CIRENCESTER

RAILWAY SOCIETY

The Cirencester Railway Society was formed in 1978 by John Thomas and John Head. They continued as Chairman and Treasurer until 2022- a remarkable record for which they have been recognised as Honorary Members.

Meetings are held at 7:30pm in the Bingham Library in Cirencester (GL7 2PZ) on the first Friday evening each winter month, October to April. An average of 20 members attend these meetings and refreshments are served.

Occasional outings are organised, often in conjunction with Stroud Vintage Transport & Engine Club. Whilst our members are primarily interested in full size railways several are also model railway enthusiasts.

CONTACT

• Chairman: Mike Smith
• Secretary: Keith Newman
• Treasurer: JohnTiffney

MEMBERSHIP

The annual subscription is £20, and the fee for visitors is £4. To join just attend and pay the Treasurer.

FORTHCOMING MEETINGS

• Friday 3rd October 2025 – Alan Price
“The Australian Steam Scene”

Alan visited us last season to talk about the Barry Railway and Woodham’s scrapyard and its locomotives. He was also our guide for our Didcot visit in June. He recently returned from his third visit to Australia and tonight will share his steam railway memories from those visits. An opportunity to see how railway preservation is done on the other side of the world. 

• Friday 7th November 2025 – Dr Malcolm Savidge
“The Life and Locomotives of R. E. L. Maunsell”

Malcolm is Chairman of the Stroud Society of Model Engineers and owns a beautiful live steam model of a King Arthur class locomotive that he runs on the society's railway in Stroud’s Stratford Park. He has studied the life and work of R. E. L. Maunsell so tonight we will enjoy an evening of Southern stesam.

• Friday 5th December 2025 – David Aldred
"By Cambrian lines to Barmouth in the 1960s"

David has never visited us before but regularly gives talks to various organisations around Gloucestershire. He gives a lot of talks on local railways but suggested his talk on Barmouth would be more suitable for an audience of railway enthusiasts, so tonight we will see David’s photographs around Barmouth when there was still plenty of steam around. 

2022-25 Meetings Archive

2026

Friday 2nd January 2026 – Chris Smith
"The Bill Potter Collection
(Classic Rail Archive 1938 - 1988)".

Our January meeting features the railway photographs of the late Bill Potter, presented by Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway steam locomotive driver Chris Smith. Bill’s high-quality photographs will take us from the late 1930s to the 1980s, focusing on steam and diesel hydraulic traction. One to look forward to and a great way to start the new year!

Friday 6th February 2026 – Nicholas Wheatley
“Funeral Trains”

Nicolas Wheatley has been a working volunteer on the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway since 2012. He is a retired solicitor who spent several years researching the transport of the dead by train. This included the award ‘With Merit’ of a Master’s degree (MSc) in ‘Death & Society’ by the University of Bath in 2012 and the award of a Graduate Certificate in Railway Studies by the University of York in 2014.

The research led to the publication in October 2020 of his unique book Final Journey, the Untold Story of Funeral Trains, (The History Press, ISBN 978 0 7509 9433 0). 6th February is the anniversary of the death of King George VI in 1952, so tonight’s talk will include some material about his funeral trains, from Norfolk to Kings Cross and from Paddington to Windsor. Copies of Nicolas’ book will be available for purchase at the meeting at a discounted price.

Friday 6th March 2026 – Paul Waldron
“Brunel’s Broad Gauge”

Paul has been a member of the Broad Gauge Society for the last decade and is currently the Society’s Treasurer. Cirencester was served by Brunel’s broad gauge, of course, and tonight’s talk will provide an overview of the development and history of the broad gauge railway in the UK, illustrated with photographs from the Broad Gauge Society’s archive.

Friday 10th April 2026 – Brian May
“Sweet Steam – Cuba in the 1990s”

Those of us who attended Brian’s previous slide shows know that he is is an excellent railway photographer. When he offered to visit us again with a Cuba show, I didn't need to be asked twice. He visited Cuba three times during the 1990s so we have an evening of mainly American steam to look forward to.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS, and

USEFUL WEB-LINKS

• Gloucester Vintage & Country Extravaganza  (2026)
• Fairford Steam, Classic & Retro Show  (2026)

• Railway Club directory
• Cirencester Community Railway Project
• Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway

• The Restoration & Archiving Trust - Cirencester Branch pdf
• 'The Slow Train' (Flanders & Swann, presented by Douglas)
• OS Maps from the 1950s - Sheet 157 (Swindon)

• Vale of Berkeley Railway, maps: 1955 and 2018

• Cirencester Town Stn: Google images - Disused Stations
• Cirencester Watermoor Stn: Google images - Disused Stations

• UK Rail Maps
• HS2 Project
• Great Western Railways

• Cotswold Canals Trust
• Pendon Museum (Abingdon)
• Rail Operators in Britain (pdf)

• Onboard OO camera: 1 - 2