SLS Home page

Welcome to The Stephenson Locomotive Society (SLS) Home page - The Premier Railway Society since 1909

The Stephenson Locomotive Society is a private company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales Company Number 10471004 (Registered Office changed to 23 Woodland Road, Darlington DL3 7BJ w.e.f 00:01 on 8 November 2018. | Section updated 7 November 2018)

The Stephenson Locomotive Society (SLS) covers the history and operation of railways and traction worldwide.

Find us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter | For latest Society information see - News items and our Site updates | About us & contacts | For details of our structure, personnel, and other Admin information see the About us and contacts page.

Origins of the society

Named in honour of one of railway history's great families the SLS (Stephenson Locomotive Society), founded in 1909, is the premier society for the study of railways and railway locomotion. What is the Society about? We are an established publisher of railway books and our in-house SLS Journal; we also have an unprecedented collection of photographic and drawings material in several collections; we organise local meetings and events; we are the custodian of a 1/6 scale LNWR built locomotive Orion; we have our own railway archive material in museums. Further railway and SLS information is available on the attached pages including a a section with information about why the SLS is of relevance to railway modellers and film makers etc. All site updates and news items are listed on the News & update | About us & contacts page and regular visitors to the site should link to the news and updates page rather than this, more static, index page.

What we do

The SLS is a Society that will give you in depth coverage of matters relating to locomotives and railway operation both old and new. The SLS is not just about steam locomotives and the study of our past but encompasses modern traction too. The SLS is a society with a hundred year history but is also looking forward. To the prospective member we offer access to an extensive railway related library our in-house Journal and a national network of meetings centres. We have a proud history, have achieved much in the field of preservation and heritage - why not join us. The premier society since 1909; recording, preserving, studying the history of railway locomotives and railway operation worldwide.

For the film maker, author and researcher

As the page listing some of the published works by our membership past and present shows the SLS has always been, and continues to be, a home for writers, photographers and researchers of past railway transport history, the contemporary scene and also those writing fiction around the theme of railways. Resources supporting this aspect of our role include the photograph collection, the Library, the Journal and the internet forum. If you are a film maker, writer or researcher the SLS is therefore the society for you.

Our other services and membership

To find out about the other services the SLS offers click one of the navigation links from this home, index, page. Visit our Membership page for full details and latest offer deals including the Gift Membership options and card choice. Alternatively go direct to our Application Form. For a copy of our brochure by post email your name and address to the Publicity Officer using the link below. Find us on Facebook and LinkedIin

This SLS is The Stephenson Locomotive Society concerned with railways and railway history with information about George Stephenson. This SLS is named in honour of George and Robert Stephenson with a Fact File about their achievements. This SLS is interested in the Stockton and Darlington railway. The SLS is interested in the Rocket and the SLS also covers the Liverpool and Manchester railway. This SLS is neither a US law academy nor a type of Mercedes car.

Site last updated as per the updates page.

Internet continuity - older versions of the Society website

As archived copies of our older print publications will include the reference to our former website URL of www.stephensonloco.fsbusiness.co.uk in perpetuity we have added this reference here to assist with internet continuity. We hope that by now any external Links Page sites will have been updated to include the current URL. This entry is so that search engine indexing will pick up the old reference but provide the active link destination as this home page.

We also include this link to the former fsbusiness website (as stored on the Internet Wayback Archive) as several captures of the former site are available there. (Broken link found and fixed / section updated 17 July 2018).