Tramway Societies in the United Kingdom.
This listing has been compiled by Daniel McIntyre with reference to various internet sites, bus magazines, including 'Buses', (website at www.busesmag.com) which is published monthly and 'Bus Fayre', (website at www.autobus-review.co.uk) which is published bi-monthly, in order to show the variety of bus and commerical vehicle societies and organisations that currently exist in the United Kingdom.
National Tramway Societies
Light Rail Transit Association
The Light Rail Transit Association records the development of light rail transit and modern tramways, with a special reference to the United Kingdom. It is a non-profitmaking and financially - and politically - independent body, with the principal object of advocating and otherwise supporting the retention, extension and development of efficient public transport, and especially of light rail transit systems and tramways.
The Association also publishes a monthly magazine, entitled Tramways & Urban Transit and is full of news, features and articles about light rail and urban transit systems around the world. It also produces other periodicals and books dealing with the historical aspects of such systems, and to collate and maintain an archive and library devoted to all facets of such systems.
Tramway and Light Railway Society
The Tramway and Light Railway Society was founded in 1938, it is a registered National Charity and is the UK society for everyone interested in tramways and especially tramwaymodelling. The TLRS now has around a thousand members. There are keen tram modelling groups in the Society covering most scales, with the strongest representation in 1:16, O gauge, and 'Sub-7mm', which covers OO, HO and N scales.
Members receive Tramfare, a bi-monthly illustrated magazine. There are regular meetings throughout the country. The Society promotes tramway modelling, with drawings, castings and technical details being made available to modellers. There are also comprehensive library facilities.
England
Blackpool, Lancashire
The Fylde Tramway Society was founded in 1971 to support the retention and development of the Blackpool to Fleetwood Tramway. This was at a time when its future was becoming in doubt; after the demise of the inland routes in the 1960's, and the deepening threat at the end of the 1960's and early 1970's, the Fylde Tramway Society was born to campaign for its retention.
Since those early days the Society has gone from strength to strength and now boasts a membership of over 600 with members throughout the UK., Europe, the USA and the Commonwealth. 1996 celebrated the Silver Jubilee of the Society. Today the Fylde Tramway Society is a fast expanding truly international Society, and is the only Society dedicated to the Blackpool tramway and its tramcars.
The Fylde Tramway Society arranges a wide range of interesting events for its members as well as the publication of a monthly magazine, Fylde Tramway News, which is free to all members. This includes articles on all the latest news and information on Blackpool's trams and buses, together with features on the history of the trams and the tramway. Blackpool was of course Britain's first electric tramway in 1885, and also the last surviving conventional tramway to operate a full year round public service in the UK. There is also extensive coverage of tramway developments elsewhere, including the recent rebirth of the "super" tram in the UK.
Members of the Fylde Tramway Society are also able to enjoy interesting tours and events. These include the popular "Annual Convention Weekend" with tours, a depot visit, Annual dinner with guest speaker at a top Blackpool Hotel and a film show. Other events and tours are arranged throughout the year and include an "Illuminations tram tour", and a festive "Christmas tram tour". In addition to these, visits are arranged to ride and look behind the scenes of other tramways. Members have recently enjoyed tours and visits of both Metrolink in Manchester and Supertram in Sheffield. Members are also able to attend regular monthly meetings, featuring slides or video/film shows on tramways and transport from all eras. These are held every first Thursday of the month.
Scotland
The Scottish Tramway and Transport Society
The Scottish Tramway and Transport Society was formed in 1951 as the Scottish Tramway Museum Society. The Society claims to be ‘Scotland’s foremost tramway enthusiast organisation’ publishing books and videos on tramways and other transport subjects. It is better known for its regular magazine entitled Scottish Transport, the Society has also given considerable support to the National Tramway Museum, now known as Crich Tramway Village, at Crich, in Derbyshire, England. There are monthly meetings organised and a newsletter is published.
All enquiries about this page should be made by E-mail to Daniel McIntyre.
Send e-mail to Daniel McIntyreThis page was last updated on 3rd August 2007.
© Daniel McIntyre 2007.