MK Tom's Rail Photos 2024

[MK Tom]

It's been a busy start to the year with two major overseas trips so I'm a bit late creating this thread. I'll do January and February as one combined post:

JANUARY

My January 2024 UK rail photos are here: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/January-2024/UK-Rail-January-2024

This includes:
Saturday 6 January - Two photos from Gatwick Airport station after my return from my New Year's trip to Italy.
Sunday 14 January - A visit to Wellingborough to see the Hull Trains diversions, followed by a stop at the unique metre gauge Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum.
Tuesday 16 January - Class 47, 360, 805, and 175 trains put in appearances at Bletchley station.
Friday 19 January - Avanti liveried Class 805 no. 805005 passing Bradwell on a test run.
Tuesday 23 January - GBRf Class 69 no. 69010 bringing an EMR Class 360 through Fenny Stratford.
Saturday 27 January - A trip to the Birmingham area for the Centro liveried Class 323, also visiting the West Midlands Metro extensions in Dudley and Wolverhampton.

I also travelled to Italy over the New Years period. Pictures from that are here: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/January-2024/Overseas-December-2023--January-2024-Italy

FEBRUARY

My February 2024 UK rail photos are here: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/February-2024/UK-Rail-February-2024

This includes:
Saturday 10 February - Avanti Voyagers at Euston during my journey home from my US/Canada trip.
Sunday 11 February - A few photos from the Irchester Railway Museum and the Rushden, Higham, and Wellingborough Railway.
Tuesday 13 February - A trip to Leicester via Nuneaton.
Saturday 24 February - The first Saturday service on the Marston Vale line since December 2022.
Thursday 29 February - New Class 730 and 805 EMUs on the West Coast Main Line during a journey back from London.

Lastly, I spent two weeks in late January / early February in the US and Canada, photos from which are here: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/January-2024/Overseas-January-February-2024-USA
And briefly stopped in Paris on the way back: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/February-2024/Overseas-February-2024-France-

 

[MK Tom]

My March 2024 UK rail photos are here: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/March-2024/UK-Rail-March-2024/

This includes:

Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 March - A weekend in Brighton and Bognor Regis, with a diversion to Putney on the way home.
Tuesday 12 March - A ride from Waterloo to Vauxhall to see South Western Railway's BR Blue & Grey heritage livery Class 455.
Friday 15 March - A ride on the Retro Railtours Master Cutler tour from Marylebone to Banbury and back, using RailAdventure HST power cars.
Saturday 16 March - The East Somerset Railway steam gala, along with visits to the site of Devizes station and to Merehead Quarry.
Some video of the East Somerset Railway steam gala is here.
Sunday 17 March - A walk along the disused M&GW Joint formation south from Cricklade towards the advancing Swindon & Cricklade Railway northern extension.
Tuesday 19 March - Passing the New Measurement Train on the way into Euston.
Saturday 30 March - The opening day of the Northampton & Lamport Railway Boughton extension.
Some video from the NLR extension opening day is here.

I also spent a week in Prague towards the end of the month, including a one-day trip to Dresden. Photos here: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/March-2024/Overseas-March-2024

Enjoy!

 

[MK Tom]

My April 2024 UK rail photos are here: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/April-2024/UK-Rail-April-2024

This includes:

Sunday 7 April - A diesel running day at Didcot Railway Centre, featuring Class 31 and Class 14 locomotives in service, plus some Turbos at Oxford and Bicester.
Some video of Regional Railways liveried Class 31 no. 31270 running at Didcot is here.
Saturday 13 April - A trip along the East Coast Main Line between Arlesey, Hitchin, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, and Welwyn North.
Tuesday 16 April - The Caledonian Sleeper unusually looped in platform 5 at Milton Keynes Central.
Wednesday 17 April - A few trains at Wolverton Works.
Saturday 20 April - The Hastings DEMU operated Neasden Nonsense railtour passing through Aylesbury in both directions.
Some video of the Hastings railtour passing through Aylesbury is here.
Sunday 21 April - Some restoration work and locomotive running at the Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum.
Monday 29 April - Some views of East West Rail at Winslow and Verney Junction.

 

[MK Tom]

My May 2024 UK rail photos are here: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/May-2024/UK-Rail-May-2024

This includes:

Tuesday 7 May - A selection of trains seen at Wembley Yard from a Euston-bound train.
Saturday 11 May - A former Transpennine "Nova 3" set at Wolverton Works.
Sunday 12 May - Trains around Redhill and south London on my way to and from seeing the London-Brighton Commercial Vehicle Run at Redhill.
Friday 17 to Sunday 19 May - A three-day trip to Edinburgh, taking Lumo from King's Cross and riding the Leith tram extension, the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway, and the Borders Railway to Tweedbank.
Some video of Class 37 no. 37403 "Isle of Mull" departing Bo'ness is here.
Friday 24 May - A few photos from the Camden/Kentish Town area of North London.
Friday 31 May - East West Rail in the Mursley area, looking ready for testing to commence.

 

[MK Tom]

My June 2024 UK rail photos are here: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/June-2024/UK-Rail-June-2024

This includes:

Sunday 2 June - A few photos from Henley-on-Thames station.
Monday 3 June - Some Class 805 "Evero" units on their second day in service with Avanti West Coast.
Sunday 9 June - A few photos from the Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum.

From the 11th of June until the 1st of July, I was overseas in the United States. This included a stay in Atlanta, a visit (via Amtrak's Crescent) to Charlotte (including a ride on the Piedmont to Kannapolis), some time spent in the north of Georgia and South Carolina, and a final section in Wisconsin including a visit to the Mid Continent Railway Museum.

Photos from the USA trip are here: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/June-2024/Overseas-June-July-2024-USA-

 

[MK Tom]

My July 2024 UK rail photos are here: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/July-2024/UK-Rail-July-2024

This includes:

Thursday 4 July - A pair of Avanti's new Class 805 Evoras calling at Milton Keynes on a northbound service.
Saturday 6 July - A trip from Milton Keynes into London and back on new Avanti Evora no. 805010, plus the UK Railtours Westbury Wizzo railtour passing Bow Brickhill behind Western no. D1015.
Thursday 11 July - Chiltern services at Haddenham & Thame Parkway plus stabled units and a Class 56 at Aylesbury.
Sunday 14 July - A ride on the UK Railtours North West Freighter, travelling via Runcorn to Preston and the Ribble Steam Railway.
Some video of the railbus in action at the Ribble Steam Railway is here.
Friday 26 to Tuesday 30 July - A holiday in North Wales, visiting all three narrow gauge railways around Porthmadog (Ffestiniog, WHR, and WHHR) as well as other Cambrian Coast Line destinations including Harlech, Criccieth, and Pwllheli.
Some video of the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways at Porthmadog is here.

 

[MK Tom]

My August 2024 UK rail photos are here: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/August-2024/UK-Rail-August-2024

This includes:

Thursday 1 August - A visit to the Cholsey & Wallingford Railway to ride former Chiltern Railways Class 121 no. 55034.
Tuesday 6 August - The Network Measurement Train (with Colas and CrossCountry liveried power cars) running on the West Coast Main Line.
Sunday 11 August - A visit to the Caldecotte Miniature Railway.
Sunday 18 August - A trip to Hayling Island, traveling from London Waterloo to Havant with a stop in Godalming, riding the Hayling Seaside Railway, and walking the former Hayling Island branch back to Havant.
Sunday 25 August - A trip to Nottingham, riding the Clifton tram line and visiting the Ruddington heritage centre.

 

[MK Tom]

My September 2024 UK rail photos are here: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/September-2024/UK-Rail-September-2024

This includes:
Sunday 1 September - A visit to the Lavendon Narrow Gauge Railway.
Monday 2 September - A Class 707 "City Beam" passing in front of Waterloo station.
Wednesday 4 September - The Marston Vale service at Bow Brickhill.
Saturday 7 September - A single photo from Aylesbury Depot.
Monday 9 September - A drive along the former Great Central through Northamptonshire, visiting Charwelton, Woodford Halse, and Helmdon.
Saturday 14 September - The launch day of GWR's new Oxford-Bristol direct service.
Sunday 29 September - A visit to the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre for Showbus 2024.

 

[MK Tom]

In my September post I neglected to include my trip to Budapest, including the Cog-Wheel Railway and the Children's Railway as well as touring the city's tram and metro systems: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/September-2024/Overseas-September-2024

 

[MK Tom]

My October 2024 UK rail photos are here: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/October-2024/UK-Rail-October-2024

This includes:
Saturday 5 October - The Llangollen Heritage Railcar Weekend, featuring examples of classes 104, 108, 109, and 127 in service. Includes a brief visit to the Glyn Valley Tramway at Chirk and the Cambrian Heritage Railway at Oswestry.
Thursday 10 October - A few photos from London, including LUL infrastructure vehicles at Moorgate.
Friday 11 October - Photos from my journey to Gatwick Airport ahead of my trip to Canada.
Wednesday 16 October - A single photo from Gatwick Airport following my trip to Canada.
Monday 21 October - The first day of passenger trains on test over East-West Rail, featuring a pair of Chiltern Class 168s and a GWR Class 800. Photos taken at Winslow, Bletchley, and Milton Keynes.
Wednesday 23 October - The first East West Rail test train to reach Fenny Stratford and LNER A4 "Sir Nigel Gresley" passing Wolverton.
Saturday 26 October - The first day of service for Avanti's new Class 807 units, with no. 807003 making the class's first call at Milton Keynes Central.
Sunday 27 October - Trains at Salisbury and items of railway interest from the Wimborne area.

Some video from the Llangollen railcar gala is here:

I also spent a week in Montreal, Canada in the middle of October, riding the various urban transit systems in the city and taking VIA Rail for a day in Ottawa.
Photos from the Canada trip are here: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/October-2024/Overseas-October-2024

Some video of the Exo trains in Montreal and a few other items of interest from the area is here:

 

[MK Tom]

My November 2024 UK rail photos are here: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/November-2024/UK-Rail-November-2024

This includes:
Saturday 2 November - A journey between Banbury, Warwick, and Leamington Spa.
Friday 8 November - Trains at Milton Keynes Central and Watford Junction during my journey to Heathrow for my trip to Vienna.
Friday 22 November - Trains and items of railway interest in Northampton.
Thursday 28 November - Chiltern Railways Class 165 no. 165011 on test on East West Rail plus an HS2 spoil train in Aylesbury.
Friday 29 November - More of 165011 on East West Rail.

Some video of 165011 on test on East West Rail is here:

I also travelled to Vienna, Bratislava, and Sofia in the middle of November, photos of which are here: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/November-2024/Overseas-November-2024

 

[MK Tom]

My December 2024 UK rail photos are here: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/December-2024/UK-Rail-December-2024

This includes:
Friday 6 December and Saturday 7 December - Two trips to London, including the Polar Express railtour at Euston and the new DLR B23 Stock on test.
Tuesday 10 December - My journey back from London City Airport after my day in Dublin.
Saturday 14 December - A single photo of the final northbound Avanti Class 221 working.
Sunday 15 December - A brief visit to the Rushden, Higham and Wellingborough Railway.
Wednesday 18 December - A return trip from Bicester to Oxford.

Some video of the final Class 221 departure from Milton Keynes is here:

I also spent a day in the Republic of Ireland, visiting Dublin and Carlow, photos of which are here: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/December-2024/Overseas-December-2024-Ireland

Finally, I left the UK for a trip to the USA on Boxing Day and will be here for the first week of January 2025. I am gradually uploading photos from the trip here, with captions to follow when I have time: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/December-2024/Overseas-December-2024--January-2025-USA