Peter,
Thank you for your letter and your concerns. As someone who has run
societys before, I am well aware of the amount of work involved - especially
where setting up a new one is concerned. Although I am reasonably well
versed in archaeology as it pertains to railways, I am an amateur (having no
qualifications) and as such don't have much archaeology to worry about
outside of my own eclectic studies.
I have also found a great fund of helpful people who are professional
archaeologists and who are willing to help with the Society (time
permitting), increasing my belief that they are a wonderfully caring group.
With these people I am sure we can create something well worth being part of
the archaeological community.
As regards the Railway and Canal Historical Society, I have the greatest
respect for them, and have more than a few of their publications on my
shelf. I do disagree with you as regards the historical aspect, though -
there is archaeology to be seen on every railway journey (although one
cannot always stop and investigate), not the least from the point of view of
the stations, signal boxes and working semaphores...then there are railway
walks, many of them well documented, but some hardly known...
True, the history of such places is of interest, but I've field-walked
places where old stations used to be, worked out where the track and
buildings were, and had my investigation confirmed much later with the
discovery of old photographs of the railway. There is a definite "buzz" to
having your work confirmed like that!
The Time Team programme also showed that there is much to discover with
archaeology, although some local knowledge would have been useful in that
case!
There are also railways abroad, and I am just as interested in finding out
about them as railways in this country.
As much as I love books and "sleuthing through the stacks", there is nothing
quite like being out there and seeing and touching railway archaeology for
yourself, and that is what this society is for - people who think the same
as me on that.
Sincerely
Brian Longstaff
-----Original Message-----
From: Peter King [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 26 June 2001 9:26
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Railway Archaeology Society
Dear Brian
Is there really a need for a separate society? There is a railway and canal
historical society, and I would have thought that most aspects of a railway
archaeological society would be encompassed within the objectives of that
society. There was I think an academic Transport History Society with a
journal but it ceased to exist presumably through lack of support. I wonder
whether your objectives might not be better achieved by starting a railway
archaeology section to the Railway and Canal Historical Society. In this
way you could limit publication to a newsletter and place serious articles
in that Society's journal.
A full scale society takes quite a lot of running and you may find your time
taken up primarily with running the Society, rather than with doing the
archaeology.
In addition with such a relatively recent subject considerable aspects of
the new society's work are likely to be the investigation of historical
rather than strictly archaeological sources, which immediately causes an
overlap with RCHS.
Peter King
----- Original Message -----
From: Brian Longstaff <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 26 June 2001 08:40
Subject: Railway Archaeology Society
> After the response I've had with regard to the above, it has been decided
to
> go ahead with the formation of The Railway Archaeology Society.
>
> The Society will be non-profit making, with a membership which will
include
> subscription to a magazine/journal, and cover all aspects of railway
> archaeology, including stations, signal boxes, trackbeds, warehouses,
&etc.
>
>
> Anyone interested in receiving details, or writing and advertising in the
> magazine should e-mail me at
> [log in to unmask]
>
> or write to:
>
> Railway Archaeological Society
> 15 Nevin Close
> Hollinwood
> Oldham
> OL8 4SD.
>
> enclosing an SSAE (2 x IRCs outside Britain).
>
> Thank you
>
> Brian Longstaff
>
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