-
Information for model makers, authors, film producers etc.
-
Why should you consider joining? – As a model maker you may be thinking a society covering the prototype rather than model making offers nothing of benefit.
However the reality is that if you are even moderately interested in making your layout and rolling stock look authentic for a time period, or a geographic location, you require a source of information. The SLS is a society that has traditionally covered the full size railway with in depth analysis of the performance and technical details relating to locomotives and their performance, rolling stock, company history etc.
As an author, or film producer seeking to add authenticity to your work the photographs available of period scenes and wealth of published works available from the Library will give you the opportunity to gain the knowledge to assist that quest for authenticity. Read memoirs of the employees of the time.
Please read on and find out what information sources will be open to you if you become an SLS member:-
The Journal / members only Internet forum
The Journal is an excellent, professional quality magazine published bi-monthly. It covers many aspects relating to construction and operation of railways and rolling stock, new and old. Granted, nothing in the Journal’s contents will tell you how to construct a baseboard, lay or wire track, build a kit, construct scenery or buildings, but that information is readily available elsewhere.
However, if you don’t know whether locomotive 1234 was shedded at XYZ depot in 19xx, had been fitted at that date with the type 2 chimney or the widened cab, the chances are that a member will know the answer. It may well have been previously published within a back number of the Journal.
In addition to articles and the Journal’s correspondence page, we now have a members only internet forum to give you a chance to ask.
It is a two way process of course; having built and researched your model of 1234 a few years ago, you may be the knowledgeable expert feeding back that information to others!
Meetings & Visits
Although this benefit varies according to your ability to travel to a centre, there is national coverage with different evenings for meetings, including two holding them on Saturday afternoons. Full details of the meeting venues and diary of events is contained on other pages so not repeated here.
Click here to open a map with the geographical locations displayed.
The Library
For many prospective members we appreciate that distance from a centre precludes meeting attendances, however the golden nugget in your SLS membership is that you gain access to the Library. Membership of the SLS opens a door to a massive information store as you become a subscriber to the library service. Our library list contains a wealth of maps, books, manufacturer’s catalogues and other documentation not subsequently re-printed or published and running to over 7,000 items. It is not just old published material that we hold in our library, newly published items are added too.
The library is based at Hersham in Surrey and opens regularly for personal visits. The key benefit however is the loan service to members, which is free/self financing. There is no item loan fee, but when you return the books you include stamps to the value of the outward postage used to send the item to you.
Now we have tempted you to join here is the link to our Membership page and also to the printable Application Form.
