Hello all,

I am curious to know, if one was to be in the UK during the latter parts of May through the latter part of June of this year, where might be some good places to see operational steam in the UK? Particularly, I will be in the London area first, then Edinburgh, and would like to know if there will be anything to see that isn't too far out-of-the-way from either of those places.

I know the US pretty well, but my rail knowledge is a bit lacking when it comes to most things "across the pond," and I appreciate any feedback.

This may be a good place to start.....
http://www.heritage-railways.com/
The "Events" section will highlight any special attractions going on during your visit.

You have the Queens Platinum Jubilee to contend with on the first weekend in June so there are a lot of special events on Preserved lines tied in with that.

Major preserved lines in easy reach of London are the Bluebell, Mid-Hants & Kent & East Sussex, along with other centres like the Epping & Ongar, Didcot and Buckinghamshire Railway Centre. If you have use of a car, then even the likes of the Great Central are fairly easy to get to.
Scottish Railway Preservation Society at Bo'ness is the only real preserved rail attraction in the Edinburgh area.

I did a trip over last fall. Either Bluebell, Didcot or Severn Valley would be good spots to get to from London. Great Central is another one. There are basically more steam tourist railroads than you can shake a stick at over there. As much as anything, it's a case of what can you get to, what day/time it's running and what mode of transportation do you have available. Renting cars is good at times, but between Uber and the national rail network, you have access to a lot.

If you are going to be riding the rail system, you can get an all-access pass for varying lengths of time. It's a great thing. There is a first class pass option, which can even itself out and more depending on what and where you ride.

If you can make it, the National Railway Museum in York is absolutely worth a visit. Think the best we have over here and make it a lot better.

http://www.railadvent.co.uk This is a good listing of special moves.

also, go look up Real Time Trains. I don't have the website offhand. You can narrow it down by operator, like West Coast Rail, which does a lot of the mainline steam moves. It will give you timings by station, and is updated throughout the day as it progresses. Absolutely invaluable if you want to know when something is coming by a particular station.

Best of luck, and feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions. It's a bit overwhelming to begin with, but it does get easier.
Kevin