We Are Railfans: Social Media Advent Calendar

Each day throughout December, we're highlighting facts, photos, products, offers and events from around the railway world through our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. Below is a compilations of each of those posts along with links to each one. Dovetail Games' other trains franchise: Train Sim World 2, is also on sale during the festive period on a number of platforms. Routes include those from Germany, the UK and the USA! To find out more, visit: http://www.trainsimworld2.com/ We've been thrilled to host Geoff Marshall for one final 2021 episode of the We Are Railfans Podcast! Geoff is well known to railfans as the guy behind 'All the Stations' and his brilliant YouTube Channel showcasing the weird and wonderful areas of the London Underground and UK rail network. You can listen to the latest episode here. Train Simulator 2022 has been 60% off during the Steam Winter Sale and three detailed real-world routes have been updated and re-engineered to provide you with an enhanced gameplay experience. You can find out more here. The We Are Railfans Facebook Group is receiving posts from the UK, USA, Australia and beyond! Shannon Edwards offered up this short YouTube video of a very short consist hauled by Norfolk Southern. The West Somerset Railway is England's longest heritage railway and though Winterlights services are currently under way, their 2022 calendar showcases the locomotives and scenery that railfans can enjoy at other times of the year. You can see more of their gift ideas here. If you're new to We Are Railfans, why not look back through over a year of weekly articles about railways, railroads and features from a host of railfans and operators. You can search using the tool above or click 'Article' for the latest. Gary Dolzall looks back on the memories that the holiday season can evoke through a selection of fantastic winter railroad photographs. Read more here. The GWR store has some fun and interesting items for sale the represent the current UK mainline operator. You can find out more here. Allen Jackson's final part of his look at Great Western Stations goes through the county of Cornwall. You can read all four parts over on our Facebook Guide or buy his book on the subject from Amberley Books. We received the amazing news that photos from our April article on Cairo's lost Tramway will form a small part of the 'Salam Tram' project - a collaboration between Shubra's Archive for Research and Development and the Egypt Exploration Society. You can read the original article here. Christmas is a great time to enjoy your local heritage or miniature railway, but in some places, it's a great excuse to build one from scratch! That's exactly what a small team has done at Powderham Castle in Devon for their Christmas event. Back in 2019, Tony Vandenberg went out to capture these amazing shots of the popular Canadian Pacific Holiday Train. Sadly, this hasn't run since due to the pandemic, but a virtual event is taking place this month. You can view Tony's video here. The team at Hornby took to YouTube to give everyone their favourite gift ideas for the budding railfan! You can also hear from Montana and Simon in our We Are Railfans Podcast, Episode 9: https://podfollow.com/we-are-railfans-podcast/episode/d933e98839d2dc5b109eee4f9c99ead0b462a6b8/view Allen Jackson's series on GWR Stations continues into Devon for Part III, including the delights of the Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway. A unique spotting opportunity! Amtrak unveiled this one-of-a-kind ACS-64 locomotive complete with a Train Sim World 2 wrap. The locomotive will be available to operate in the popular video game's Boston Sprinter route and seen on the railroad in reality. With Christmas trains fully booked and 2022 fast approaching, the East Lancashire Railway has already got dining packages on sale for next year. Railfans the world over love Union Pacific's 'Big Boy' locomotives and those wanting to show their affection in style might want this cool belt buckle - one of many 'Big Boy' themed gifts on the official UP Store. Ever wanted to have your own little bit of railway? Well if you're a fan of ÖBB, the national operator of Austria... you can! These excellent gifts are available via their website. Guest writers from the pool of Amberley Books railway authors have contributed some amazing articles for We Are Railfans this year. You can view the entire range of railway books on their website, from dramatic American railroad landscapes, to detailed overviews of British Rail locomotive Classes and the history of traction in Europe. Pictured is Mike Danneman's title: Railways in the North American Landscape. December 5th: HO modelers from the USA and beyond will love these new Code 70 Turnouts from PECO. Their YouTube Channel has loads of great product information and tips, including how these new Turnouts can be implemented into your HO layout. December 4th: On the Rails have some amazing products available on their Etsy site, including these lovely locomotive-themed ornaments! They also sell licensed facemasks and prints. December 3rd: Wintery railfan shots are amazing to see, particularly in the northern hemisphere! This shot by 'gavinfriess' on Instagram shows a local Norfolk Southern service battling the elements. December 2nd: The Cab Yard was one of our favorite finds of the year and though it is not open to the public, owner Richard allowed us to share some amazing photos from the secluded site in Wales. Full Article Here. December 1st: We kicked off by highlighting Amtrak's fabulous 'Ugly Sweater' showing the 4200hp ALC-42 Charger locomotive! You can find more great gifts over at the Amtrak Store.