About the Society
The RCTS is Britain’s leading organisation for people interested in all aspects of railways past, present and future and is highly regarded by both professional railway people and enthusiasts, a position it has held since its formation in 1928.
The RCTS is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, number 1169995. Our VAT number is GB197343335. More about Governance of the Society.
The Railway Observer
All members receive the Society's magazine online, and a print edition (usually 72 pages) is posted to those choosing a "Printed" membership category.
The magazine covers the current railway scene, including extensive coverage of significant and interesting movements, plus an infrastructure and events update. Urban, Irish and International news is included, together with the latest news from Heritage lines.
Society activities, branch meetings, outdoor visits and rail tours are well represented, as are reviews of the latest publications.
A PDF download
Membership rates for new joiners
Printed RO Membership includes posting of the print edition of The Railway Observer
Online RO | £10.00 |
Printed RO UK | £28.00 |
Printed RO Europe | £52.00 |
Printed RO Rest of World | £71.00 |
New joiners are benefiting from a "Welcome" discount of £10. Sign up with Direct Debit and save a further £1.
Volunteering
The Society is run entirely by volunteers, at branch level and nationally. If you have some spare time, and maybe some specialist skills, there are many ways you can help
- Publishing
- Image preparation
- Archiving
- Speaking
- Managing events
- Software development
- Administration
- Research
- Authorship
- Librarianship
News
Photographic competition
The RCTS and Morton's Media Group are pleased to announce a joint photographic competition. We are inviting the nation's railway photographers to submit digital images taken since January 2022 in any or all of four categories. Closing date 31st March 2024.
Czech Holiday – Ostrava – June 2023
Eastern Czechia – Click to expand Following the success of the week spent in Praha last year and looking at Czech railways it was decided that this year we would…
Read MoreRailway Observer image submission
Updated guidance has been released on how to submit your photographs for possible inclusion in The Railway Observer. The guidelines are available as a PDF to download. Image guidelines
Read More2023 Members’ Day and AGM
Retiring Chairman Callum MacLeod (right) shaking hands with Chairman-elect James Milne (left), both flanking President Rev Canon Brian Arman. All are holding an unusual straight nameplate from GWR 6000 Class…
Read MoreTwo new books
This is a comprehensively illustrated history of the first generation DMUs explaining the background behind their introduction, their workings and later modifications. Coverage is by class and the pictures show…
Read MoreMembers’ Weekend 2022 report
This year’s Members’ Weekend (and Officers’ Conference) was based at the Novotel in Reading, 21st-23rd October. We’re pleased to present several visit reports and a selection of photographs taken by…
Read MoreLocomotives of the LNER relaunched
The picture above shows the frontispiece from Part 6A – a magnificent, evocative image of an LNER Class J38 hard at work in Scotland. The picture now graces the cover…
Read MoreUpcoming events
Virtual events coming up...
There is programme of National events held online, typically monthly. Some branches run them too. Members from any branch may attend and guests are very welcome. For National Meetings, there is no charge for members but donations would be appreciated to help defray the costs. Some branches make a charge because venue hire costs still have to be covered.
A ticket is required. Open the event to find the registration link, and the donations link.
For 2023-24 we have a 500-seat Zoom licence.
On today
A 1968 Jet Search for Steam
Virtual Meeting Virtual MeetingThe introduction of “Pacesetter” fares for under-26-year-olds in 1968 made international air travel much more affordable, and Frank Stamford - our regular Australian attendee - took advantage of them to…
Please always use https://rcts.org.uk. Users of https://www.rcts.org.uk cannot advance the month.
A fix will be applied at a quiet time for the website.
Society full calendar
Visit the branch pages to discover upcoming events in your specific area.
Calendar of Events
M Mon
T Tue
W Wed
T Thu
F Fri
S Sat
S Sun
1 event,
South Western Railway update
South Western Railway update
We welcome Steve Tyler, Performance and Planning Director of South Western Railway to give an update on the latest developments with one of our busiest train operators
2 events,
East Anglia in the 2020s
East Anglia in the 2020s
A Hitchin & Welwyn Garden City branch presentation. Presenter: Iain Scotchman. Details to follow. Doors open 13:30.
1 event,
That was the year that was – 1962
That was the year that was – 1962
'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…
2 events,
A Southern Miscellany, from the RCTS Photographic Archive
A Southern Miscellany, from the RCTS Photographic Archive
David Jackman will present "A Southern Miscellany", as seen through the lens of photographers who have passed their images to the Society's Photographic Archive, featuring a potpourri of photographs from…
Croydon & South London Branch Lunch
Croydon & South London Branch Lunch
As a change from having a Branch Christmas Dinner at the Porter and Sorter in Croydon, this season we have decided to have a Branch Lunch, at the Redhill Toby…
1 event,
‘My Early Years’ – B&W in the 1950s Presented by Arthur Turner
‘My Early Years’ – B&W in the 1950s Presented by Arthur Turner
After a short AGM, Branch President Arthur Turner will present 'My Early Years', with Black & White pictures from the 1950s.
2 events,
SCT Transforming the West Highland Line
SCT Transforming the West Highland Line
Mid-day 'Jacobite' to Mallaig heads west from Banavie Transforming the West Highland Line The upgrades and transformation of the West Highland Line from the 1980s, including RETB signalling, introduction of…
0 events,
0 events,
1 event,
‘That Was the Year That Was – 1973’, by Geoff Plumb
‘That Was the Year That Was – 1973’, by Geoff Plumb
Starting with a visit to the border area of West and East Germany at Bebra in January 1973, followed by scenes on the ‘Erzbergbahn’ (Iron Mountain Railway) and the Steyrtalbahn…
1 event,
3 events,
Peterborough Trams – a distant memory
Peterborough Trams – a distant memory
Brendan Fox explores the Peterborough tram systems which ran from 1903 to 1930. The presentation includes other items of interest in Peterborough's history.
Britain’s Railways Through The Lens – an evening with Jack Boskett
Britain’s Railways Through The Lens – an evening with Jack Boskett
Back by popular demand, our first face to face meeting of the season welcomes multi award winning photographer Jack Boskett, who has an extensive catalogue of railway images in his…
0 events,
1 event,
A Medley Medley 4
A Medley Medley 4
Following on from the success of his last talk John returns with another selection of pictures from his extensive collection. It promises to be an evening of nostalgia from John…
0 events,
2 events,
European Steam – a Video Miscellany
European Steam – a Video Miscellany
Michael Grieves started taking cine film in the 1960s, and from 1969 into the 1970s, took much on various trips to Europe in search of steam, which has now been…
6 events,
A Lifetime of Railway Photography
A Lifetime of Railway Photography
Not quite a lifetime, John took his first picture at the age of nine using his mother's rather ancient folding camera. He was already interested in railways as most boys…
Branch AGM + The Son of a Rail Enthusiast
Branch AGM + The Son of a Rail Enthusiast
A Hitchin & Welwyn Garden City Event. The branch AGM - followed by a presentation given by Richard Cole, son of David Cole who was the founder of the branch…
2 events,
The Great Train Robbery 1963 : The Story
The Great Train Robbery 1963 : The Story
The in-depth story of the planning and execution of the Great Train Robbery bu Ian Boskett
0 events,
0 events,
0 events,
0 events,
3 events,
The John Wells Collection – Part 2 – Presented by Bryan Acford
The John Wells Collection – Part 2 – Presented by Bryan Acford
On Monday 26th September 2022 our guest speakers, Chris Berridge and Bryan Acford presented Part 1 of the John Wells Collection. Since that date we have sadly lost our Branch…
AGM and Members Slides
AGM and Members Slides
Physical/Hybrid meeting at Shenfield Parish Hall with the AGM portion and Digital Images available on Zoom
4 events,
A London Brighton and South Coast Railway Miscellany, 1862-1923
A London Brighton and South Coast Railway Miscellany, 1862-1923
A selection of images of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway from Victorian days to the grouping, now over a hundred years ago. Views of our local railway, but…
Over The Mendips
Over The Mendips
The Somerset & Dorset Railway originally ran from Burnham-on-Sea to Wimborne, linking the Bristol and English Channels. In 1874 an extension opened from Evercreech Junction over the Mendip Hills to…
1 event,
3 events,
A Tribute to John Benson
A Tribute to John Benson
Branch members with longer memories will fondly remember Johns Benson and Champion trading stories and photographs, comparing notes of their service in the military, always with camera in hand to…
0 events,
0 events,
2 events,
Building Britain’s Most Powerful Steam Locomotive
Building Britain’s Most Powerful Steam Locomotive
After the success of Tornado, the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust is now working on a new build P2 class locomotive. Chris comes to tell us about the project and its…
2 events,
Tunnel Vision – The History of the Metropolitan Railway
Tunnel Vision – The History of the Metropolitan Railway
A Hitchin & Welwyn Garden City branch presentation. Presenter: Colin Brading. The story of the Metropolitan, the world’s first underground railway. Less than four miles long when it opened -…
1 event,
Eastleigh from Railway Junction to Railway Centre
Eastleigh from Railway Junction to Railway Centre
The history of the town from the opening of the Railway Station, Carriage Works and Locomotive Works. Following this there will be a look at the combining of the Carriage…
1 event,
A 1968 Jet Search for Steam
A 1968 Jet Search for Steam
The introduction of “Pacesetter” fares for under-26-year-olds in 1968 made international air travel much more affordable, and Frank Stamford - our regular Australian attendee - took advantage of them to…
0 events,
1 event,
0 events,
A 1968 Jet Search for Steam
Members' area
The latest edition of The Railway Observer, plus back copies from 2012
Details of benefits available to RCTS members
The directory of Society officers
Officers' administration tools
RCTS-branded clothing sales
Membership renewals for 2024 [opens November 2023]
Branches
The Society has a national network of 28 branches. Each branch has its own committee and operates its own programme of events. Members are assigned to a home branch but are welcome to take part in other branches' activities.
Guests are always welcome.
Features
The Society has several online information services maintained by our dedicated and knowledgeable members. The various features are regularly updated, and we welcome contributions from members and non-members alike.
Each feature has a editor. Click the images to explore.
NEW - John Knight's Database of Railway Photography
John Knight is a picture researcher. His database of southern and western England records details of 172,000 images published in 6,500 books.
This RCTS Feature initially opens on an interactive map. When you zoom in, each yellow dot represents a camera location. The background can be changed between contemporary maps, satellite images, and historical Ordnance Survey maps - including the detailed 1:10,560 Series. The dot has a reference number for subsequent searches. Please allow a few seconds for the map to load fully.
There are several other tabs alongside the map. One is the User Guide which explains what data is available and how to undertake searches.
Other tabs are lists of books, authors, photographers, railway companies, locomotive classes, and the like. All are searchable.
NB. The database is an index only. For copyright reasons, the photographs are not reproduced, but there are live links to where each book is currently available to purchase. Usually these are second-hand booksellers.
The RCTS Digital Archive
Photographs
Over 57,000 images are available to purchase as prints or as digital downloads.
The archive also includes many thousands of non-RCTS copyright images. They are available for people to view only online for their personal researches. Users must register (i.e. obtain a Readers' Card) and sign in to gain access.
Publications
A complete collection of the Society's magazine The Railway Observer is available to read online and to purchase as PDF downloads. 1928-2011 is publicly available from the archive; 2012 onwards restricted via the Members' Area.
Many of the Society's publications are available on a similar basis, including definitive series such as Locomotives of the LNER, Locomotives of the GWR, and Locomotives of the Southern. Also locomotive and coaching stock books.
Shop
The items listed below are currently available to purchase, some at sale prices. Click on the product images to read full details of each item.
RCTS members are advised to use the Shop pages in the Member's Area to gain access to exclusive products and special discounts.
Shipping is charged on the whole order. There is a flat rate of £4 for UK addresses, or 40% of the order value for non-UK address, calculated as the basket is added to.
Payment can be made by credit/debit card into the Society's Paypal account. You do not need your own Paypal account to use this service.
Second-hand books are sold by the Library. The list of books available is updated regularly, and is not limited to RCTS publications.
RCTS Publications
RCTS has been a renowned publisher of definitive books on locomotives and other railway subjects since 1935. The books are available online and trade enquiries are welcome. Many are now out of print but you can find a bibliography of all books by following More about RCTS Publications below.
Become an author? Click the button to find out more.
New printing technology means that it has become economic to republish some of the back catalogue, a process that is underway. If you cannot wait, copies are available to view at the Society's library at Leatherhead and second-hand copies may be available to purchase from there.
Featured publications
Categories
Locomotives of the LNER
The definitive series - originally published in 19 parts 1963-1994 - is now available again, in eight volumes.
- Book orders are fulfilled globally by Amazon. The links below point to the Amazon UK shop. In other countries, search Amazon using "Locomotives of the LNER".
- PDF downloads are fulfilled by a separate RCTS online shop at https://archive.rcts.org.uk/rcts-shop/