Humans’ fascination with trains dates back hundreds of years — more if you count primitive forms of railway. But the invention of cameras, video cameras, smartphones, and the internet has exponentially expanded the hobby’s reach. These train influencers use their social media platforms to share photos, videos, and knowledge about railways for their own amusement and that of their followers.
10 railroad influencers who share their love of locomotives
Bryan Burton
Bryan’s 10.2K Instagram followers know that the photographer’s account is dedicated entirely to trains, their crews, and train-related museums. The variety is impressive, with stunning images of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, the Nevada Northern Railway, and the Reading Blue Mountain and Northern, among others. His content features trains passing farms, cemeteries, and depots.
Geoff Marshall
Geoff has twice held the Guinness World Record for traveling to all London Underground stations in the fastest time possible. In 2017, he visited all 2,563 national rail stations in Great Britain for the documentary series “All the Stations.” He has ridden the new Elizabeth Line, been to secret stations, and loves to explore other countries by train. Geoff’s YouTube channel has 272K subscribers, thanks to his extensive experience — which includes being the voice on Thameslink trains.
TBB’s Trains
Caelan and his friends might be micro-influencers, but their reach includes multiple social media channels. On Instagram, their content includes rail photos and videos from the South Plains. If you get awe-inspired by the power of locomotives, learning about the history of particular trains, or marveling over the day’s transport, check out TBB’s Train’s on Instagram, YouTube, or their website.
Mike Armstrong
Mike has uploaded videos of trains to YouTube since 2008, drawing in 740K subscribers. His well-organized playlists cover everything from steam trains and Amtrak long-distance trains to trains by state and tourist trains. If you enjoy learning about the history of trains, be sure to catch this narrated video of the Victorian Iron Horse Round-Up.
Brian Gibson
Brian makes videos of trains — mainly in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Florida, and West Virginia — to share on YouTube. His specialty is the Peavine Line, also known as the Cincinnati Line. He also shares the content on outdoor model train railways, circus trains, and malfunctioning cross gates and lights.
Tyson Biermann
Tyson records high-quality videos of Canadian railroads and posts them almost every day. He offers entire playlists dedicated to special-scheme locomotives and foreign power trains, as well as rare trains. You’ll also find rail train derailments and cleanups, and an entire series on American railroad train spotting.
Travis Jackson
Travis is a YouTube micro-influencer who uploads every other Saturday for his 16.3K fellow railfans. He’s captured content in a variety of California locations, including San Bernardino, San Diego, Palm Springs, Donner Pass, and Bakersfield. There are also collections of Australian trains and highlights from the U.K.’s best railroading.
Thibault Constant
In addition to running his Simply Railway YouTube channel, Thibault is the author of “Night Trains; 30 Unforgettable Journeys.” The Kansas City-based Frenchman has pulled in 171K subscribers for his global train trips spanning a number of continents. Check out his video from Morocco featuring Africa’s first high-speed train. If you like model trains, be sure to check out his newest YouTube channel, Minitrak by Simply Railway.
Mike
Mike’s Wide World of Trains YouTube account is believed to be the largest library of train videos in the world, now totaling more than 14,5000 videos. He films them all by hand on location and covers CSX, Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, BNSF, Canadian Pacific, Canadian National, and more. He’s shared videos of derailments, emergency stops, and the fastest freight train ever.
Nick
Nick’s YouTube channel, PghTrainFanatic, offers a mix of content on real trains and model trains. The designer, who builds flats for model railroads, covers a spectrum of train-related interests in his videos, from model train shows and railfanning to product reviews and Old Pennsylvania Railroad videos. If you’re fascinated by rare footage of old trains, be sure to catch this archived footage of Pennsylvania S1 6100 with sound.
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