Basingstoke Station circa 1915  

(Picture courtesy of Basingstoke Willis Museum)

Basingstoke Station 2010 

(Picture by Ian Francis)

Basingstoke Station 2012

  (Picture by David Brace)

We are pleased you have found the official web site of the

Basingstoke & District Railway Society.

The Society was formed in 1974 to provide entertainment on railway related matters. 

We meet twice monthly on a Wednesday evening between 19.45 and 22.00 at the Wote Street Club in the Basingstoke Town Centre.

Our membership number is around 80, male and female, young and old, and our meeting attendance is typically 40. The majority of our meetings take the form of an illustrated presentation by a top quality speaker.

Members pay an annual subscription of £5, plus a reduced admission fee of £2 at each meeting and enjoy many other benefits.

Visitors are welcome at all our regular meetings on payment of a £3 admission fee. 

For those historians amongst you, we are pleased to include Chris Tolley's 'A History of the Railways around Basingstoke', accessible from our History page.

You can read much more About Us or can Contact Us by using these links or clicking on the tabs above.

4th December 2019

Old Dalby Test Track

Dave Coxon tells the history of the route from Melton Mowbray to Nottingham from its opening in 1879 by the Midland Railway until its closure in 1966. Numerous photographs of the route before the line became a test track for BR will be shown. After the interval, the various tests and research will be explored, including the APT-E, nuclear flask collision resilience, high speed pantograph development. Current testing of Bombardier "Aventra" and London Underground "S" stock will also be highlighted.

18th December 2019

Christmas Film and Buffet

The film is "Train of Events" staring Jack Warner and Susan Shaw. A train disaster is told through 4 short stories of people involved in the accident; how they are affected, and how they cope with the aftermath.  

8th January 2020

Secret Siberia, Darjeeling and Japan

 Paul Whittle, who gave us his River Kwai presentation returns to give a talk on an epic rail journey across the vast region of Siberia. The second half will present details of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society, and the Kyoto Railway Museum in Japan.

For advanced notice during this year's programme, follow this link.

The 2019 Programme

For advanced notice of next years programme, follow this link when available

The 2020 Programme 

To receive email notification before each meeting please send an email with subject "Subscribe" to Publicity@BDRS70D.com

Picture of the Month December 2019

Seen at Cossington between Leicester and Loughborough on the 8th October at 17.00hrs, a railhead treatment train heads towards Toton on the Midland mainline. Class 66143 leads Class 66085.

Photograph by Andy Fewster.

Why not enter your picture for next month?  eMail your image to: web@bdrs70d.com

`

Members can view archive and other Society material with password a*ccess on the Member Login page

For information about train movements through Basingstoke Station click here

The UK Steam Information website showing steam train schedules click here 

Rail fares between any two stations on the UK network click here

The live departure board for passenger trains from Basingstoke.  Click here

Get the cheapest tickets by splitting your journey!  Click here for the link to the web site with all the information  

Church Street Models, Basingstoke's specialist model shop. Click here for the link to their website.

Ian Francis

Andy Fewster