MK Tom's Rail Photos 2026

[MK Tom]

I started 2026 in Italy, where I visited Bologna, Ravenna, Rimini, Florence, Modena, and Riccione.

My gallery of fully captioned photos from this trip is here.


The trip included the tram system in Florence, as well as the tram system under construction in Bologna, and that city's Marconi Express people mover.

Some video of a journey I did on Trenitalia's InterCity service using E.414 Class locomotives is here:

Also, trolleybus fans may enjoy my video of the Metromare, a fully segregated BRT system running alongside the railway between Riccione and Rimini:

 

[MK Tom]

My January 2026 UK rail photos are here: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2026/January-2026/UK-Rail-January-2026

My first big UK trip of January 2026 was to Shrewsbury via Crewe to ride the Transport for Wales Mark IV sets.



Some video from the trip is here:

After that, I visited Bletchley to see the passage of a trio of Class 37s and a Lumo Class 222 training run.



The next big trip was to Manchester, doing it the cheap way by taking LNWR to Crewe and Northern from there. The friend I was visiting had a flat in one of the towers overlooking the Ordsall Chord.



And, after a quick visit to the Croydon tram system, the last notable trip of the month was to Bicester, Banbury, and Kings Sutton to see the changeover period between Chiltern Railways' Mark III and Mark V trains.



Some video from that trip is here:

I hope you enjoy the full January gallery, including fully captioned photos from all these trips and smaller ones in between.

 

[MK Tom]

Between January and February I spent a long weekend in Angers, France, reaching there by flying to Nantes and taking a TGV service on the way out and OuiGo on the way back.

My gallery of fully captioned photos from this trip is here.



Some video of the trams in Nantes is here:

 

[MK Tom]

My February 2026 UK rail photos are here: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2026/February-2026/UK-Rail-February-2026

The first sizable trip was for the East Lancs Railway Winter Warmer diesel gala:



Some video from the gala is here:

Later in the month, I finally caught up with the Rail200 Inspiration Train in Salisbury:



The gallery also includes a GWR test working on East West Rail and trains around Greater London. Enjoy!

 

[MK Tom]

My March 2026 rail photos are here: https://mktom.smugmug.com/2026/March-2026/UK-Rail-March-2026

All pictures are clickable and go to the relevant portion of the gallery.

The month started with a very intense hour at Milton Keynes Central featuring a Class 50 on East-West Rail driver training, a Lumo Class 222 training run, and the Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway demonstration run:



Then came the Nene Valley Railway's rather wild diesel gala with an HST, a Pacer, and examples of Classes 66, 45, and 14 all vying for attention:



Some video of that is here:

Then came a trip from Huntingdon to Whitby on the Railway Touring Company's Whitby Flyer railtour with a mix of Class 86, Class 57, and Black 5 haulage:



Then another diesel gala, this time at the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway, with Classes 26, 31, 37, 47, and 66:



Some video of that is here:

Then, after a few bits and bobs around London, I had the pleasure of taking my Italian girlfriend for her first steam train ride on the Severn Valley Railway:



See the gallery for many more photos, all fully captioned, best viewed on desktop!

 

[MK Tom]

My April 2026 UK rail photos are here:

UK Rail April 2026 - MK Tom's Transport Photography

Thursday 2 April - Stops at the Midland Railway Centre and Great Central Railway while driving back from Clay Cross. Saturday 4 April - A trip to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and Scarborough, also visiting York, Malton, Bridlington, Seamer, and the North Bay Railway. Some video from the...

mktom.smugmug.com

All pictures are clickable and go to the relevant portion of the gallery.

After a few photos from passing visits to the Midland Railway Centre and Great Central Railway, the big trip of the month was via York to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway—which was operating a short top-and-tail service between Pickering and Grosmont—and Scarborough, also visiting the North Bay Railway and the three surviving funicular railways in that town:





Some video from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway is here:

After it are a few photos from a trip into London, then a visit to the Caldecotte Miniature Railway—one of only two functioning public miniature railways in the Borough of Milton Keynes (the other being in Laverton since the Willen Miniature Railway has been disused since 2021). After that, the gallery finishes with some photos from Birmingham International after my return from Rome, my visit to which will be the subject of my next post here once the gallery is fully captioned.

See the gallery for many more photos, all fully captioned, best viewed on desktop!

 

[MK Tom]

My May 2026 UK rail photos are here:

UK Rail May 2026 - MK Tom's Transport Photography

Monday 2 May - A day in London, visiting the Greenford branch, Ruislip, Greenwich, and the Bakerloo Line. Includes the 125 Group's first HST railtour passing Milton Keynes. Some video of the HST railtour is here. Tuesday 12 May - Some photos from Wolverton Works plus the Network Measurement...

mktom.smugmug.com

All pictures are clickable and go to the relevant portion of the gallery.

The first highlight of the month was the 125 Group's pioneer railtour to Llandudno, which I photographed calling at Milton Keynes:



Some video is here:

After a trip around the west side of Greater London, I visited the Great Central Railway for the Leicester Transport Heritage Trust heritage bus running day:



Then, after trips to Birmingham, Coventry, Swindon, and Bath, I visited the Rocks by Rail Living Ironstone Museum near Oakham in Rutland:



Then follows the launch day of Lumo's Euston-Stirling service, which I rode from Milton Keynes to Euston:



The month concluded with a four-day weekend in Aberdeen, including visits to the Royal Deeside and Keith & Dufftown Railways, the former including an escorted visit to see the Derby Lightweight BEMU:







Some video from the Keith & Dufftown Railway is here: