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.]] 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 typically strongly interested, in an amateur capacity, in Railroad s.Kisor, p. 5. Railfans can be found worldwide. Railfans can also be retired career railroaders who still share a love for watching trains as well. 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")Kisor, p. 6. is a similarly-used term in the American rail industry. The UK equivalent is "crank", which has been taken into enthusiast usage. In the ". The study of railways, or a general interest in them as a hobby, is sometimes known as (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. ACTIVITIES The Hobby extends to all aspects of railroad systems. Various people have one or more particular concentrations of interest, such as:
GP59 4610. Located on GD01 in Dalton, Georgia , wearing the colors of the former Southern Railway .]] 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 due to post- 9/11 Paranoia , 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 , 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), H. Gordon Tidey and Rev. Eric Treacy ; or, in New Zealand , with W.W. (Bill) Stewart (1898-1976). 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. Spanish RENFE railroad company also requires to apply for a permit, but even with it railroad security staff still forbids and even require the photographers to delete all the pictures taken with digital cameras. in Araku Valley near Vizag, India - a paradise for trainspotters.]] Trainspotting It is a common misconception that all Railfans are 'trainspotters'. Those who are "trainspotters" make an effort to 'spot' all of a certain type of rolling stock. This might be a particular class of locomotive, a particular type of carriage or all the rolling stock of a particular 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 List s 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. Radio Scanner s are common equipment for listening in on railroad frequencies in the US in order to know when trains are about to arrive. , England ]] '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'. Trainspotting variations |
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