Railfan

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Railfan or railbuff is an American English term for an enthusiast or hobbyist of railroads, usually including historic and modern trains or in British English a trainspotter. Some railfans like to use the term Ferroequinology (the study of the Iron Horse) in describing their hobby. In Australia the term gunzel is also sometimes used. Railfans can be found worldwide.

Contents

Activities

The hobby extends to all aspects of the railway systems, though various people have particular concentrations of interest:

Most railfans are interested in trains. In the United States, railfans are sometimes known as "foamers". This comes from slang used by railroad workers, who have noted that some people start "foaming" with excitement whenever they see a train. It is a slightly derogatory term but railfans have adopted it with pride. In Europe and especially the United Kingdom, the term "trainspotter" is sometimes used, although this refers to the specific activity of watching trains and tracking the locomotives which pass, and has a much narrower meaning than railfan. However, those with a specific interest in the subject are often called anoraks, as the anorak is the stereotypical attire of trainspotters.

Starting in about the 1970s, the term "ferroequinology" began to be used to describe the study of trains and railroading. The term is a play on words of various latin stubs: ferrous which translates as iron, equine which translates as horse, and ology to indicate "the study of". Therefore, a ferroequinologist is someone who studies the "iron horse", which itself is another name for a locomotive.

Railway photography

Train photography is common among railfans; most railfans do so from public property unless they have permission from a property owner to photograph on their property. Occasionally, they run into problems with law enforcement, especially after September 11, 2001, because they are sometimes mistakenly thought to be terrorists. 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.

Radio scanners are common equipment for listening in on railroad frequencies in order to know when trains are about to arrive. Model railroads including model trains are common hobbies for railfans when not out watching trains. Toy trains are less accurate but also popular items.

Train spotting

Railfans who call themselves "train spotters" 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 train spotter 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; a thick anorak, to keep warm and dry in unpredictable weather; and an infinite supply of patience. More advanced trainspotters sometimes use a tape recorder instead of the notebook. Modern times have seen the addition of the cellphone and/or pager as an essential tool of communication with others in the hobby, while various Internet mailing lists and web sites allow for the exchange of information as well. There are also websites which allow spotters to record and cross reference their sightings with other spotters. One example is LocoScene [1].


A development from trainspotting is the haulage enthusiast or basher. These individuals are not content merely watching trains; instead, the aim is to ride in them. Some attempt to ride behind as many locomotives as they can, marking them off in a book just like a regular trainspotter. Still others are only interested in certain types and classes of locomotive. Others attempt to cover as much of the railway network as they can, these people are usually referred to as Gricers or track bashers.

The term "train spotter" is often used as a derogatory term towards someone perceived to have an enthusiasm for acquiring or hoarding detailed or humdrum information. It was translated in French as the neologism Ferrovipathe which literally means "railway disorder".

Other activities

Some railfans are interested in other aspects of railroads not directly dealing with the trains. It can be interesting to study 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.

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.

Many railfans also collect "railroadiana". 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, dining car china, passenger train tickets, tools and pieces of equipment such as lanterns, or sometimes items as big as 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.

See also: List of railroad-related periodicals.

Reasons

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.

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.

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 railfans' 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 security or police forces.

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 railway 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 carriages of a long train may be obvious to a track-side observer but not to those in the locomotive.

Railfan hotspots

Various places are popular for train-watching railfans due to the large numbers of trains that pass through or nice views.

Railfan jargon

Railfans have a lot of jargon that can be foreign to other people. Some railfan terms are:

  • Fallen flag: a railroad company that no longer operates
  • Catfish: Norfolk Southern's C44-9 locomotives
  • Mating worms: Penn Central logo
  • Ford Edsel: Amtrak AMD 103 locomotives
  • Vomit bonnet: BNSF's first attempt at a paint scheme
  • Pumpkin: BNSF's current paint scheme
  • Ex-Con: Former Conrail unit
  • Dark future: The new CSX paint scheme
  • Horsehead: Norfolk Southern's new paint job
  • Flags n Flares: Union Pacific's paint job
  • YN1: CSX 1st paint scheme (Yellow Nose, 1st attempt)
  • YN2: CSX 2nd paint scheme (Yellow Nose, 2nd attempt)
  • Rent-a-Wreck: Locomotive owned by a leasing company
  • Furball: Locomotive owned by First Union Rail (FURX)
  • Ches-C: Chessie System's kitten logo
  • Red Barns: Canadian Pacific's SD40-2F locomotives
  • Kodachrome: Southern Pacific Santa Fe Railroad's red, yellow and black paint scheme
  • Warbonnet: Santa Fe's red and silver paint scheme (less common since the BNSF Railway merger in 1995)
  • Bloody Nose: Southern Pacific Locomotive (grey and red paint scheme)
  • Black Widow: Southern Pacific Locomotive (All black with some silver)

See also

External links


References

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