TRACKS History

TRACKS was a monthly magazine for 43 years only occassionally getting above 24 pages with only a few photos per issue so was relatively 'easy' to produce, but from 2007 pages steadily increased with photos much more prominent so that by 2008 they had increased ten fold. On moving to 64 pages in 2015 the number of photos per issue was averaging nearly 200 and by the end of 2016 we averaged just over 3 photos per page, a figure not since surpassed. The monthly deadlines had by then became too onerous. So during 2017 & 2018 we tried experimenting with bi-monthly production, which saw the pages increase further to 80 supported by a new 32 page quarterly supplement TRACKS extra, giving 10 issues per annum. However this became very confusing and still difficult to manage with the amount of topical news to fit in so monthly production started again from Sep 2018 with 11 issues produced in 2019 between Feb and Dec of either 64 (6) or 80 (5) pages. The same format was initially followed in 2020 but with a change in printer from the July issue all issues moved to 80 pages giving a massive 880 pages of content and approx 2500 photos per annum. Our Membership fee up to this point had traditionally only just covered the printing of TRACKS, with book sales subsidising admin costs. So because of the economic turmoil and global markets we briefly had to increase the fee to £25 from the start of November 2022. From 2023 a full 12 monthly issues was again offered so a minimum of 960 pages. But with the chaos and stress of world events pushing up prices, dealing with a poor postal service and having changed to our fifth printer since June 2020 a radical rethink was needed with TRACKS becoming digital only from Jan 2024. For the full background and reasoning behind the changes, read the in depth report in the Jan 2023 issue of TRACKS. This allowed a more flexible production of TRACKS with improvements and allowed an increase in the number of pages above 96, so consequently more articles and photos offered per annum from Jan 2024. As a foretaste of what's to come our 600th issue in Aug 2023 was produced as 96p, the largest ever printed society mag, as were the Sep & Oct issues, which meant the annual page count for 2023 was over 1000 for the first time.

The ability to increase the content indefinitely to produce a bigger mag created its own pressures, though a successful Jan 2024 issue ensued. However this then coincided with a difficult year personally for the Editor, with two family deaths within the first three months of 2024 then an injury leading to the erratic release of issues thereafter. The eight issues eventually released still managed a healthy 890 pages in total with an average of 111p per issue and led to a new record set of 150p in the Jun / Jul 2024 issue. This highwater mark will be unlikely to ever occur again as the mag will return to a more modest size and monthly production in 2025 under a new overall Editor.

With the mag now digital it makes no sense to continue producing it in a format that was designed for printing with a fixed release schedule that had by its nature a built in delay to passing on info to members. Therefore in 2025 some sections will switch to the website where they can be updated regularly and at speed if needs be. The sections to move initially are the all important VISITS, STOCK CHANGES the latter incorporating the stock changes previously reported in EASTLEIGH WORKS REPORT and FREIGHT MATTERS on a new webpage that will continuously roll over a monthly time scale, at which point each month will be archived with a simple link.

Since 2007, TRACKS has built up into quite a library of information, articles and especially photos. Information on the history of the Society and TRACKS can be found in the following articles: ICRS Story Jan 2013 & Feb 2013, TRACKS Story Aug 2014. These may be useful for new members and those wishing to join.

Current TRACKS: Nov / Dec 2025 (118p / 254 photos)

Nov / Dec 2025 released Tue 10/12 (18.30)

Next issue Jan 2026 released mid Jan
... preceded hopefully by the extra issue on The Greatest Gathering by Trevor
apologies for delay but website and books have been taking precedent

'Normal' monthly production has resumed in Jan 2025 with Paul Brack taking over as our new Editor.

Please note the current pdf is no longer emailed
but available to download from the TRACKS LIBRARY page
which is password protected for members only

With printing of our magazine now stopped, this is the last chance to obtain previous issues as together with individual issues from 2014 onwards, there are a handful of complete year sets still available to purchase:
2009 (1), 2010 (1)
In binders: 2011 (2), 2012 (2), 2013 (3), 2017 (4), 2018 (4), 2019 (3), 2020 (3), 2021 (3), 2022 (2) & 2023 (1)
You can also complete your 2023 set with individual copies. Contact the Editor for more details.

TRACKS is fully illustrated throughout with photos of the national network and preserved railway scene both current and past. Both are packed with an interesting and varied range of features and articles.
Topical information including STOCK CHANGES and FREIGHT MATTERS, which will help keep your ICRS books up to date, will move to our website from 2025.

Click on the links to see a comprehensive list of all Issues and synopsis of the Society magazine,
plus Articles and the Library of issues from December 2006 to date (download restrictions apply to the last 12 months)

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