The Railcar Association (TRA)
In 1996 the Dean Forest Railway DMU Group held a 'DMU Day', inviting all preserved DMU owners and enthusiasts. The same year, a newsletter "The Railcar Monthly Bulletin" was started up by DMU preservationists Stuart Mackay and John Horne,, aimed at promoting communication between similar groups. The DMU day then became an annual event and in 1998, at the Llangollen Railway, formation of "The Railcar Association" (TRA) was agreed. This has paid dividends through inter-group communication and contact with firms such as Angel Trains, Railpart & Railtrack at a national level. In 2015 The Railcar Association became a trade associate of the Heritage Railway Association.
TRA doesn’t have a membership, constitution or formal officers. Rather, we rely on the website and networking among the groups to hold us together. Contact Paul Moxon (07749493444) for more background information on TRA’s activities.
President: Nigel Tilly
Chairman: Paul Moxon
Secretary: Chris Moxon
Webmaster (Preservation): Chris Moxon
Webmaster (Historical): Stuart Mackay
Annual Convention
The annual DMU conventions have taken place at:
1996 Dean Forest Railway
1997 Midland Railway Butterley
1998 Llangollen Railway
1999 West Somerset Railway
2000 East Lancashire Railway
2001 Mid Norfolk Railway
2002 Swanage Railway
2003 Chasewater Railway
2004 Severn Valley Railway (Railcar50)
2005 Llangollen Railway
2006 Battlefield Railway
2007 Churnet Valley Railway
2008 Colne Valley Railway & East Anglian Railway Museum
2009 Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
2010 Severn Valley Railway
2011 Keighley & Worth Valley Railway
2012 Great Central Railway
2013 Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
2014 Llangollen Railway
2015 Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
2016 Dean Forest Railway
2017 East Lancashire Railway
2018 Epping & Ongar Railway
2019 Weardale Railway
2020 Cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic
2021 East Lancashire Railway
2022 Great Central Railway
2023 Keighley & Worth Valley Railway
2024 Midland Railway Butterley
And are also planned at:
2025 TBC