Beginnings
Volunteering
Projects
Since the organisation's inception it has always had a pro-active role on the railway; prior to theGroudle
Area Groups
''Manx Steam Railway News''
Since its inception in 1966, the Supporters' Association has produced a newsletter to all its members, initially a foolscap sheet, later expanded into the journal ''Steam Railway News'' which contains news, views, historical articles and photographs. Initially this was produced on a small scale to limited circulation and took the form of a foolscap-sized newsletter but the format was changed to an A5 sized booklet early on which is the format it maintains today. The prefix "Manx" was added after national magazine adapted the magazine's original title, this change occurring in 1985. Apart from a spell in the 1980s and 1990s when it was produced and edited on the mainland, the magazine is produced entirely on the island and reaches a membership of approximately 1,000 usually four times a year but the fact that it is entirely prepared by volunteers can mean that the number of issues per annum fluctuates. Members and non-members alike may contribute articles and photographic material for reproduction within the pages of the journal. In 1992 the magazine celebrated its century (one-hundredth issue) with a colour cover, something which had only been seem three times previously, one of those being for the centenary of the railway in 1973. Since 2002 the outer covers of the magazine have been in full colour for each issue whilst internal photographs and images remain in black and white. The advent of the Supporters' Association official website in late 2008 at ww.iomsrsa.comhas meant that news can be more readily distributed but as a great number of members do not have internet access, the news is primarily still delivered via the journal, with more general articles appearing on the website, and announcements. The website also serves as an online archive documenting many historical documents from the railway's history and is expanded at regular intervals to include newly discovered documents as well as photographs and contemporary articles on its subject matter. From 2009 the quality of production of ''Manx Steam Railway News'' was also improved with a greater number of colour photographs and images in each issue, and the upgrading of paper quality which also enhances photographic reproduction.See also
*References
External links
* Officia