FROM STEAM RAILWAY NEWS

ISSUE No. 13 - DECEMBER 1969

In my last article in "Steam Railway News" I described a number of ways to publicise the railway and the Supporters' Association.  I have now placed advertisements in the January issues of Railway Magazine, Railway World and Trains Illustrated.  One of the aims of this programme is to find the value of advertisements in publications of this type.  I am investigating the possibility of placing advertisements on Douglas Corporation buses.

Last year 10,000 membership forms were printed and were made available at I.M.R. stations.  Every one was taken but very few were returned.  The reason seems to have been that they were too attractive: people took the forms instead of buying postcards at the Station Shops!  A new Supporters' Association membership form is therefore being printed with a monochrome photograph and they are to be available from Booking Offices on request.  A new poster is also being prepared.

It has been decided to send press releases to the specialist railway press.  Whether the magazines print anything is, of course, up to them but it is hoped that some useful publicity will result.

I would like to appeal once again to members and to Area Groups.  If you know of a railway exhibition to be held in your area and would like to man a stand, would you get in touch with me?  I will be able to obtain publicity and sales material and may be able to negotiate with the organisers of the exhibition.  Please do not arrange a stand without contacting me first as plans may be already have been made.  I look forward to hearing from members and area groups.

In my last article I talked about the railway letter stamps.  Unfortunately it has not been possible to proceed with the idea in the foreseeable future as the whole question is under review by the Post Office.  British Rail have apparantly stated that concessions which have been granted to small railway companies cut across the original agreement whereby the service was for the sole purpose of carrying correspondence of an urgent nature more quickly than by normal post.  The concessions allowed have therefore had to be suspended.

A.B.B.