Basingstoke Station circa 1915  

(Picture courtesy of Basingstoke Willis Museum)

Basingstoke Station 2010 

(Picture by Ian Francis)

Basingstoke Station 2012

  (Picture by David Brace)

  Welcome   Forthcoming Meetings

Welcome to the Basingstoke & District Railway Society website. 

BDRS was formed in 1974 to provide entertaining lectures, films, illustrated talks and other matters concerning railways, including organised tours and journeys of railway and associated interest.

The Society meets twice monthly on Wednesday evenings between 19.45 and 22.00 in the comfortable surroundings of the Wote Street Club located in Basingstoke Town Centre. 

Follow this link for This Year's Programme and Next Year's Programme link (when available).

Follow this link to read Reviews of Recent Meetings.

Typical membership is around 80, male and female, young and old, and our average meeting attendance is around the 40 mark. Most of our meetings take the form of an illustrated presentation given by top quality speakers including some of our own members.

Archive and other Society material can be viewed using password access to the Member’s Area and, for the historians and those interested, Chris Tolley's 'A History of the Railways around Basingstoke' and a 21st century update by a long-standing Society member are accessible from our Local Railway History page.

Members pay an annual subscription plus a reduced admission fee at each meeting and enjoy many other benefits. Visitors are welcome at all our regular meetings on payment of an admission fee.

Our twice monthly evening meetings cover a variety of railway orientated subjects both at home and abroad. They embrace mainlines, branch lines and tram systems and include: passenger and freight traffic current and historical; broad, narrow and standard gauges; steam and modern traction; travel and photography; preserved and departed railways; infrastructure; and business and operational matters.

We are always pleased to hear from anyone who could give a railway-orientated presentation on any of these or related topics.

Learn more About Us including how to join by following this link.

To Find Us follow this link; to Contact Us follow this link or use the tab above.

Visit the Society and be welcomed.

14th June 2023

European Travels in the early 70s with John Barrowdale

The talk covers visits to Western Europe to photograph remaining steam services. Trips include LCGB trips to France, W Germany, Austria and Northern Italy. Other trips include Portugal. Further details will be in the newsletter.

 

28th June 2023

Welsh Highland Railway 'Rebirth of a Railway' with Charles Clark.

As a teenager, Charles recounts standing with his father in the Aberglasly Pass in North Wales watching hikers walking the disused trackbed of the WHR. His father recalled watching the trains in the 1920s at the same spot. Charle's talk will explain how the trains returned.

 

12th July 2023

A Balkan Railway Adventure with Nick Brasil

In 2015 Nick travelled by train to Split on the Croatian Coast from Pangbourne. A 1200 mile journey beginning with GWR and using Eurostar, DB ICE and local services in Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia, stopping off at some of Europe's historic and beautiful cities.

 

26th July 2023

Swiss Alpine Journeys with David Mead.

A colourful showthrough Alpine Routes of Southern Switzerland.

 

 

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

 

Picture of the Month June 2023

 STOP PRESS NEWS

During May 2023, the Society trip to Switzerland travelled behind SBB "Krokodile" No 14253 of Class Ce 6/8_2 through the Gotthard Route starting at Erstfeld, and returning from Bodio. The loco, is one of three still in operation and is a product of Oerlikon. Built in 1919 especially for the steeply graded and curvey Gotthard Route, it is one of the earliest to be built. 

 

Photograph by Andy Fewster.

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

Please Note:

We are happy to confirme that the Society has resumed twice monthly meetings at the Wote Street Club. Meetings commence at 7.45pm.

The Wote Street Club requires all attendees to be double vaccinated against Coronavirus, and be able to demonstrate proof of vaccination, or appropriate exemption. Mask wearing is not required.

 

  Member's Area   Other Forthcoming Events


Members can view archive and other Society material with password access on the Member Login page

 

 

 

  Items of Railway Interest   Society Members Photo Archive

For information about train movements through Basingstoke Station click here

The UK Steam & Modern Traction Railtours  Information website 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 in-town model shop. Click here for the link to their website.

Hampshire Models , Basingstoke's out of town model shop. Click here for the link to their website.

External links to the photographic efforts of current and past society members.

Ian Francis

Andy Fewster

  Website   Design and Maintenance
Launched December 2009       Last updated: 2nd May 2023
his site was created by the late Chris Cullingham and has
 been revised and maintained by Members of the Society