The Warwickshire Railway Society has been organising tours for steam railway enthusiasts to Europe and beyond for over 20 years.

Click here for more information about the society.

If you wish to be included on the WRS mailing list, to receive information about future tours to see and photograph steam, please email Dick Coghlan (Members’ Liaison) to Richard@Coghlan.com.

WRS TOURS AND ACTIVITIES ARE ORGANISED BY ENTHUSIASTS FOR ENTHUSIASTS, SUPPORTING LOCOS ON THE SEVERN VALLEY RAILWAY.

The tour program is actually issued by, WRS Tours Organiser Pete Kennard, 145 Fulford Hall Rd., Tidbury Green, Solihull, B90 1QY, UK
Phone/Fax from UK 01564 826143
Phone/Fax ex UK (+) 44 1564 826143

However you may prefer to Email  Richard Coghlan - Richard@Coghlan.com.

The following images come from WRS tours (RC = Richard Coghlan, PK = Pete Kennard).

1728 shunting at Juan Pedro Carbo Servia mill in Cuba, having won the first prize at the New Year Steam Festival at Marcelo Salado mill, (out of 19 locos competing, according to the brochure). (RC)

Ng 2-10-2T at Dippoldiswalde on the Freital to Kipsdorf line near Dresden. (PK)

'Kriegslok' 26.101 at Leuven, Belgium. (PK)

At the Wolsztyn Steam Festival loco OL49.111, in a surprising shade of green. (RC).

Vertical boilered 0-4-0 tram loco on a WRS 'special' in Belgium. (PK)

Founded more than 40 years ago, in an era when it was easy to arrange Steam Charters with all sorts of exotic motive power, The Warwickshire Railway Society still continues to cater for steam enthusiasts in the West Midlands and throughout Great Britain.

In the halcyon days when steam was an everyday occurrence, as a result of proceeds from our many railtours, and other fund raising activities, two associated groups, 'The Warwickshire Industrial Preservation Group' (WILPG), and the '15XX Pannier Tank Trust' were founded, and purchased HE686 'The Lady Armaghdale' 0-6-0T, from Manchester Ship Canal Co; BR(W) 0-6-0PT 1501 from the NCB, and the last Manning Wardle 0-6-0T MW2047 'Warwickshire'. 'Lady A' was returned to steam on the Severn Valley Railway at the end of 2001, and can be seen at several 'Thomas' events. 1501 is presently on the SVR, and 'Warwickshire' is plinthed at Kidderminster, awaiting a new boiler. Any surpluses generated by the WRS tours and sales activities are helping to contribute towards its boiler fund, as well as assisting with the ongoing maintenance costs of the other two locomotives.

We are still able to offer our mailing list members opportunities to ride behind and photograph steam in many areas of the world, in the 21st Century. This includes both main line and industrial locations, featuring locomotives of all gauges. Occasionally we arrange our own steam charters, but usually make arrangements for our members to join public excursions and private charters to which we have access by virtue of our reciprocal membership arrangements with various overseas railway clubs and societies. Over the last few years we have had successful tours to many European countries, as well as Cuba.

We continue to advertise tours to mailing list members, and basic details are also given above.

We are still very active in the West Midlands, and hold monthly slide and film shows at 'The Lamp Tavern' in Birmingham, on the first Wednesday of the month (not May to September). All enthusiasts are welcome, and both British and foreign steam feature in our programmes. We hold an Annual Extravaganza of films and slides, on a Saturday in February in Birmingham, with a programme lasting about 6 hours.

To obtain further information about current and proposed future tours, steam enthusiasts are invited to contact our Members' Liaison Officer

Dick Coghlan by email - Richard@Coghlan.com or by snail mail - 126 East View Rd, Sutton Coldfield, B72 1JA, United Kingdom.

For mailing list members we run a sales service of books (British and foreign), new and second hand; magazines; slides; artefacts; 'Railway Observers'; etc. Applications for mailing list membership can be sent to the address above.

We hope you will join us because WRS tour are organised for enthusiasts by enthusiasts.

Click here for the International Steam Page. 

Email: webmaster@internationalsteam.co.uk