User:MikeGTN/Branch Line Society

The Branch Line Society or BLS was founded in 1955 and has a current membership of over 800.

Aim
The Branch Line Society aims to be Britain's leading amateur group for the study of railway infrastructure and history of networks. Despite it's name, it does not confine it's interests and activities solely to minor lines. Unlike many enthusiast groups, the focus of interest is the physical works and on operating arrangements, rather than power and rolling stock. The society publishes a journal which seeks to record matters of history accurately for archive purposes.

Branch Line News
The Society produces a fortnightly journal called Branch Line News which provides regionally-grouped information of interest to members relating to railway operations and infrastructure. BLN also aims to be a journal of record regarding the opening and closure of lines, where possible recording their last use. Also included is information about the Society, it's activities and future events and fixtures. The journal is not currently available electronically.

Members can also opt to receive an International News supplement to BLN which provides similar information on worldwide railway systems.

Sales
The Society has a range of books and publications available to its members, often at a significant discount. In particular the range includes a range of specialist railway maps which are often hard to obtain elsewhere.

Fixtures and Railtours
The Society is an active one, and organises either solely or jointly with other societies a range of fixtures across the UK. These have included site visits to places of railway interest, walking tours of abandoned railways, whole-network tours of preserved sites or light-rail operations and main line railtours. The society is particularly noted for the latter, with their successful tours usually selling out. These tours tend to visit very unusual extremities of the network, recent examples including Heysham Power Station, Barrow Ramsden Docks and the branch to MOD Longtown in Cumbria.

Criticism and Caricature
The Society is often the butt of jokes and criticism in the mainstream railway press and on internet forums. This is generally due to a misunderstanding of its aims, and the characterisation of it's membership as somewhat older, often socially inadequate or obsessive. Given the general level of ridicule aimed at railway enthusiasm in general, it is disappointing that this view remains prevalent - particularly as membership remains strong, and numerous younger members are joining and participating in activities. The Society, via a small number of high-profile members, has an ongoing objection to engaging with the specialist press. This is in part due to a failure to promote or review the Society's activities.