Our Library

The NGRS Library is a remarkable collection of materials relating to narrow gauge railways, and although primarily relating to the UK, it also has extensive collections covering railways all over the world.   This includes a large collection of books, many photographs (in negative, print, and transparency form), extensive subject files made up of cuttings from magazines, personal reminiscences, timetables and other ephemera. There is a large collection of original drawings (mostly in original draughtsman’s chests) from Motor Rail, generously donated by Alan Keef, together with microfilms and including drawings from F.C. Hibberd.    We also have been kindly gifted large specialist collections, including in recent years the Dave Holroyd archive, the collections of WJK Davies and Sydney Moir, and the French and Scandinavian material of Philip Pacey. 

The Library was founded in the 1950’s by NGRS members Dr Peter Lee and his wife Sheila and was housed for many years in the Lee’s home in Golcar, near Huddersfield.  By 2007 it had far outgrown that space, and the NGRS was fortunate in being able to lease two rooms from the Moseley Railway Trust at its Apedale Railway Museum site near Newcastle-under-Lyme, where it remains.

The Library has again outgrown the original space but has expanded into a large climate managed shipping container, with plans in due course and in cooperation with the Moseley Railway Trust to move to a new purpose built building close by the current library.   Recent construction has included  laying track inside the base of the building. MRT plan to have the fabric of the building complete by the end of 2025.

The library is looked after by a group of NGRS members.  The librarian is Martin O’Keeffe, supported by Ian Leese and Iain Logie.   There is also a group of members who assist with scanning and filing at home (more volunteers are always very welcome).  Stephen Moore deals with sales of surplus books from the library.

Access is usually available by appointment at weekends, and at other times when the MRT site is open.   There are also occasional members’ general open days.

The Library is happy to deal with enquiries by email (library@ngrs.org) or post; our team are very well informed on narrow gauge subjects and also have private collections and knowledge they can consult.  Alas, because of pressure of time we cannot do detailed research, but are always happy to point enquirers in the right direction or help them use the Library.

In 2017 a Society volunteer (Kim Bailey) working for the Library undertook the epic task of scanning our entire back catalogue of in-house publications (Narrow Gauge News and The Narrow Gauge) in a searchable .pdf format, right back to the first issues produced in 1951.

 The photographs, maps, drawings and printed matter contained within the library are not necessarily the copyright of the NGRS   No further publication, including copying or distribution, by any means may be made of any information contained within the library without the written consent of the Narrow Gauge Railway Society Librarian. 

 

DIGITISING THE LIBRARY

Archive files (Section 1) and photographs (section 11 – see structure below) are being progressively scanned, so that they will become readily available and searchable digitally, and available to members by email or by file .  If the file you wish you borrow electronically has not been scanned, we will scan it and should be able to send the information within a month.  If the material you require is not in the Library, we can sometimes obtain it from elsewhere.

The Narrow Gauge Railway Society research files have been progressively compiled since 1951 to protect original information for future generations of researchers, as well as keeping the information available where postal costs would have proved otherwise.  Our long term project to copy this material digitally will enhance that objective.

Electronic copies of the files may be distributed either by email and are distributed to members for the purposes of personal research and in accordance with the aims of the Society.

MAIN LIBRARY DETAILS

Located at ‘MOSELEY RAILWAY TRUST’ premises at Apedale, Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Staffordshire. Directions to the site can be found at : www.avlr.org.uk/ 

The N.G.R.S. Library holds periodic open days for all members and these are advertised in ‘Narrow Gauge News’ and through the NGRS Social Media of the ‘Yahoo’ web group and Facebook.

LIBRARY STRUCTURE

The N.G.R.S Library system is currently arranged as follows:

Section 1:      Archive Files (some non-loan)               

Section 2:      N.G.R.S. Publications                      

Section 3:      Archive Collections  (non-loan)

Section 4:      Catalogues  (non-loan)

Section 5:      B.L.C. / I.R.S. Publications              

Section 6:      Books (loan and non-loan)

Section 7:      Journals & Periodicals (non-loan)                              

Section 8:      Timetables                                

Section 9:      Railway Maps  

Section 10:    Alan Keef Drawings Collection (non-loan as fragile)

Section 11:    Photographs – prints, negatives, and transparencies

Section 12:    Film/Video Collection:

GIFTS AND BEQUESTS  We are always ready and very grateful to receive (and can often collect) any material of interest, whether by bequest, gift or purchase. Have you something of interest that could be useful to the Library?   Please do think of us as a safe place for the long term future of your narrow gauge railway material.

LIBRARY OPEN DAYS: advertised in NGN, on the NGRS website and on the NGRS Facebook site. Some open days will coincide with steaming dates on the Apedale Valley Light Railway.

 

Finally, three big votes of thanks should go to  :

      To all the N.G.R.S. members past and current who have gifted such a huge and generous wealth of information for future researchers to access,

      To member Kim Ward-Bailey and others who laboriously undertook so much scanning work on behalf of our Society Library,

      And to those who work or have worked so hard to give the NGRS such a very fine Library, a class leading resource on the narrow gauge.

We look forward to assisting you in the library soon.

VIDEO LIBRARY

The Video L:ibrary is temporarily closed – the following details are for information only.

The Society maintains an extensive library of DVDs covering NG & miniature subjects for loan to members.   The aims of the N.G.R.S Video Library are:

1) To collect films, videotapes or DVDs (privately made or commercially available) on subjects relevant to the NGRS.

2) To make this material available to Society Members in the form of individual loans, subject to any conditions imposed by the Copyright owners.

An important function of the library is to provide a safe repository for non-commercial film or video footage which might otherwise be lost or destroyed, such has often occurred after the photographer has passed away.  To this end the Society will be happy to accept such material, either on a permanent basis or on temporary loan to permit a video copy to be made of such material

A limited selection of commercial programs may be acquired, either by purchase, 'Review' copies sent by publishers, or by donation from Society members, and these programs will be available on loan, where permission has been given by the Copyright holders.

If you have any queries, information, or possible additional material, please contact the Librarian.