Welcome to the HMRS website. This website is a new implementation in 2021 of our first trading website with additional features and a redesigned Home Page and menu system.
We hope you find this improves the facilities of our site and hope you will wish to find out more about the society and maybe join.
3rd August 2026 new update on Postage Costs
With reluctance, but considering the disruption we are experiencing with delivery of our products to the USA and All Countries in the European Union at this time of turmoil in the world, we have taken the decision to restore sales to the USA and France but at a price.
We are now being charged a higher rate by Royal Mail as they require every packge is tracked to all EU destinations plus an import duty of about £7 plus a variable administration fee which effectively doubles the cost of an average sale to us. A burden we cannot absorb.
But stopping sales to most overseas destinations would prevent sales of digital images of photographs and drawings and also would prevent new or existing members from purchasing or renewing membership. We do not wish to prevent these transactions as these items do not incur any physical shipping or postage - which is not charged on the sale. The exception is new membership where the member will still receive the new member pack.
The USA is a special case in that the shipping is so unpredicable with several items being 'misplaced' in transit and we have to replace them at our cost.
We are very sorry that this has been forced on us and means it is not cost effective for oversaes customers to buy products to be shipped any more. We hope that eventually some sensible sanity will return but the signs are not good.
As an example of how Royal Mail have doubled the cost of a £20 order. Here is a summary for that £20 order.
France now demand that the import duty is paid by the sender, for which privilege it charges an admin fee and the Royal Mail charges a handling fee.
In addition, they now demand that it be tracked, which puts the postage cost well up. The cost line up is:
Import duty on £20:00 £7:34
Admin Fee: £1:50
PO handling charge: £1:73
Postage cost: £9.95
Total: £20:52
04 May 2026
The shipping rates have been updated today due to the rise in postage costs charged by Royal Mail from mid April. We regret having to do this but we have no choice. We use the cheapest (NOT the fastest) rates and most do not have to be signed for but some of the heavier items to some zones may require a signatiure. These heavier rates above 1 Kg to some World Zones have increase by a larger percentage unfortunately. We do not apply any VAT to orders outside the UK .
We have added Cyprus to our shipping destinations
We use the cheapest rate available to the various zones of either Large Letter or Small Parcel, untracked , second class with insurance up to £20. We only use the more expensive medium parcel, tracked rate for packages above 2 Kg internationally. If you are buying several heavier items, it may be worth trying to split the order into two. It's hard to predict.
2025
The society began a project to digistise many more of our drawings & archives as well as photographs in 2025. We have invested in extra equipment and it continues with the first priority being our drawings. We expect to add a new batch of drawings to the website in the summer and the overall project continues. It is, though, a long term project.
Members, researchers and visitors are welcome at the M&SC, but a prior appointment is absolutely necessary. Phone the M&SC on 01773 745959 or email Secretary email . Someone will meet you at the Swanwick gate to let you in. Please do not turn up on spec. Access from Butterley is only possible when Midland Railway Trust trains are running and coincide with our opening times. The M&SC is normally open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9-30am to 3-00pm. but visits on other days may be possible by prior arrangement.
Phone orders will only be taken if someone is present in the M&SC who can take them. Orders by Post are not available. Please order using our website.
Area group and other meetings are at the discretion of local group organisers and maybe at a venue and/or online. Please see the ’What’s On’ page for any new information.
Please also refer to Further Information