The Monmouthshire Railway Society was formed in 1957 by the amalgamation of two separate groups of Newport-based enthusiasts. "The promotion and furtherance of the interest in Railways and associated forms of transport" was the original mandate of the Society and has served the membership well over the years.

While recognising that steam engines are still often the prime attraction to most enthusiasts, a careful balance between the past, present and future has often been complimented on the fact that it enabled the Society to attract members with a wide variety of interests. The Society has strived to keep pace with the times and numbers professional railwaymen in the membership.

Every effort is made to record as much as possible of the changing scene for future reference. Early editions of the Society's magazine recorded descriptions of trips by service train to Monmouth,over the Mid Wales line from Newport and on the old Severn Bridge. Later editions record the introduction of the first multiple units on the Eastern and Western Valley lines of Monmouthshire and the opening of the Newport Panel box.The magazine "The Journal" has been published continuously, recording passenger and freight service closures and recent developments in railway technology.

The Society meets in a friendly, convivial atmosphere one evening each month from September to June, in the University of Wales, Newport (Allt-Yr-Yn). Guest speakers, films and slides cover a wide variety of subjects. In addition, there is the Annual Dinner held in Gwent hotels or hostelries. Visits are arranged on request to Railway and other installations. While railways remains the prime subject, the Society can cater for those interested in Industrial Archaeology particularly the early tramroads, buses, and paddle steamers. Those interested in model railways can also stand to learn much from the monthly talks and films shows.

In March 1996, the M.R.S. organised a visit to mechanical signal boxes in the Taff Vale in the knowledge that the impending resignaling scheme for the Cardiff - Pontypridd line would see the closure of the boxes in 1997. A seperate, illustrated article recording the visit is linked from the bottom of this page.

Over the years some now historic and rare sound films have been acquired but in recent years the Society has begun forming a catalogued, photographic archive of the Railways of Monmouthshire with the aim of having a record of all Stations and Railway installations within or up to it's boundaries. Numbering many hundreds of prints, we are still far from covering all areas and as such we are still on the look-out for those parts of the 'missing' network.

The M.R.S. hired the 1949-built Inspection saloon at the Dean Forest Rly. on a fine Summer's evening in 1995. Here, 9681 departs Lydney Jcn. before the new link road was provided a couple of years after along with the associated signaling.

New members over the age of 16 are welcome whether living locally or not. There is one rate subscription due on the 1st September each year and for a small additional sum, other member of your family can be enrolled, provided only one copy of "The Journal" and Newsletter is received.

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