Please Note: Although we try to meet every Friday, there is no SWRS meeting on Christmas Day – that would be stretching family tolerance too far!
But there IS a meeting on New Year's Day...

Start the New Year in style with your SWRS friends, for an evening of transport films at The Manor.

It's Christmas party time!

We can't promise you a 'Large Prairie' in the snow, but there will be party food (please 'bring and share'!), possibly some of John Coke's quizzes and games, and festive entertainment on the big screen. Also, hopefully, the Lima 'beer train' will make its annual appearance on the model railway as well.

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

There is still time to enter. Please submit your photos by Thursday 10th December. See the Photo Competition page for categories and instructions.

There will be party food (please 'bring and share'), and further entertainment if there is time after the Competition.

Frank Banfield presents another of his very popular evenings with a further selection from his extensive collection of archive 16mm ciné film.

Previous evenings have included documentaries, BTC publicity, vintage adverts, cartoons, and excerpts from home movies. Films feature railway subjects, but trams, buses, canals, docks and air travel have also made an appearance.

Hattie will be talking about her passion for railways and how it developed – i.e. Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends. She will also highlight railway-related trips and holidays she has experienced.

Peter Groom is making a welcome return visit to The Manor. Always a popular speaker, this time Peter will be telling us about the early days of London Transport.

Our very own John Fowler presents a further collection of images and video from his recent-ish visit to see the railways of New Zealand. There will be a lot of trains, but some stunning scenery too!

This is a change to the programme shown in Triangle issue 104.

Sorry, Webmaster has slipped up this time...no details about tonight's meeting!

Graham Stacey is making a welcome return visit to The Manor with more of whatever it was he showed us last time, which must have been good, or we wouldn't have invited him back!

Sorry, Webmaster has slipped up this time...no details about tonight's meeting!

Continuing the story of the former Great Western Railway at Reading through the past 175 years.

As an author, Paul has had no less than 14 articles published in "Back Track" magazine, all relating to the local lines and their workforce, six of which covered the former Southern Railway. With a collection of some 600 black and white photographs of the local railways, dating back to the 1860s, hopefully there is something for everyone.

An evening all about train spotting? No, not particularly. Tonight's meeting is a chance for members to give a 10-minute talk about their favourite hobby, be it railway-related or not.

So, why not prepare a talk of (up to) ten minutes about your pastime of choice, come to The Manor on Friday, and share your enthusiasm with others in a friendly environment?

Although one of the shortest in the country, the Windsor Branch Line saw a wide variety of traffic in its heyday: through passenger trains from Paddington, daily freight services, excursions from all over Britain, and, of course the Royal Trains.

SWRS member, Dave Grant, will be giving a presentation on 'our' branch line.

(Slough & Windsor Railway Society was formed in 1983, partly because the Slough-Windsor line was then under threat of closure.)

William Earl Johns and James Bigglesworth flew many sorties over France in the First World War, Johns as a bomber pilot and "Biggles" as a pioneer air fighter. Author, Johns, based many of Biggles's adventures on his own experiences.

Geoff Hales is an actor performing one-man shows. He has a PhD from King's College London and a life-long enthusiasm for the Biggles books.

Geoff is making a welcome return to The Manor; his previous performances including a dramatic presentation about the life of I.K.Brunel, and an atmospheric recitation of Dickens' classic The Signalman.

Films have been made at Ealing Studios since 1902, with some of the best known dating from 1948-55. Many featured railway-based sequences: the Underground train in Passport to Pimilco, the approach to Kings Cross station in The Ladykillers, and, of course, Titfield Thunderbolt, to name but three.

SWRS Social Secretary, John Coke, has a Huntley-esque* interest in the portrayal of railways and other transport on the big screen, and will be sharing some gems from his collection.

*(John Huntley was a film historian with a particular passion for railways. In the 1970s and 80s he presented a series of railway film evenings at the Fulcrum Theatre in Slough High St, and later established the Huntley Film Archive.)

Creator and former director of Network SouthEast, Chris Green has been described as "the best Chairman BR never had".

Appointed managing director of InterCity in 1992, Green was charged with making it a separate, profitable business sector. "The InterCity Story" covers the brand from its launch in the 1960s to its break-up in the late 1990s, and reviews the progress of the services since Privatisation.

Chris has entertained us before, with the "Network SouthEast Story". He is an insightful and engaging speaker, and it will be a good evening.
See you there!

Christian Wolmar – well-known transport broadcaster and award-winning writer – pays welcome a return visit to The Manor with a presentation based on his book "To the Edge of The World".

It's the world's longest railway. At nearly 6000 miles, the Trans-Siberian stretches from Moscow to Vladivostock on the Pacific coast. Now a vital transport artery, the railway played a crucial role in the Russian Civil War, and saved the country from defeat in World War 2. It was the most ambitious railway project of the nineteenth century and its construction changed history.

Tim Speechley returns with the third part of his slide presentation of the transport scene in the 1970's.

Tonight's pictures from 1977 and 1978 will include the usual eclectic mix of BR diesels, steam on the main line and preservation lines as well as some of the last industrial systems, buses and coaches, ships, and the odd aircraft. Mostly taken in the UK, there are also some views from abroad.

Come and hear John Goldsmith from Crossrail update us on how they are getting on putting up the wires and altering the stations ready for Crossrail in 2019.

'Anything Goes' evenings during the quiet period of August: big screen video, ciné, projected prints, or slides, presented by SWRS members and featuring transport subjects from Great Britain or further afield.

Open to all, not just SWRS members, and there's a reduced entrance fee for visitors.

If you have films or photos to share with fellow enthusiasts, please bring them along. (And if you contact info@swrs.co.uk in time, we can advertise your contribution in advance.)

Come and spend a pleasant evening sitting outside the Manor, watching the trains, and munching hot-dogs and burgers in the company of fellow railway enthusiasts.

The weather forecast looks good, and the engineering works aren't until much later, so as long as there are no signal failures we should see some trains!

At The Manor, 7:30pm, as usual.

Only John Coke knows where we'll be going! Previous years have seen us take a train ride to a pub, a walk by the river, a heritage railway, or a combination of these. There's usually a quiz on the way, and much camaraderie and banter.

This year we will meet at Slough Station Booking Hall at 7:15pm, for a 7:30pm departure. The cost will be £12, plus "a short train fare" (remember your Railcard, if you have one).

And that's all I know...!

Experience John Coke's unique style of auctioneering, join in the witty banter, and bag yourself a bargain, or ten... Yes! It's nearly time for the legendary SWRS Auction!! (raising money towards the upkeep of Slough Estates No.3).

So, dig through your cupboards, lofts and shelves for any spare railwayana, and all those other things you never use. Bring it along on the night, for us to sell...
...and don't forget your wallet: we need you to buy things as well!

Further Details: eg what kind of things to bring...

An 'Anything Goes' evening: big screen video, ciné, projected prints, or slides, presented by SWRS members and featuring transport subjects from Great Britain or further afield.
(It's open to all, not just SWRS members!)

If you have films or photos to share with fellow enthusiasts, please bring them along on Friday. (And if you contact info@swrs.co.uk in time, we can advertise your contribution in advance.)

This evening's talk is a journey around the counties of Hampshire and Dorset, with photographs from the 60's onwards featuring steam, diesel and electric traction. Something for everyone!

The southern end of the now long-closed Somerset & Dorset line, and a trip along the Swanage branch (in BR days and then in preservation), will conclude part two of the evening.

A welcome return visit by Tony Cane with a video presentation of Britain's railways during the later years of World War 2.

Covering the period 1944 and 1945, the film includes, amongst other things: railway guns, armoured trains, ambulance trains and tank transportation by rail. As well as the military use of railways the film covers the everyday tasks of the railways including the repair of bomb damage.

A trip down memory lane, with a difference.

Share your photos of SWRS members from excursions, working parties, etc; and a chance to remember those who founded the Society, secured the future of No.3, and returned her to steam, many of whom are no longer with us.

Plus some never-before-seen film from John Coke.

Please look out your print photos or slides and bring them along on the night; digital images can be sent in advance to triangle@swrs.co.uk or brought on SD card or USB stick.

"Allsorts from Ken. What will he come up with?"

(Picture clues provided by Ken – you'll just have to come along and find out what this mysterious evening will be like.)

The former Great Western Railway at Reading through the past 175 years.

As an author, Paul has had no less than 14 articles published in "Back Track" magazine, all relating to the local lines and their workforce, six of which covered the former Southern Railway. With a collection of some 600 black and white photographs of the local railways, dating back to the 1860s, hopefully there is something for everyone.

Usually an 'Anything Goes' evening: big screen video, ciné, or slides, presented by SWRS members and featuring transport subjects...

This week it will feature a retrospective of the recent SWRS trip to South Wales: to the Brecon Mountain Railway and the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway. (So, if you went on the trip, don't forget to bring your pictures and videos on Friday!)

The well-travelled Colin Miell describes his recent tours with the Locomotive Club of Great Britain (LCGB) in search of railways in the Far East.

The tour of Sri Lanka consisted of steam charters; in particular, taking a steam-hauled train back to Jaffna and Kankesanthurai for the first time in 40 years. The tours of Cambodia and Vietnam were rail-oriented land cruises, using mainly modern traction.

A presentation by Rupert Matthews – "The History Man" – commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo (18th June 2015).

Learn how the Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon, Emperor of France, the colourful figures involved, their exploits, and the truth behind that famous quote “Up Guards, and at them.”

A digital presentation showing aspects of the Cotswold Canals, including a century of dereliction and part restoration.

The Cotswold Canal Trust is managing the restoration of the Thames & Severn Canal and the Stroudwater Navigation: the first inland waterway route from Bristol to London. A massive undertaking, the restoration covers 36 route miles of canal, 56 locks and the 2.1 mile long Sapperton Tunnel.

Ian Silvester is a keen amateur steam railway and wildlife photographer (see www.dorneyphoto.com) and an Associate of the Royal Photographic Society.

Ian's talk will cover several trips to Eastern Europe, including visits to Ukraine in 1994 and 2003 (mostly captured on video: this will be the first public screening); and Poland and Germany in 2010-2011, following the narrow gauge railways in the Harz Mountains.

A PowerPoint presentation experiencing three days of never-to-be forgotten activities at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway in February 2012.

Includes: steam locos in the snow; night shoot at Haworth; the inaugural run of the sole-surviving Coal Tank; re-enactment of the last train from Abergavenny to Merthyr Tydfil; and more...!

All members are encouraged to attend this important meeting. Further details here.

EXTRA! – after party drinks and nibbles, during the entertainment in the second half, watch 11 mins of never-before-seen sound ciné film, of particular interest to SWRS members! (I know no more than you, but I would not be surprised if it was archive footage of the Slough Estates Railway. Certainly worth making an effort to get along and see!)

IMPORTANT – Slough Station West Car Park may be closed this Friday evening, so please allow extra time for finding a parking space.

Frank Banfield presents another of his very popular evenings with a further selection from his extensive collection of archive 16mm ciné film.

Previous evenings have included documentaries, BTC publicity, vintage adverts, cartoons, and excerpts from home movies. Films feature railway subjects, but trams, buses, canals, docks and air travel have also made an appearance.

An 'Anything Goes' evening: big screen video, ciné, or slides, presented by SWRS members and featuring transport subjects from Great Britain or further afield.
(It's open to all, not just SWRS members!)

Windsor, with its castle, race course and trips on the Thames, was always a popular destination for excursion trains from all over the country.

John Coke has a life-long passion for the Windsor branch lines and will present his research into the rare motive power used for this special traffic.

An illustrated talk about the contemporary railway scene in the USA.

SWRS member Michael Richards recalls a recent rail journey from Chicago, across the Rocky Mountains, to San Francisco. The chosen route was via Denver and Salt Lake City, where there were daytime breaks.

An insider's view of the heritage railway by former Chairman, Peter Adams, featuring archive colour slides from the late Bill Potter.

Peter will cover the evolution of the DFR, from the early days of preservation in 1971, when the society was formed. In particular, he will describe the infrastructure improvements and the cultural changes he oversaw during his tenure as Development Director.