A blue and yellow British Rail diesel locomotive emerges from a tunnel cut into red sandstone cliffs, passing a small brick trackside hut.

British Rail in Berkshire in the 1970s

British Rail in the 1970s was a paradox on wheels — bold innovation running alongside baffling neglect. This was the decade of the High Speed Train blazing through a network still dotted with tired 1950s stock, peeling paint, and stations that looked half‑abandoned. Yet elsewhere, commuter lines thrived, platforms gleamed, and modernisation marched on — sometimes sensitively, sometimes with the demolition of beloved Victorian buildings in favour of prefab “progress”. And of course, the catering: a legend of its own, wrapped in foil and folklore.

In this talk, railway historian Dr Richard Marks takes you on a lively tour through a decade of extremes, eccentricities, and enduring legacies — the highs, lows, and lunchboxes of a remarkable era in Britain’s railway history.

About the venue and how to book

Please note the Centre’s face-to-face talks are now being held at a new venue – Reading’s Abbey Baptist Church. The full address of the church is given to the right. The venue has disabled access and a disabled toilet. The talk begins at the slightly later time than previously of 2.30pm.

Tea/coffee and biscuits will be available (included in the price). Pre-booking is preferred, but you can pay on the door, if there are spaces available.

Image above: Barry Lewis, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)

Location image: Abbey Church – Gazamp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)

To book, scroll down.

Book Event

Member

£4

Available Tickets: 80

For members of Berkshire Family History Society

The "Member" ticket is sold out. You can try another ticket or another date.

Non-Member

£5

Available Tickets: 80

For non-members of Berkshire Family History Society

The "Non-Member" ticket is sold out. You can try another ticket or another date.

Total: 0

Date

Thu 15 Oct 2026

Time

14:30 - 15:45

Tickets

£5.00

Location

Abbey Baptist Church

Abbey Square, Reading RG1 3BE

Organiser

The Centre - Berkshire FHS

Email

booking@berksfhs.org.uk

Website

https://berksfhs.org/branches/

Book Now!

Speaker

Dr Richard Marks Industrial, Military and Railway Historian

Dr Richard Marks

Industrial, Military and Railway Historian

Richard is a published historian based in Berkshire who specialises in industrial, military, and railway history and also the history of science. His current areas of research are industrial development in the Victorian period, the development of the railway and canal systems in Britain in the mid to late 19th Century and the history of British Rail. He has a PhD in economic history. Richard’s books on British Rail Engineering and the Wantage Tramway Company were both published by Pen and Sword in 2024.