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

Typical membership is around 70, male and female, young and old, and our average meeting attendance is around the 35 mark. Most of our meetings take the form of an illustrated presentation given by quality speakers including some of our own members.

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 May 2025

SWT Class 701 Arterio Fleet with Neil Drury 

The Engineering and Infrastructure Manager for SWT, Neil Drury will tell us all about this new fleet of trains.

 

28th May 2025

Gosliing's Galavants during 2024 with Paul Gosling

Paul will describe in his inimitable style,another exciting year's travels during 2024

 

11th June 2025

WEst Somerset Railway: An Overview with Joseph Rogers

The West Somerset Railway is England's longest heritage railway covering over 20miles from Taunton to Minehead on the North Somerset coast. Since 1862 the railway has had a varied history of ownership and operation to become a leading tourist attraction. Joseph is a former employee of the railway and is now a volunteer, assisting the commercial department since 2018. He has also authored "Railway Enthusiasm in 21st Century Britain".

 

25th June 2025

To a Mountain in Tibet with Geoff Saunders.

Travelling through China in 2002, Geoff learnt of the construction of a railway to Llasa and decided he would ride that train, but not until 2014.The journey from Nepal took in Everest base camp and continued to Llasa where the train was boarded. Travelling through the highest railway pass in the world, Chengdu was reached after two days. Further train travel was undertaken to arrive in Hong Kong. History, geography, nature politics and the the railway will feature in the talk.

 

 

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

 

Picture of the Month May 2025

 Information and Other News

During a sunny 2nd May 2025 DCR Class 56301 and 56103 both on hire to Freightliner, are going well through Newbury Station with 6Z60 Willesden to Whately empties.

Photograph by Andy Fewster.

  web@bdrs70d.com

 

 

The Society meets  twice monthly at the Wote Street Club. Meetings commence at 7.45pm.

Society Member's access to the archive is no longer available through the website. Any member requiring access to the archive should contact the society directly.

  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: 12th May 2025
This site was created by the late Chris Cullingham and has
 been revised and maintained by Members of the Society