The Society’s May meeting witnessed the welcome return of Steve Bach with a new show, entitled ‘Steam in the Sixties Part II’. Knowing his audience’s interest in Black Country railways, Steve went straight into some fascinating black and white images of Stourbridge Junction shed, the Halesowen-Old Hill branch and Oxley shed. However, this was but the precursor to an evening of pure nostalgia as we followed our photographer chasing the ever-decreasing numbers of steam locomotives across the length and breadth of England and Scotland.

Steve had travelled extensively in his quest to photograph steam and had visited sheds, taken lineside views and travelled on many a rail tour from Aberdeen to Bournemouth. We visited the North East with its wheezing NER 0-6-0s and 0-8-0s, the Somerset & Dorset, the Vale of Rheidol, Shap and Beattock, the Cambrian with its Manors and Exeter with Bulleid pacifics. Not for Steve the glamorous landscape shots but lots of really grimy workaday locos in equally rundown surroundings. Every now and then we would return to the familiar surroundings of Snow Hill, Kidderminster and Tyseley.

The sign of a good speaker is to leave the audience wanting more and Steve did just that: a wonderful evening and the promise of more to come.

Our next meeting is on Monday June 7 when John Forrester, Chairman of the Electric Railway Society, presents a digital show entitled, ‘The Mersey Railway’. Meetings start at 7.30pm at the Birchley Social Club, Brunel Road, Oldbury.

For more information call George Richards on 0121 559 4888.