September 2025
This page provide some additional information about the society operations but consult the Latest News page for the most recent news
Shipping Postal Charges
We have to increase our postage and shipping rates whenever Royal Mail or carriers increase theirs which is all too often. We do try to use the most favourable rates for each region but compromises have to be made. This particularly applies to heavy books to distant countries and Brexit caused an increase to the EU area with extra conditions being applied. We no longer apply a VAT rate to EU sales as the complexity of VAT Equalistions is prohibitive. But for all non UK shipping, since no tax is applied at sale time, the receiver may be asked to pay any relevant tax duty and possibly an additional handling/administrative charge by the local authorities. This is beyond our control but be warned.
The Website & General News
This website was a new implementation around 2021 which retains the features on the old site but adds some new items, We have added more pages about the society and the services we offer and we have created a members only area. You need to be logged in and have informed the administrator that you are a member so you can be verified as on our current membership list. This will enable any member discounts to be applied and allow access to the member pages where our Journal and other items can be downloaded. The new implementation added some of our archive catalogues in a searchable form, enhanced photo and drawing catalogues and gave the ability to purchase a digital file of a drawing or photo image if we have it. The file will be sent to you by email rather than by direct download. We have added pages about some items in our collections which will also be developed to bring other aspects of our collections to user’s attention. We have also laid a framework to highlight more about the society's facilities.
We no longer have supply problems with our transfers but unfortunately prices have risen and the lead times when stock gets low can be long so please bear with us. We have received and are scanning several new collections of photographs which are not yet in the site catalogues. We only do major updates to the online catalogues for drawings, photos and archives when the website administrators decide as it is a time-consuming process to check accuracy. But please inform us of any mistakes in the current catalogues. We have instigated a major project to digistise many more drawings and photographs as well as paper archive material. It is a long term aim to digitise as many collection items as possible and we are reviewing how we make this material available to members and for research purposes.
Access to our Museum & Study Centre is possible but it is not regularly open See the later paragraph.
SOCIETY MEMBERS MEETINGS:
From Autumn 2021 area groups area groups are generally meeting again in person and the schedule is on the Whats On page. Some groups use Zoom only during the darkest Winter months. Members remote from a local group can participate in a Zoom hosted meeting by letting the organisers know to receive the Zoom code. Please see the ’What’s On’ page for information. We do intend to use only Zoom for the AGMs. The AGM's are usually held in October - see Whats on.
TRUSTEE MEETINGS
The Trustees will also continue to use ZOOM for their meetings as it reduces costs and enables less personal disruption to living far form the study centre. Distance from the Study Centre is no longer an issue preventing any member becoming a Trustee.
MUSEUM AND STUDY CENTRE
The M&SC will only be open to the general public on specified HMRS Open Days when the Midland Railway Centre is open. However, HMRS officers use the M&SC to deal with cataloguing and sales. Delays in processing orders are being kept to a minimum. Member and Visitor access is only possible with prior arrangement when the M&SC is attended. If you wish to visit the archives for research or to gain access to a particular book or document – it can be arranged and you should phone 01773 745959 in advance or email secretary@hmrs.org.uk and they will arrange a suitable date and time when you can come with the details. We will meet you at the site gate and escort you to the building. Please do not turn up on spec.
Phone orders will only be taken if a suitable officer happens to be present. All orders should be by use of this website.
If you have sent a surface mail item to the site address it may be awaiting collection from the Post Office so do not be surprised if there is a delay. If you are waiting for an item, we apologise but we are a volunteer society and do not have full time or even part time staff waiting to receive every order!
FUTURE
The Society depends on volunteers to the Future belongs to you!
BOOKS: Our latest book is a collaboration with Wild Swan and an update to the original Siphons book. This book is available through normal Railway Booksellers rather than us directly and orders will be directed to them. The details can be found on the Book Sales page.