Croydon & South London [CSL]

35028 Clan Line heads a British Pullman special through East Croydon on 24th July 2021: Image Chris Meredith
35028 Clan Line heads a British Pullman special through East Croydon on 24th July 2021: Image Chris Meredith

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the formation of the Croydon & South London  Branch: our first meeting was held in September 2002.  The first twenty years of the Branch’s existence have seen it hold many interesting meetings and other events, and overcome a number of challenges – culminating in the suspension of face-to-face meetings as Covid-19 struck, which led to the Branch being a Society pioneer in holding meetings via Zoom.  However, with the abatement of the pandemic, we have resumed face-to-face meetings in Croydon and Redhill, which we hope will continue for many years.

Meetings for our twenty first season are currently being organised: for details of coming meetings see under ‘What’s On’ below. In addition to our regular evening meetings in Croydon on the second Tuesday of the month, we be holding our usual biannual afternoon meetings in Redhill, and our annual pre-Christmas dinner (see Autumn Branch Newsletter). Our January and February meetings – in the depths of winter – will be held, it has been decided, will be held virtually, via Zoom.

To keep Branch Members informed the Branch maintains an e-mail list. If you would like to be added to this, please contact the Branch Web Co-ordinator, Jeremy Harrison, at croydon.web@rcts.org.uk .

A Branch newsletter is produced periodically, and sent to branch members. These are also available for download:

Autumn (November) 2022 Branch Newsletter

September 2022 Branch Newsletter

April 2022 Branch Newsletter

What's on

Venues

Click the venue name to see more

Contacts

Chairman
Chris Meredith
email: croydonchairman@rcts.org.uk

Secretary and Exhibitions Officer

Peter Wilson
tel: 01737 355150
email: croydon@rcts.org.uk
111 Chipstead Way, Woodmansterne, Banstead SM7 3JJ

Treasurer and Web Co-ordinator

Jeremy Harrison
email: croydon.web@rcts.org.uk

Committee Members

Andrew Jones, Rob Burridge

Meeting reports

21st March 2023: West from Paddington – A Broad Gauge Journey, by Brian Arman

10 Apr 2023

In March we had two meetings. For the second, on March 21st, we had our RCTS President, Rev. Canon Brian Arman, taking us on a Broad Gauge Journey West from…

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14th March 2023: Around the World with 155 Hunslet 4-6-0Ts, by Kim Winter

10 Apr 2023

These 155 Hunslet engines were built for WW1 to a 1905 design for the Empire, with a further 8 post war. The War Office Locomotive Trust, whose objective is the…

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14th February 2023: That Was the Year that Was – 1965, by Geoff Plumb

09 Apr 2023

Geoff’s father took an active role in the RCTS, so Geoff went with him on many RCTS railtours. Geoff received a new camera for his 14th birthday 2 years before;…

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10th January 2023: Railways at the Dawn of Nationalisation, 1946-49, from the Sutton Coldfield Railway Society’s Moseley collection

22 Jan 2023

For our 10th January meeting, held via Zoom, we welcomed back Robin Mathams, with “Railways at the Dawn of Nationalisation”. 96 people signed in, including several of our German friends.…

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13th December 2022: The Work of the Rail Accident Investigation Branch

22 Jan 2023

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) was established in 2005, following a recommendation from the Cullen enquiry, as the independent body for investigating accidents and incidents on mainline railways, metros,…

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8th November 2022: Railways of the former USSR

22 Jan 2023

The Beatles had a song entitled, ‘Back in the USSR’, and that’s where Jeremy Harrison took us at our meeting on the 8th November, with a presentation – all on…

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11th October 2022: The Masked Gricer

13 Oct 2022

What did you do in Lockdown? We found out what Simon Colbeck had done at our meeting on 11th October 2022: he had spent quite a bit of his time…

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20th September 2022: 30850 Lord Nelson: its restoration & operation

20 Sep 2022

Former Southern Railway 4-6-0 E850 Lord Nelson is part of the National Collection. Currently based on the Watercress Line awaiting a return to service, it was at one time a…

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13th September 2022: Remembering the end of Southern Steam – a personal view 50 years later

13 Sep 2022

Our 21st season started on 13th September with our monthly evening meeting in Croydon, when Des Shepherd presented ‘Remembering the End of Southern Steam – a Personal View 50 Years…

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10th May 2022: Southern Steam 1897-1967 on Film

10 May 2022

Southern Railway (ex LBSCR) D1 class 0-4-2T No. 2356 propels a Horsham train out of Shoreham-by-Sea, as filmed by Eric Sparks, ca. 1938. Image credit: Old Steam Railways, ca. 1938…

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12 April 2022: Croydon & South London Branch AGM and Members’ Images

12 Apr 2022

Our last physical meeting before COVID struck – the 2020 Branch AGM – featured the Branch Photo Competition, in which the wiinning image was Jeremy Harrison’s image of ‘Society Locomotive’…

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21st September 2021 · On-Line Afternoon Meeting: Scans from Lockdown

21 Sep 2021

Presenter: Colin Miell Our autumn afternoon gathering at Redhill was replaced, for the second year, by a virtual meeting on Zoom.  On 21st September we welcomed Colin Miell who gave…

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13th September 2021 On-Line Meeting: Travels with the late Ray Miller – Transport Delights of the U.K. and Europe in the 1960s and 1970s.

13 Sep 2021

Presenter: Simon Colbeck For our Zoom meeting on Monday 13th September Simon Colbeck gave a presentation to 62 participants on “Travels with the late Ray Miller: Transport Delights of the…

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9th August 2021 · On-Line Meeting: A Year in Lockdown

09 Aug 2021

Presenter: Jack Boskett At our last Zoom meeting of the season, on Monday 9th August, Jack Boskett gave a presentation entitled “A Year in Lockdown”. Jack is an enthusiast  and…

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12th July 2021 · On-Line Meeting: Exhibition Prints of the Late Malcolm Ranieri, FRPS

12 Jul 2021

For our Zoom meeting on Monday 12th July we were treated to a presentation of Mounted Exhibition Prints and Other Images of the Late Malcolm Ranieri FRPS, scanned for presentation…

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14th June 2021 · On-Line Meeting: The Modern Scene Today, Part 1

14 Jun 2021

Our 2021 Zoom season continued on Monday 14th June with a presentation by Julian Clark from Chichester Branch on “The ‘Modern’ Scene Today, Part 1”. This was a talk given…

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10th May 2021 · On-Line Meeting: 3P20 and Other Trains

10 May 2021

Presenter: Richard Newton Our Zoom presentation for May 2021 was by Richard Newton, entitled “3P20 and Other Trains”.  In his introduction Richard explained that he and some other enthusiasts with…

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12th April 2021 · On-Line Meeting: The Rise, Wobble and Fall of the Commercial Light Railway

12 Apr 2021

Presenter: George Falkner Our 2021 season continued on Monday 12th April with a Zoom presentation by George Falkner entitled “The Rise, Wobble and Fall of the Commercial Light Railway” which…

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16th March 2021 · On-Line Afternoon Meeting: Half a Century Has Passed

16 Mar 2021

Presenter: Geoff May Our “Zoom” season continued on Tuesday afternoon 16th March (in place of our regular spring afternoon meeting in Redhill) with a presentation by Geoff May entitled “Half…

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8th March 2021 · On-Line Meeting: Branch AGM, followed by Operating Clan Line

08 Mar 2021

Presenter: Chris Meredith Our season of “Zoom” meetings continued on Monday 8th March when the Branch Annual General Meeting took place in this format. Thirty-four members participated out of a…

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8th February 2021 · On-Line Meeting: Steam around the World – A German View, 1970 to 2019

08 Feb 2021

Presenter: Guenter Oczko Our season of “Zoom” meetings continued on Monday 8th February, when the advantage of holding “virtual” meetings enabled us to have a presentation from Germany by Guenter…

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11th January 2021 · On-Line Meeting: The Southern Electric Locomotives

11 Jan 2021

Presenter: Simon Lilley With the Covid-19 pandemic continuing and the reintroduction of the “lockdown” we began 2021 with a “Zoom” meeting on Monday 11th January attended by 63 participants, when…

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14th December 2020 · On-Line Meeting: A Touch of Winter

14 Dec 2020

Presenter: Peter Robins We closed 2020 with another “Zoom” meeting on Monday 14th December when Peter Robins gave a presentation entitled “A Touch of Winter” to a record audience, for…

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9th November 2020 · On-Line Meeting: That Was The Year That Was – 1962

09 Nov 2020

Presenter: Geoff Plumb Our penultimate “Zoom” meeting of 2020 took place on Monday 9th November when Geoff Plumb gave a photographic presentation entitled “That Was the Year That Was –…

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10th October 2020 · On-Line Meeting: Edward Thompson

10 Oct 2020

Presenter: Simon Martin We continued our series of “Zoom” virtual meetings on Monday 10th October when 52 participants – our best attendance yet for a “Zoom” meeting, including one from…

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22nd September 2020 · On-Line Meeting: The Restoration of 34081 92 Squadron

22 Sep 2020

Presenter: Steve Lacey Our regular autumn afternoon meeting at Redhill was replaced by a “Zoom” meeting on Tuesday 22nd September in which retired G.P. Dr. Steve Lacey gave a visual…

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14th September 2020 · On-Line Meeting: Southern Steam 1899-1961

14 Sep 2020

Presenter: Jeremy Harrison We continued our series of “Zoom” virtual meetings on Monday 14th September, when Jeremy Harrison presented a selection of black-and-white photographs entitled “Southern Steam 1899-1961”, drawn from…

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10th August 2020 · On-Line Meeting: From Platform Bench to Viaduct Maintenance

10 Aug 2020

Presenter: Phil Deaves We returned to “Zoom” for our fourth successive virtual meeting on Monday 10th August. Thirty-five members and guests took part on line from their respective homes near…

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13th July 2020 · On-Line Meeting: More Southern from the RCTS Photographic Archive

13 Jul 2020

Presenter: David Jackman Our third successive virtual meeting, again using “Zoom” and organised by Jeremy Harrison and David Jackman, took place in mid-July, as we compensated for lockdown blues by…

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8th June 2020 · On-Line Meeting: Members’ Images

08 Jun 2020

During the continuing lock-down, and following on from the success of our first on-line meeting, we had another virtual meeting using “Zoom” on Monday 8th June, arranged by the Branch…

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11th May 2020 · On-Line Meeting: Members’ Images

11 May 2020

On account of the current coronavirus lockdown our regular meeting scheduled for 11th May had, like all Society meetings, had to be cancelled, at least in conventional form. In its…

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9th March 2020 · Branch AGM, Photo Competition and Members’ Slides

09 Mar 2020

Our seventeenth Branch AGM took place on Monday 9th March. The format that has become traditional over the years was repeated this year, in that the formalities of the AGM were…

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10th February 2020 · Boat Train Routes through Kent since the 1890s:

10 Feb 2020

Presenter: Brian Stephenson In sharp contrast to Brian Garvin’s presentation in January featuring steam behind the Iron Curtain, our meeting on 10th February stayed much nearer home for Brian Stephenson’s…

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13th January 2020 · Steam Behind the Iron Curtain:

13 Jan 2020

Presenter: Brian Garvin Our 2020 programme started on Monday 13th January, when Brian Garvin, well known European railway enthusiast and photographer, presented a comprehensive show entitled “Steam Behind the Iron…

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