News & Events (Updated 14 January 2009)
2009 - Our Centenary year
The Society will reach this historic milestone in 2009 and it will be marked by several commemorative publications together with memorable events currently in the planning stage spanning the country. Full details will be released in the Journal as they are confirmed and also added on line to the AGM page. (Added 7 Sep)
Postal cover commemorating 160th Anniversary of George Stephenson's death
To commemorate the death of George Stephenson 160 years ago on 12 August 1848 Buckingham Covers have created a stunning postal cover with artwork by the top railway artist John Wigston GRA. The cover features the unique Black Five locomotive 44767 "George Stephenson". To purchase your own copy, and assist the Society, follow this link to the relevant page on the Buckingham Covers web-site. (Entry added October 2008)
Orion Supporters Group
Those who have seen Orion in steam at events will know that our flagship, historic, miniature steam engine at events always draws crowds of admirers young and old. More information about Orion here.
However for quite some time now the responsibility for maintenance and driving of Orion has been undertaken by a team of only three. The Society is keen to involve as many members as possible in the operation of Orion. To this end the Society wants to set up a Support Group to provide additional assistance at events when Orion is steamed. At the present time this would not involve driving the engine and would not be an onerous duty. On average Orion is steamed twice a year.
If you feel you are able to give a few hours when required to help, or require more details, please contact Derek Cobby on 07932 752774 or write to 102 Kingsley Road, Northampton. NN2 7BY. Current non-members are welcomed to enquire about this opportunity but membership of SLS would be required prior to active participation. Membership details here and application form here.

Virgin media use SLS site photo in feature on railways. We are not sure how long this feature on railways will be on the Virgin site but picture 1 in the set is one of our photographs from the Surrey Iron Railway visit. (Item added 29 Jul 07)
To contact the Society
For all general queries regarding our facilities, railways, use of photographs from the site, membership etc please email:-
Site update log -
14 Jan - Update for Bromley Centre in the meetings and perpetual calendar pages.
2008
18 Dec - Regular scheduled update to the Journal page and journal cover image. In addition some additional events have been listed in the meetings and perpetual calendar pages and, with regret, the obituaries page has also been updated. The cover image from the last Journal also added into the Freeview Images list. Update also to home page. the publications page and to the Stephenson Fact File information. .
28 Nov - Application form updated to 2009 date header (2008 membership rates held). Notice of Orion Supporters Group added above and on the Orion page. which has been updated.
31st Oct - A location map to aid visitors traveling to the library added into the Members Only area of our Yahoo Group. The Library and Members Only pages updated.
26 Oct - Updates to the Newcastle Centre Spring meetings programme to perpetual calendar and the Centres page
20 - 22 Oct - Significant monthly update for October. Details of commemorative postal cover added to this page and to the home page. Updated pages to the index/home page, perpetual calendar, Journal page and Centres page with additional meetings added for Bromley Centre. Update of the Journal cover image with consequent addition of the Tornado image to the Pictures on freeview page. The Photographic Collection page also rewritten with details of four new listings added. I apologise for the temporary withdrawal overnight of The Photographic Collection lists on 21/22 October due to retyping work taking longer than anticipated. Webmaster.
7 & 8 Sep - Main monthly update for September completed. Updated pages are - our links,the AGM details, the index/home page, perpetual calendar, Journal page and Centres page with winter indoor season meetings. Also note the temporary PDF calendar has now been removed as content transferred to the relevant permanent pages. Centenary Year items added on line here Centenary Year/AGM page.
3 Sep - Minor update correcting a couple of typo's. Main monthly update for September is currently off-line work in progress to be loaded in next few days.
7 Aug - Further updates added for the winter indoor season meetings list. Obituaries page updated. Next major site update expected in late August/early September.
20 Jul - Further updates added for the winter indoor season meetings list. The temporary page remains live and dates are being copied from that into the meetings page and the Perpetual Calendar as work in progress.
26 Jun - Updating site continues for the winter meetings calendar. 2008/9 winter season ALL CENTRES - Work in progress list here in pdf format. (No longer relevant see 8 Sept above) The Perpetual Calendar and Meetings by Centre pages will be updated in due course.
16 Jun - (1) One off events - Additional information for visit to the Tanfield Railway on 6 July and correction to the Midland Centre summer programme as the second trip has been revised to a visit to the Swindon & Cricklade Railway on 6 Sept. See also Perpetual Calendar. (2) Caption corruption corrected on index page.
5 June - One off event details of the Severn Valley trip on 7 Jun updated and new date added for visit to the Tanfield Railway on 6 July. See also Perpetual Calendar.
5 May - Sorry for the slight delay to the monthly update for April. The Contents of the next Journal (edition 851) added with consequential update of the cover image and addition of the Lord Nelson image to the Pictures on freeview page. Details of Midlands Area led summer trips added to the One Off Meetings & Visits page. Past meetings dates removed from the Perpetual Calendar. Newcastle Centre meetings for Sep through Dec 08 added. Update also to the page covering the life and work of George & Robert Stephenson. A substantial article covering locomotive Working on the Lickey in the 1970s added to the members only Yahoo Group
29 Mar - Index page and this page updated with news item relating to the Four Societies Working Party report. Links block on index page also revised. All links from the joint links page tested and several new links added. Library catalogue page and links to it revised as it was noted the link pointed only to the mirrored pages. No change visible to readers but please change your bookmark from pointing to the mirror site to the main site.
16 Mar - Link error discovered and fixed on SLS LIbrary page. No further updates expected until 26th March
28 Feb - Revised meeting dates Kidderminster and Barnet. Sadly also an update to the Obituaries page and In Memoriam list. Journal details for March/April also added and cover photo from edition 849 added to freeview pictures list.
24 Feb - (1) Recent Officer name changes added to this page (as above) plus removal of now time expired news information from this page and the Home page. (2) Site-wide updates to email addresses. New generic address for Society general enquiries and for Journal specific emails added.
20 Jan - January housekeeping update to the Perpetual Calendar including the addition of Orion's steaming dates at Locomotion Shildon in 2008 to the Orion page and also on the Index page. Other minor editing also to Orion page.
7 Jan (Update 1) Important notification of a significant typographical error re the election of General Treasurer at the AGM (See Journal page and Members Only Extra pages. (Update 2) This page updated by removal of the 2007 log to own page. All indoor meeting details are now to hand therefore final anticipated updates to the Meetings by Date/Centre page and the Perpetual Calendar made. The Meetings by centre page deliberately retains the full 2007/8 programme to show prospective members the variety available. The Perpetual Calendar has however been stripped of obsolete 2007 data for clarity.
6 Jan - Happy New Year to all. Updates to Meetings by Date/Centre page and Perpetual Calendar. Temporary Christmas/New Year banner now reverted to standard.
To view archived updates from 2007
To view archived updates from 2006
To view archived updates from 2005
To view archived updates from 2004
To view archived updates from 2003
To view archived entries 1 to 11
