A' and Crewe North Junction open for inspection. 1315 “Signalling in Marshalling Yards” by Andew K Overton. Signalling of train movements and hump-shunting within marshalling yards has been a neglected subject. Many boxes have been unrecorded through not fitting into rigid definitions of block post status. This talk will explain the equipment involved, its evolution and operation, with many photos of the boxes and panels involved in this now-lost aspect of railway working. 1445 Break 1500 “A North West Signalling Safari” by Trevor Moseley. This illustrated talk will focus on signals, signal boxes and signalling installations around the area with a few anecdotes thrown in for good measure. 1630 Close. 1700 Site closes. Voluntary donations towards the costs of the day will be much appreciated. The entrance to The Crewe Heritage Centre is situated at Vernon Way, Crewe on the west side of the West Coast Main Line. Location Map - click on the map marker for address detail, satnav information and walking route from the station. No charge will be made by The Heritage Centre for access to the site by society members. The Centre may be closed to the general public on the meeting date. Please state that you are a member of the Signalling Record Society at the site entrance. Nearest railway station is Crewe. National Rail Enquiries for train times or Traveline for other transport modes. Allow 30 minutes if walking from Crewe station. Further information can be obtained from Ken Booth. |
| Saturday & Sunday 23 & 24 November 2019 |
Warley Model Railway Club Warley National Model Railway Exhibition 2019 at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham. Nearest railway station is Birmingham International with Elmdon Aerodrome (aka Birmingham International Airport) close by and with under cover walkway from the station into the NEC. The Society will have a stand at the show. Please come along and support. More information here. National Rail Enquiries for train times or Traveline for other transport modes. Location map here - click on the map marker for address detail and satnav information. |
| Saturday 30 November 2019 |
Committee Meeting, Birmingham & Midland Institute, Margaret Street, Birmingham. Location map here - click on the map marker for address detail and satnav information. |
| Saturday 14 December 2019 |
Joint Open Day and Christmas Gathering from 10:00 with the London & North Western Society at the Societies' Archives, Unit 6A, Princes Drive, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 2FD. Prior advice to the Archivist would be appreciated if you are planning to come. Map here - click on the map marker for address detail and satnav information. Nearest railway stations are Coventry and Leamington Spa. Bus service X17 serves both stations, ask the driver to stop at Woodland Road, Kenilworth to let you off. National Rail Enquiries for train times or Traveline for other transport modes. |
| Saturday 25 April 2020 |
North East Meeting, York The next SRS York meeting will be held on Saturday 25 April 2020, in the Duchess of Hamilton Suite at the National Railway Museum, York. Room opens 10.15, tables available for members to bring displays or sales. This was extremely popular at the last meeting, so do please see what you can bring along. Speakers: details will be available nearer the date of the meeting. Nearest railway station is York. Location map here - click on the map marker for address detail and satnav information. For those of you coming by train there is a down side exit from the station footbridge which provides the shortest walking distance to the NRM. National Rail Enquiries for train times or Traveline for other transport modes. |
Conditions for Participation in Visits Involving Lineside Access
These condtions apply to all visits involving lineside access, regardless of whether hosted by Network Rail, London Underground, Metro, Tramway or by one of the Heritage Railways.
The operational railway is a potentially dangerous environment. Whilst every reasonable care will be taken during the visit to ensure your safety, you must understand that the Society does not carry any insurance and your participation is undertaken at your own risk. This is in accordance with Society Rules.
It is a mandatory requirement that you provide yourself with a clean hi-visibility waistcoat or coat meeting the specifications of GO/RT3279 Class 2.
In layman's terms this means:
PLEASE NOTE - Old-style mini-vests which only come half-way down towards the waist only meet class 1 of the specification and are not acceptable on Society visits. Additionally red, yellow or green garments (you will be a walking handsignal and will possibly cause a SPAD) ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE. This condition is imposed on everyone coming onto the lineside. Please do not attend without suitable clothing; you will be unable to participate in the visit as the Visit Co-ordinator will have undertaken with the host company that the party will be compliant.
- The garment covers the whole torso
- It is orange
- It has reflective strips
If you do not already have suitable hi-vis clothing this can be easily and cheaply obtained from workwear shops and on-line. Do ensure that you obtain rail-industry compliant garments, as detailed above. The Visit Co-ordinator may have some spare waistcoats available - if you wish to borrow one of these on the day you must make arrangements before the date of the visit to check one is available and reserve it for your use. They will not be brought along unless requested.
Do give some consideration to your choice of clothing on the day. Garments which consist of large amounts of red, yellow or green are not acceptable when on the operational railway, either lineside or near a signalbox, as they are 'signalling colours' and can cause confusion to train drivers, signallers and others. Any disruption to the railway caused by the wearing of such garments will cause embarrassment to the Society's reputation and could result in the hosting company refusing such visits in the future.
The hosting company Manager will give a safety brief at the commencement of the visit. Please ensure you listen carefully to the brief and comply in full with any and all instructions given during the brief.
Photography is normally permitted unless you are advised otherwise but you must comply with any restrictions advised to you on the day. In order to avoid the hosting companies imposing bans on photography you are requested to be mindful that operational signalboxes are security-critical locations and if you make photographs available for public viewing following your visit you should not display those which feature:
- identifiable images of railway staff, unless you have their specific permission,
- telephone numbers on paperwork or equipment,
- operational notices, instructions, memoranda, passwords, etc.,
- anything which could cause public embarrassment to the staff or company.