Membership of The Friends of Vintage Trains offers several benefits to members:
- The Steam in Trust magazine
- Social Events
- A discount on the Stratford-Birmingham-Stratford leg of the Shakespeare Express. It is a return ticket in Tourist for the price of a single, on showing the Friends membership card. Note that this is offered on the second and third trains, starting at Stratford-upon-Avon, and not on the first and fourth trains starting at Birmingham.
Due to major ongoing works at Tyseley there are no plans by Vintage Trains to offer any further Open Days. Should these be reinstated in the future we are optimistic that a reduced admission charge to the Friends will be offered, as was the case for past Open Days.
The Steam in Trust magazine
Steam in Trust is a high quality magazine which is published twice a year by the Friends of Vintage Trains and circulated free of charge to all members of the Friends. It carries a wide range of articles, including the latest news of developments in Vintage Trains and the Tyseley Locomotive works, updates on the activities of the Friends including the Annual General Meeting and social events, contributions by members of the Friends and volunteers and much more. We also publish and circulate a twice-yearly member’s newsletter with updates from the Friends and Vintage Trains, interleaved with the Steam in Trust publication.
Low resolution PDF copies of back issues of Steam in Trust and the Newsletter are available on the publications page after current issues are sent to our members. The on-line version of Steam in Trust cannot do justice to the quality of the printed publication, which is circulated to all members of the Friends.
Social Events
A range of social events are offered to members of the Friends, who are usually invited to bring a guest free of charge. Suggestions for future socials are welcome; please contact us through our contact form with any suggestions.
We have several events in the pipeline. Following the success of our showing of The Ladykillers at Henley Station (more details on our social events page) we will be repeating this (with a range of different films, of course) on 25 November 2026 and 24 February, 16 June and 13 October 2027. Numbers will be limited to 25-30 and must be booked in advance with Neil Ewart, our social secretary. Neil can be contacted by email to neilewart88@gmail.com or phone 07805 817711.
On 14 October 2026 we will be meeting in the Tyseley Working Mens Club, which is directly opposite Tyseley Locomotive Works, to see Bob Meanley in discussion with Les Ross, the well-known radio personality and proud owner of preserved British Rail Class 86 electric locomotive 86259 famously painted in its original 1960s British Rail Electric Blue livery. The discussion will be (very loosely) based around Bob’s recent book Wiltshire WISDOM which explores the remarkable story of the Great Western Railway’s Swindon works, once the industrial heart of railway engineering in Britain. Arrangements are to be confirmed; tea, coffee and biscuits will be served and we will start at 1 p.m. This will be free to members and a guest.
Details of our previous socials are on our social events page. Recent socials have included a showing of the 1955 Ealing Studios film The Ladykillers in the brilliantly restored station building at Henley Station, a day with John Austin, Fellow of the Guild of Railway Artists, and Les Ross at the Kidderminster Railway Museum, being offered a limited number of tickets for an invitation only steam day event at the Fawley Hill Railway Museum and a visit to the SVR’s Bridgnorth Engine Shed.