Services to Members

With hundreds of members around the country and abroad, there will always be someone available to help with any searches or to advise on the best way to proceed with your research, so joining the Circle can save much time and effort. In addition, there are other facilities and events available to members....

Indoor and Outdoor Events

Please see the events diary for details. The Indoor meetings, which are being revived in 2013/4 after having lapsed for several years, are arranged between September and March and will be in the form of illustrated talks on subjects of Welsh railway interest. Suggestions for future talks may be made to the Indoor meetings Secretary.

The Outdoor Meetings are arranged between March and October and cover the entire country and take in such areas of interest as walks, visits to archives, a Traction Maintenance Depot and narrow gauge railways. Suggestions for future meetings may be made to Walks Secretary.

WRRC Forum

The Circle has a lively on-line discussion board where members can discuss a wide range of matters pertaining to the history, modelling and research into Welsh Railways. Circle members may post to the board where non-members can only view the discussions.

The Circle Annual Forum and AGM

The AGM and Members day is an all-day event the typically occurs around the first Saturday in June in Rhiwderin Community Centre, Rhiwderin, Newport.
Apart from the formal business of the Circle, which is limited to an hour or so, there are layouts, displays, book sales, illustrated talks and a welcome opportunity to chat with like-minded people. Light catering is available. The content of the day changes from year to year so keep an eye on the Forum and Newsletter for updates.

Research Centre

Members may also access our extensive holdings of period photographs, drawings, property plans and maps which are available at our Research Centre in Rhiwderin near Newport. Many of these records have been scanned and can be viewed or downloaded digitally. A guide to sources of Welsh-subject photographs is published as a data sheet.

The Circle publishes a quarterly Newsletter this is the main vehicle through which Circle business is conducted and members can maintain contact with others. Space is always found in the Newsletter for publishing members' queries and findings.

Follow the link to see a sample Newsletter >>Winter 2013.

The Welsh Railways Archive

The Circle journal, The Welsh Railways Archive, has been published every six months since 1990.

Copies of the magazine are lodged with a number of libraries and public bodies in Wales, and also at the British Library.

Articles and contributions to the Archive are mainly from the Circle membership, so there is thus the opportunity to present your researches in print to a wider audience but in a relatively informal manner.

Follow the link to see a sample Archive >>WRA Vol.5 No.2.

Members Section of the web site

New members can access the Members Section of the web site that contains an initial guide to sources of information within the Circle and those available elsewhere, also gives access to data sheets and on line Newsletters.
The major aim of the WRRC is to enable researchers to work on their railways of interest and to make information and materials available for that purpose.

Assistance with Research

To facilitate this process, many of the Railways of Wales have a nominated Line Superintendent who acts as a first contact and is responsible for disseminating information about their line. There are dedicated Line Superintendents responsible for the railway lines listed on the Railways of Wales page as well as Superintendents who look after Private Owner Wagons, Modelling and Family History.

Publications

Barry Railway Drawings - Welsh Railway Records Vol 2.

The Circle itself has also published a series of outstanding books on the railways of Wales. Details may be found on the Publications page.