Proceedings 2002/2003 - IRSE

104
NINETIETH ANNUAL REPORT
their increasingly busy schedules to prepare and
present papers at these meetings. Thanks are
especially due to Mr B Grose, Papers Assistant
Editor, for the invaluable service he has provided
over many years in the transcription and editing of
the tapes of the discussion following the London
papers for publication later in the Proceedings. Mr
Grose has unfortunately had to retire and Mr Peter
Grant has now taken over this role. Thanks are also
due to Mr Colin Bailey, the Papers Editor, for proofreading
and preparing the papers for publication. Mr
Bailey also retired this year and Mr David Stratton
has filled this position.
CONFERENCES AND TECHNICAL VISITS
The Institution programme again contained a
variety of opportunities for attendance at technical
conferences and technical visits.
This year conferences were held on 21st
November in London on Safety Approval of Train
Control Systems and on 19th February in London on
Justifying Investment in Train Control Systems.
Technical visits were held on 22nd/23rd November
to Olten, Switzerland, to see the Swiss ERTMS
installation, and to AEA Technology in Derby on
28/29th March.
All these events received a reasonable level of
support and Council is appreciative of the hard work
and effort contributed by those concerned with the
organisation and administration of the events and
especially to Keith Walter for his help with the
technical visits.
The planning work for the next International
Aspect Conference scheduled for the autumn of
2003 continues under the Chairmanship of Council
member Mr A Fisher.
PUBLICATIONS AND PUBLICITY
IRSE News
As the primary vehicle for communication with
members, IRSE News continued to be published on
a bi-monthly basis with six full colour editions. The
first of these comprised 16 pages whilst the other
five were of 20 pages each, establishing a new
benchmark this year of 116 pages but one that we
hope to improve upon still further in the future.
Content included an excellent range of IRSE
activity reports together with technical and general
interest articles submitted by members, along with a
proportion of advertising, the income from which
was able to offset production costs. There was also
a good flow of letters received on a range of topics.
Thanks are expressed by the editors to contributors
and advertisers alike and for the continued cooperation
of Communiqué Print Services and
Macmillan Scott.
Members are encouraged to submit articles for
publication along with photographs of signalling or
related subjects in order that IRSE News continues
to be informative, educational and topical.
The Council is grateful to the Honorary Editor,
Mr J D Francis, and to the Honorary Assistant Editor,
Mr A J R Rowbotham, for the work they undertake
in producing this very important means of communication
with and between members of the
Institution.
Publications
There continues to be good demand for the
textbooks and other printed material produced by
the Institution. The basic signalling textbook has
been reprinted in standard textbook format, recreate-titled
Introduction to Railway Signalling and is
selling well. Additions to the publications list this
year have included the proceedings of the conferences
and seminars run by the Institution (and these
are now usually available in CD format) and a further
reprint by Mr P Kay of the Institution’s “green” booklets
in combined volume format. The latest reprint
covers Signalling Instruments and is comprised of
“green” booklets Nos. 4, 12 and 13. Work is almost
complete on the new Metro Railway Signalling textbook
and this will be available for sale at Aspect
2003. Work has just started on a new textbook on
Railway Telecommunications.
Stocks of the Institution’s primary textbooks,
Railway Signalling and Railway Control Systems,
became exhausted during the year. Regrettably the
original publishing plates had been destroyed
without the Institution being informed and both
books were therefore out of print. Steps were taken
for the IRSE to acquire the publishing rights to both
these books and it is pleasing to report that Railway
Signalling is now available again and arrangements
are in hand to reprint Railway Control Systems. The
future policy of the Institution will be to retain the
publishing rights and the original publishing plates of
its textbooks so that it always remains in control of
any necessary reprinting.
Proceedings
The Institution’s Proceedings for 2001/2002 were
published as usual in October, within six months of
the close of the session, and the Council is grateful
to Mr J Tilly, Honorary Editor, for his work leading to
such prompt publication. It was decided to continue
with the facility for the Proceedings to carry colour
advertising and this enabled the Institution to
provide a colour cover to the Proceedings again. Mr
Tilly has indicated his wish to retire as Proceedings
editor and Ms Andrea Parker will succeed him.
Website
The Institution’s website has seen a number of
improvements throughout the last year and many
favourable comments have been received from
website visitors as to its format and ease of use.
It is intended that the website receives a complete
facelift every September. The timing of this is allimportant
as it allows the opportunity to provide a
listing of all the Institution activities for the forthcoming
session and this minimises the work
involved in the updating process.
Technical meetings and events held at the London
centre are listed as well as those held at provincial
centres in the UK and by the Younger Members’
Section. Whenever possible, hyperlinks are provided
to other items of information, for example where
further details exist of conferences or dinners.