Railfans practicing their hobby at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.

A railfan or rail buff (American English), railway enthusiast (Australian/British English), or (often with a more specialized meaning, described below) trainspotter (British English), is a person who is strongly interested, in an amateur capacity, in railroads. Railfans can be found worldwide. Railfans practicing their hobby at Prairie Du Chien, Wiscosnin Photo by Sean Lamb (User:Slambo) August 9, 2004 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Railfans practicing their hobby at Prairie Du Chien, Wiscosnin Photo by Sean Lamb (User:Slambo) August 9, 2004 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Sign seen in Prairie du Chien, WI on entering from Iowa. ... English language spread in the United States. ... Diagram showing the geographical locations of selected languages and dialects of the British Isles. ... A railway yard in Portland, Oregon. ...

Other names

Excessively enthusiastic railfans are sometimes referred to pejoratively as "foamers", especially by American railworkers, in reference to the joking notion that they foam at the mouth in their excitement over train operations. "FRN" (for "fucking rail nut")^[1] is a similarly-used term in the American rail industry. The UK equivalent is "crank", which has been taken into enthusiast usage.

In the UK, railfans are sometimes called trainspotters, grizzers or gricers, according to their speciality (see below) or anoraks. In Australia, they are sometimes called "gunzels". This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The study of railways, or a general interest in them as a hobby, is sometimes known as ferroequinology (literally, "study of iron horses"). The term is rarely used by non-railfans. The Railway Magazine attempted to popularise the term railwayac without success in the early 20th century. The Railway Magazine is a monthly British railway magazine that has been published since 1897. ...

Activities

The hobby extends to all aspects of railroad systems. Various people have one or more particular concentrations of interest, such as: A hobby is a spare-time recreational pursuit. ...

• Railroad locomotives and rolling stock
• Still-used or disused railroad lines, bridges, tunnels, stations, and other infrastructure
• Subways and other local rail transit systems
• Railroad photography

Model railroads including model trains are common hobbies for railfans when not out watching trains. A locomotive (from Latin loco motivus) is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train, and has no payload capacity of its own; its sole purpose is to move the train along the tracks. ... A railroad car (or, more briefly, car, not to be confused with railcar), also known as an item of rolling stock, is a vehicle on a railroad (or railway) that is not a locomotive — one that provides another purpose than purely haulage, although some types of car are powered. ... A disused railway tunnel now converted to pedestrian and bicycle use, near Houyet, Belgium A tunnel is an underground passage. ... Passengers bustle around the typical grand edifice of Londons Broad Street station in 1865. ... This article needs cleanup. ...

Norfolk Southern's GP59 4610 is a railfan's favorite^{[citation needed]}: It is here on GD01 in Dalton, Georgia, wearing the colors of the former Southern Railway.

Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 1073 KB)The famous locomotive currently on the Norfolk Southern system, 4610 is shown switching in Cleveland, Tennessee, in 2005. ... Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 1073 KB)The famous locomotive currently on the Norfolk Southern system, 4610 is shown switching in Cleveland, Tennessee, in 2005. ... Norfolk Southern Corporation (AAR reporting mark NS) NYSE: NSC is a US publicly-traded stock corporation based in Norfolk, Virginia. ... Dalton is a city located in Whitfield County, Georgia. ... The Southern Railway (AAR reporting mark SOU) was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined beginning in the 1830s, formally becoming the Southern Railway in 1894. ...

Railway photography

Train photography is a common activity of railfans. Most railfans do their photographing from public property, unless they have permission to use a specific private property owner's land. Occasionally, they run into problems with law enforcement, especially after 9/11, because they are sometimes viewed as suspicious. In fact, in 2004 the New York City Subway attempted to institute a photo ban. This was met with fierce opposition, and was ultimately scrapped. Railroad companies also sometimes dislike railfans, considering them a nuisance. Railfans respond that their presence makes the railroads safer, since they typically know what is normal behavior and can spot someone who is up to no good, or something that appears to be out of place or unusual. Some railroad photographers have become well known in their own right for their works. Many railfans are very familiar with the works of H. Reid, Pseufighter, Otto Perry and O.Winston Link; in the UK with Derek Cross (1929-84), Maurice W. Earley (1900-82), Rev. Alfred H. Malan (1852-1928), Brian W. Morrison, Ivo Peters (d.1989) and Rev. Eric Treacy; or, in New Zealand, with W.W. (Bill) Stewart (1898-1976). Photography is the process of making pictures by means of the action of capturing light on a film. ... For the band, see The Police. ... A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system operated by the New York City Transit Authority, an affiliate of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority as MTA New York City Transit. ... This is a list of the worlds railway operating companies listed alphabetically by continent and country. ... H. Reid (1925-1992) rail photographer, author and historian, best known for writing The Virginian Railway (1961, Kalmbach) Harold A. Reid (better known by his pen name H. Reid) (1925–1992) was an American writer, photographer, and historian. ... Otto Perry (1894 – 1970) was an American photographer and railfan specializing in railroad photos. ... O. Winston Link (December 16, 1914 – January 30, 2001) was an American photographer. ... The Right Reverend Bishop Eric Treacy MBE (1907 — 13 May 1978) was a British railway photographer and Bishop of Wakefield. ...

Connex Melbourne now require any railfan wishing to take photographs to apply for and obtain a permit. Permits last for 90 days, except in the case of some select stations in which a permit only lasts for 7 days. This system has been met with resentment from the railfan community, and many refuse to apply for permits. In November, 2005 one railfan was issued with an infringement notice simply for holding a camera on a platform. Look up November in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Araku Valley near Vizag, India - a paradise for trainspotters.

Image File history File links Railfantag3. ... Image File history File links Railfantag3. ...

Trainspotting

Railfans who are "trainspotters" make an effort to spot every piece of rolling stock known to exist for a particular railroad company. To this end, they collect and exchange detailed information about the movements of locomotives and other equipment on the railway network, and become very knowledgeable about its operations.

The equipment of a trainspotter consists, generally, of a data book listing all the locomotives or other equipment in question, in which locomotives seen are ticked off; a notebook and pens, to note down sightings to transfer into the book at leisure; and an infinite supply of patience. In the UK, this aspect of the hobby was given a large boost by the publication of the Ian Allan "ABC" series of booklets from the 1940s onwards. Today, some trainspotters will use a tape recorder instead of the notebook. Modern times have seen the addition of the cellphone and/or pager as an aid to communication with others in the hobby, while various internet mailing lists and web sites allow for exchange of information. There are also websites which allow spotters to record and cross reference their sightings with other spotters. Railfans can maintain private computerized databases of spotting records as well. Ian Allan Publishing is a UK publisher established in 1942 which specialises in transport publications including a variety of magazines and books. ... A mailing list is a collection of names and addresses used by an individual or an organization to send material to multiple recipients. ...

Radio scanners are common equipment for listening in on railroad frequencies in the US in order to know when trains are about to arrive. A Scanner is a radio receiver generally capable of picking up AM and FM (and sometimes SSB) radio signals anywhere from 100kHz to 2. ...

Train spotters at Norwich station, England

Train Spotters at Norwich station Cropped selection from an original photograph by Amos Wolfe taken 10th November 2001. ... Train Spotters at Norwich station Cropped selection from an original photograph by Amos Wolfe taken 10th November 2001. ... Norwich railway station A DBSO approaching Norwich station Norwich railway station is a railway station serving the city of Norwich in Norfolk. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ...

'Virtual' Trainspotting

A relatively new phenomenon, made possible by the ease of searching for images on the Internet.

'Virtual' spotting can involve any area of railways, but as an example, an enthusiast may wish to search for photos of a particular locomotive in a given area or a specific period. Upon finding an image online, they have then 'spotted' the loco in question, and may regard it as a 'cop'.^{[citation needed]}

Trainspotting variations

A development from trainspotting is the haulage enthusiast or "basher". These individuals attempt to ride behind or in the cab of as many locomotives as they can, marking them off in a book just like a regular trainspotter. Enthusiasts who attempt to cover as much of the railway network as they can (including the use of special excursions to cover portions not regularly open for passengers), are usually referred to as "gricers" or "track bashers". Those who spend most of their time on one station only, are "stoats" or "veg". "Cranks" are particularly attracted to one type of train and make sure they see all of its workings. "Neds" concentrate on special rail activity and tend to ignore the regular happenings on the lines; they look for "gen" (which is information about railway workings) before going out spotting.

Other activities

Some railfans are interested in other aspects of railroads not directly dealing with the trains. They may be interested in studying the history of the railroad companies, their infrastructure and operations, including never-built plans. Abandoned railroad grades can often be found long after the railroad stops using them. Trams (and occasionally even monorails) may also be of interest. A rail transport or railroad system is a complex synergy of components which may be classified into two groups: extrinsic factors and intrinsic factors. ... A modern tram in the Töölö district of Helsinki, Finland A tram (or tramway, trolley, streetcar, tramcar, Straßenbahn) is a railborne vehicle (lighter than a train) for transport of passengers (or, occasionally, freight). ...

Various magazines, clubs and museums are designed mainly for railfans, concentrating on the history of trains and railroads. Some clubs organize fantrips, either by car or by train; the New York Transit Museum owns some old equipment with which fantrips are occasionally run on the New York City Subway. This article is about the magazine as a published medium. ... A club is generally an association of people united by a common interest or goal, as opposed to any natural ties of kinship. ... The Louvre Museum in Paris, one of the largest and most famous museums in the world. ... The New York Transit Museum is a museum located in an unused New York City Subway station in Brooklyn (Court Street) which displays historical artifacts of the New York Subway and bus systems. ...

Many railfans also collect "railroadiana" or "railwayana". Railroadiana refers to artifacts from railroads and railroad operations and could include nearly anything to do with a particular railroad, including (but not limited to): public or employee timetables, locomotive number boards, dining car china, passenger train tickets, tools and pieces of equipment such as lanterns, or sometimes items as big as train horns, or track speeders. Although few can afford the price or the space for storage, some railfans even go so far as to collect full size rolling stock or locomotives. A brakemans lantern from the Chicago and North Western Railway. ... A timetable is an organized list or schedule, usually set out in tabular form, providing information about a series of arranged events: in particular, the time at which it is planned these events will take place. ... A typical restaurant in uptown Manhattan A restaurant is an establishment that serves prepared food and beverages to be consumed on the premises. ... This article is about trains in rail transport. ... Ticket (unseperated) of the Kurkino in Berchtesgaden CeBIT Home 1998 student day ticket with barcode A Parisians transport ticket Ticket can mean one of several things: // Permission A ticket is a voucher to indicate that one has paid for admission to a theatre, movie theater, amusement park, zoo, museum... Train horns are audiable warning devices utilized by diesel and electric locomotives. ... A privately-owned speeder on display at a model railroad show in February 2004. ... A railroad car (or, more briefly, car, not to be confused with railcar), also known as an item of rolling stock, is a vehicle on a railroad (or railway) that is not a locomotive — one that provides another purpose than purely haulage, although some types of car are powered. ... A locomotive (from Latin loco motivus) is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train, and has no payload capacity of its own; its sole purpose is to move the train along the tracks. ...

Since the China Railway and its ticket-selling system is complex, some railfans in China are interested in collecting unusual tickets. For example, China Railway itself does not sell round-trip tickets officially, but someone could buy a multiple-trip ticket with the starting and ending station the same for a round trip. This problem was fixed in the latest ticket-selling software. Another example, there are two railway stations called Dongfanghong (The East Is Red) and Taiyangsheng (The Sun Rises) in Heilongjiang province, the two stations are 600 or some kilometers apart and no direct trains connect them. Someone bought multiple-trip tickets from one to another so the ticket read Dongfanghong -> Taiyangsheng, this is a famous lyrics in Chinese song The East Is Red. The East Is Red (Chinese: 东方红; Pinyin: Dōngfāng Hóng) is a song that was the de facto anthem of the Peoples Republic of China during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s. ...

See also: List of railroad-related periodicals. Railway-related periodicals include: // Africa RailwaysAfrica - [1] Australia Australian Railway History formerly The Bulletin Motive Power Rail Express by Lloyds List Transit Australia ISSN 0818-5204 Light Railways - ISSN 0727-8101 New South Wales ARHS (NSW) Railway Digest ISSN 0157-2431 Under the Wires - ISSN 0000-0000 Roundhouse - N...

Reasons

A railfan can have (at his or her option) a vanity plate that is railroad related, this tag number represents Chessie System B&O GM50

Sometimes the appeal of trains is nostalgic, recalling an earlier era when the railroads played a central role in commerce and transportation, and the train depot was the center of every town. Sometimes the appeal can come from a fondness for the power of large machinery. Sometimes there is an appeal of the scenery of the railroad running through large, uninviting terrain, or the gritty ambiance of the urban train yard. In this case, urban exploration poses a similar appeal. Image File history File links The new Georgia license plate custom made to represent Baltimore and Ohio GP40-2 GM50, this tag belongs to Jason Trew. ... Image File history File links The new Georgia license plate custom made to represent Baltimore and Ohio GP40-2 GM50, this tag belongs to Jason Trew. ... A vanity plate (US), prestige plate, private number plate, personalised registration (UK) or personalised plate (Australia) is a special type of Vehicle registration plate on an automobile or other vehicle. ... The Chessie System was a holding company that owned three American railroads, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O), the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O), and the Western Maryland Railway (WM), from 1972 until 1987, when the B&O and C&O were merged into CSX Transportation. ... The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad or B&O was a 19th century railroad which operated in the east coast of the United States and was the first railroad to offer commercial transportation of both people and freight. ... Nostalgia currently describes a longing for the past: Often an idealized and unrealistic past The term was originally coined in 1678 by Johannes Hoffer (1669-1752) from Greek (νόστος = nostos = ones homeland, άλγος = algos = pain/longing) roots, to refer to... This article is about the business concept. ... Chicago and North Western Railways Proviso Yard in Chicago, Illinois, December 1942. ... An urban explorer stands near the outfall of a muffin shaped brick and concrete storm drain, under Saint Paul, Minnesota. ...

Some people were born and raised very close either to streetcar tracks or to railways. Everyday activities were associated with railroad, which seemed to be a part of life. This may lead to an interest in railcars, how they move, numbering, and other rail systems in the world and how they compare with their native ones. And if these people move to another place to live, their interest in railroads might have a nostalgic flavor of older life.

Another appeal of the railroads is the business side of railroading. Railroads were long central to economic growth and commerce, and still are to some degree. The history of great railroads and railroaders such as James J. Hill is a fascination for some, whether they view them in a positive way as capitalist heroes or in a negative way as robber barons. This can be compared to the same way that some people find inspiration in more recent business successes such as Donald Trump or Bill Gates. Wall Street, Manhattan is the location of the New York Stock Exchange and is often used as a symbol for the world of business. ... James J. Hill at about age 35, ca. ... For other uses, see Capitalism (disambiguation). ... John D. Rockefeller Sr. ... Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American business executive, entrepreneur and author. ... For other persons named Bill Gates, see Bill Gates (disambiguation). ...

Many railfans once worked for a railroad themselves, or had parents or other relatives who did, leading to a lifelong continued interest in trains. Others developed a strong interest in trains through a hobby such as model railroading.

Most people love to travel. Even though today other forms of transit such as cars, airplanes, and boats are in abundance, train travel may seem more traditional and relaxing if compared with car travel.

Many people who would not otherwise think of themselves as railfans just like trains. Most cannot explain why. Songs and stories have glorified railroading ever since the invention of the locomotive, especially in the United States, while children's toys and books about trains continue to be popular. The Railroad Tycoon series of simulation computer games is another example of railroads' enduring popularity. A male Caucasian toddler child A child (plural: children) is a young human. ... Thomas the Tank Engine. ... Screenshot from Railroad Tycoon Railroad Tycoon is an economic simulation and computer strategy game. ... Wooden mechanical horse simulator during WWI. A simulation is an imitation of some real thing, state of affairs, or process. ... This article needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ...

Safety

Railfans can also keep the railroad areas safer by reporting crimes and suspicious activity. In the United Kingdom the British Transport Police have used trainspotters' vast knowledge and widespread presence to their advantage, and have actively encouraged them to report any suspicious persons or activities. In America, however, concerns over terrorism have led to situations where railfans are followed or confronted by local law enforcement or transit police. The British Transport Police (BTP) is a non-Home Office national police service responsible for policing the railway system throughout Great Britain. ... Terrorist redirects here. ... Transit police, or transport police, are a specialized type of police employed by a common carrier, usually a railroad (but may also include a bus line or other transport carrier) that are tasked to prevent and investigate crimes committed against the carrier or by or against passengers or other customers...

Many experienced railfans have enhanced knowledge of railroad operations and hazards that can help the railroad, such as reporting malfunctioning crossing gates and other equipment. The history of the railroad industry is full of accidents that could have been easily prevented had someone reported what they had seen; for example a fire in the last cars of a long freight train may be obvious to a trackside observer but not to those in the locomotive.

Trainspotting in popular culture

Trainwatching was featured in the 2003 movie The Station Agent. Promotional poster for The Station Agent The Station Agent is a 2003 US independent film about a dwarf who moves to live in an abandoned train depot in rural New Jersey to live a life of solitude. ...

In the United Kingdom in particular, trainspotting is seen by many of the individuals who are not themselves involved with the hobby as being virtually synonymous with "dull" and "geeky", and the term has gained an ulterior meaning as any sort of activity that appears, to the outsider, to be pointless. In Monty Python's Flying Circus's episode of "You're No Fun Anymore" a camel spotter is interviewed. When asked how many camels he has seen he says, "Well … let's see … one. To be honest none." Later he claims that he has previously been "yeti spotting". In the end it turns out that he is just an ordinary train spotter. (Interestingly, Monty Python member Michael Palin is a self-confessed trainspotter.) A geek is a person who is fascinated, perhaps obsessively, by technology and imagination. ... Monty Pythons Flying Circus (also known as Flying Circus, MPFC or just Monty Python during the fourth season) was a highly popular, surreal BBC sketch comedy show from Monty Python, and the groups initial claim to fame. ... List of all 45 episodes from the television series Monty Pythons Flying Circus: // (aired October 5, 1969; recorded September 7, 1969) Its Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Italian Lesson Whizzo Butter Its the Arts Arthur Two Sheds Jackson Picasso/Cycling Race The Funniest Joke in the World Trivia The... Michael Edward Palin, CBE (born May 5, 1943) is an English comedian, actor and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries. ...

The activity of trainspotting was briefly mentioned in a passage set in a railway station's toilet, in Irvine Welsh's novel of the same name; however, it was left out of the film adaptation altogether. The novel Trainspotting, and its film adaptation are not directly related to the hobby, although it may be inferred from the opening scene from the movie, that the title is a comment on what the author sees as the supposed pointlessness of the hobby. Irvine Welsh, reading one of his new short stories at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Irvine Welsh (born Leith, Edinburgh, September 27, 1958) is an acclaimed contemporary Scottish novelist, most famous for his novel Trainspotting. ... Trainspotting is the first novel by Scottish writer Irvine Welsh. ... Trainspotting is a 1996 Academy Award nominated, BAFTA winning cult film directed by Danny Boyle based on the novel Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh. ...

Railfan jargon

Railfans have a large amount of jargon that can be foreign to other people. Because of the regional differences in railfan slang, three separate articles to describe them are warranted: To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

• List of UK railfan jargon
• List of US railfan jargon
• List of NZ railfan jargon

More can be found at www.railspot.co.uk This is a list of jargon commonly used by railfans and trainspotters in the United Kingdom, including nicknames for various locomotives and multiple units. ... An incomplete list of US railfan jargon. ... This is a list of jargon commonly used by railfans in New Zealand. ...

See also

• Rail terminology
• Rail transport modelling
• Aircraft spotting
• Bus spotting
• Gongoozler
• Metrophile
• Roadgeek
• Darius McCollum - who has been arrested for impersonating New York City Transit Authority employees and operating trains without authority
• Sensible Train Spotting, the world's first computer train spotting simulator
• List of railroad-related periodicals

Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. ... A US HO scale model railroad. ... Aircraft spotting or Plane spotting is the enjoyment, observation and photography of aircraft: gliders, powered aircraft, large balloons, airships, helicopters, and microlights. ... Bus spotting is a pastime in which one seeks to see all buses in a particular fleet or those produced by a particular manufacturer. ... Gongoozlers in action at Foxton Locks in England Gongoozlers are people who enjoy watching activity on the canals in the United Kingdom. ... A metrophile is a person whos hobby is the study of metro (subway, underground) systems. ... A roadgeek (sometimes roadfan) is a person that is interested in roads as a hobby. ... Darius McCollum (born 1965) is a New York resident with a lengthy arrest record for crimes related to trains and the New York City Subway system. ... The New York City Transit Authority (also known as NYCTA, Transit, NYCT for New York City Transit or simply the TA for Transit Authority) is a New York State authority that operates buses and subway trains in New York City. ... Sensible Train Spotting is a computer game for the Amiga, released by Sensible Software. ... Railway-related periodicals include: // Africa RailwaysAfrica - [1] Australia Australian Railway History formerly The Bulletin Motive Power Rail Express by Lloyds List Transit Australia ISSN 0818-5204 Light Railways - ISSN 0727-8101 New South Wales ARHS (NSW) Railway Digest ISSN 0157-2431 Under the Wires - ISSN 0000-0000 Roundhouse - N...

References

1. ^ Kisor, Henry (1994). Zephyr: Tracking a Dream Across America. Holbrook, Massachusetts: Adams Publishing, p 6. ISBN 1-55850-477-X. 

Further reading

• Adams, Will (2006). Trainspotting Days. Kettering: Silver Link Publishing. ISBN 1857942671. 
• Harvey, Michael G. (2004). Forget the Anorak: what trainspotting was really like. Stroud: Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0750934026. 
• Harvie, Christopher (1992). “The English railway enthusiast”, Diller, Hans-Jürgen (ed.): Englishness. Heidelberg: Carl Winter, 107-22. ISBN 3533045366. 
• Mathison, Phil (2006). Shed Bashing with the Beatles. Newport, Yorkshire: Dead Good Publications. ISBN 0954693736. 
• Packer, David (2003). Well Trained. Leigh: Triangle Publishing. ISBN 0952933381. 

External links