Conferences

ASTT has been holding annual conferences since 2016. These are usually two-days affairs, held in a location that allows a visit to be made to a railway or a workshop of interest.  Conferences are marketed under the banner of ASTT (the trust) but are run through Advanced Steam Traction Services Ltd (ASTS) which undertakes commercial activities on behalf of the trust.

Conferences held so far are as follows:

  • 2016 – a one-day event held at Haworth on 9th October and attended by 30 people.
  • 2017 – a two-day event held in the Bury Transport Museum over the weekend of 30th Sep to 1st Oct and was attended by 35 people including 12 non-members.
  • 2018 – another two-day event held in the Bury Transport Museum, over the weekend of 29th – 30th Sep.  Attendance was again 35.
  • 2019 – a two-day event held at the Ibis Styles Hotel in Crewe over the weekend of  5th – 6th October with an attendance of 50.
  • The 2020 conference was cancelled due to Covid.  Instead, around 15 ASTT members congregated outdoors at the Stapleford Miniature Railway on 19th Sept.
  • 2021 – a two-day event at the GCR’s meeting room in Loughborough on 28th September.  Attendance was only 17 because of Covid concerns.  On 29th September, attendees enjoyed the day travelling behind steam on the Stapleford Miniature Railway.
  • 2022 – a two-day event held at the Head of Steam Museum in Darlington over the weekend of 15th-16th October, with an attendance of 28.
  • 2023 – a two-day event held at the Leonardo Hotel in Swindon over the weekend of 7th-8th October, with an attendance of 22.

[Note: access to the above conference pages is limited to logged-in members only.]

Not included above is the last meeting of the 5AT Group held at Haworth on 16th November 2013, which was attended by 18 members.  The meeting took the form of an informal conference with presentations by seven speakers that included:

  • 5AT Group History (John Hind);
  • XT Update (Jamie Keyte);
  • Locomotive boilers (Alan Haigh);
  • Girdlestone chassis  proposals (Cedric Lodge);
  • Cambrian Steam, ERTMS and 44871 status (Angus Eickhoff);
  • Sound as a diagnostic tool (Robin Pennie);
  • Locomotive Exhausts (Jos Koopmans);
  • New builds – what is and what is not relevant from 5AT experience and modern rail practice (Paul Hibberd);
  • Library & Archive (Cedric Lodge);
  • Steam Locomotive Support Equipment (Cedric Lodge);
  • Clan Project Update (John Hind/Iain Jack).

The 5AT Project was disbanded shortly afterwards, whereupon the AST Trust was established.