Railfan Explained

A railfan, train fan, rail buff or train buff (American English), railway enthusiast, railway buff, trainspotter (Australian/British English) or ferroequinologist is a person who is recreationally interested in trains and rail transport systems.^{[1] [2]}

Railfans often combine their interest with other hobbies, especially photography and videography, radio scanning, railway modelling, studying railroad history and participating in railway station and rolling stock preservation efforts. There are many magazines and websites dedicated to railfanning and railway enthusiasts, including Trains, Railfan & Railroad, The Railway Magazine, Locomotive Magazine and Railway Gazette International.

Other names

In the United Kingdom, rail enthusiasts are often called trainspotters or anoraks. The term gricer has been used in the UK since at least 1969 and is said to have been current in 1938 amongst members of the Manchester Locomotive Society, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. There has been speculation that the term derives from "grouser", one who collects dead grouse after a shoot, but other etymologies have also been suggested.^[3]

In Australia, they are sometimes referred to as "gunzels".^{[4] [5]}

In Japan rail enthusiasts are known as densha otaku, although numerous terms exist to describe activities falling within the category including Toritetsu for fans of photographing and/or filming trains, Nori-tetsu (people who enjoy travelling by train) and Eki-tetsu (enthusiasts of train station architecture).^[6]

In the United States, they can be referred to pejoratively as "foamers".^{[7] [8]} There is a dispute over the origin of this term. Some cite the extensive use of styrofoam to create scenery and landscaping in model railroad building, while others trace its origins to the related term "Foamite" (which stands for "Far Out and Mentally Incompetent Train Enthusiast") or claim it refers to "the notion of foaming-at-the-mouth craziness".^[9]

"Ferroequinologist" derives from the use of "Iron horse" as a nickname for early steam locomotives.

Activities

The hobby extends to all aspects of rail transport systems. Railfans may have one or more particular concentrations of interest, such as:

• Railway locomotives and rolling stock
• Still-used or disused railroad lines, bridges, tunnels, stations, signal boxes and other infrastructure
• Subways and other local rail transit systems
• Railway history
• Railway photography
• Railway books and magazines
• Railtours
• Railway signalling
• Playing train simulators
• Railway modelling, both physical and virtual model railroading, toy train collecting, live steam and outdoor miniature railways, and model engineering.
• Collection of railway artifacts, in particular: tickets, timetables, posters, railway paper, route maps, locomotive whistles, number plates, builder's plates, builder's photos, badges, uniforms, railway crockery and other railwayana. Many items, such as timetables and railway paper (i.e. internal railway documents), are collected for study and not just as collectibles.
• Railway art or architecture
• Railway operations, economics or commerce
• Railway preservation/restoration
• Level crossings and their infrastructure. This is where the railfan can also be interested in the railroad or "grade" crossing signals.
• Monitoring railroad radio communications with a radio scanner.

The scope of the subject is so large that fans may additionally concentrate their interest on a particular country, town, railway company, field of operations or era in history – or a combination of any of the above.

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 security concerns, because they are sometimes viewed as suspicious. In 2004, for example, the New York City Subway attempted to institute a photo ban, which was met with fierce opposition and ultimately scrapped.^[10] In sharp contrast, the Port Authority Trans–Hudson (PATH) successfully implemented a photo ban that is still in effect (although it predated the 11 September attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing); it has led to confiscations and arrests on the PATH system.^[11]

• In the United Kingdom, photography is allowed at all stations on the National Rail network.^[12] Transport for London, however, does not allow photography without permission and a permit issued by the TfL Film Office. However, photography for personal use, without ancillary equipment is allowed without a permit.^[13] The Tyne & Wear Metro prohibits all photography without written permission from Nexus, the system's operators. As of 2015, it is the only system in the UK with such a policy.^[14]
• In Singapore, photography and filming is permitted in all MRT stations for non-commercial purposes during weekdays between 10am and 4pm.^[15]
• Spanish railroad company Renfe used to ask for a permit, but since 2018 it is not needed.^[16]
• In Greece, railway photography is permitted on all networks^[17]
• In Russia, railway photography is permitted on all networks^[18]
• In Italy, the Royal Decree n°1161 enacted on 11 July 1941, concerning "military secrets", prohibited all and any photographs and video recordings in and around a number of civilian and military installations, including public railways. Railway photography was largely tolerated by tacit agreement, but could be prosecuted as a felony. The law was repealed by Legislative Decree n°66 enacted on 15 March 2010.^{[19] [20]}
• In Germany, German: [[Deutsche Bahn]]|italic=no allows non-commercial photography as long as no additional equipment such as tripods are used.^[21]
• In Indonesia, Kereta Api Indonesia allows photography on a train station and inside the train as long is for private use, on a public area and without ancillary equipment such as tripod and drones. Such equipment must have additional permission from the station master or operating divisions' public relations.^[22]

Trainspotting

See also: Trainspotters in the United Kingdom. A trainspotter may use a data book listing the locomotives or equipment in question, in which locomotives seen are ticked off. An early trainspotter was 14-year-old Fanny Gordon, who in 1861 recorded the names of locomotives passing Westbourne Park station on the Great Western Main Line.^[23] The hobby is referenced in Edith Nesbit's 1905 children's book The Railway Children.^[24] In Great Britain, this aspect of the hobby was given a major impetus by the publication from 1942 onward of the Ian Allan "ABC" series of booklets, whose publication began in response to public requests for information about the locomotives of the Southern Railway.^[25]

Railway trips

Bashing

In general terms, bashing, a term used by British railway enthusiasts, describes a trip, excursion or holiday primarily involving train travel, usually with the intention of collecting mileage on a train or for covering unexplored parts of the rail network.

The practice of bashing dates back to the decline of steam locomotive operations, when more passionate trainspotters wished to note which steam engines they had travelled behind.^[26] Following the withdrawal of mainline steam in 1968, a new generation of bashers took to accumulating mileage behind diesel locomotives; the variety of diesel types, destinations to travel behind them, and the pursuit of clearing classes all fuelled the popularity of bashing.^[27] Today, despite the majority of British trains being formed of multiple units, bashing still remains a popular pastime for railway enthusiasts.

"Shed bashing" describes going out to as many railway sheds or depots as possible. It was very popular in the 1950s and 1960s. As they required a permit that could be hard to obtain, some "shed bashers" were illegal.^[28]

Fantrips

Many railway preservation groups run special trips for railfans using restored trains, often on "rare mileage" lines that do not see regular passenger service.^[29] These trips are both social events and opportunities for railfans to photograph unusual trains. Chasing a fantrip by road for the purposes of photography is often referred to as "motorcading" in Australia.^{[30] [31]}

Other activities

See also: List of railroad-related periodicals.

Some enthusiasts combine their interest in trains with the hobby of monitoring radio communications, specializing in listening to radio communications of railroad operations using a scanner.^[32]

In some busy rail corridors, local governments have budgeted, constructed and maintain railfan viewing platforms, sometimes part of a park area or nearby rail museum, which they promote along with other tourist attractions.^{[33] [34]} One such example is the Folkston Railfan Platform along CSX tracks in Folkston, Georgia, USA, where viewers can see regular Florida freight traffic, as well as Amtrak passenger trains, including its daily AutoTrain.

Safety

Owing to their presence at stations and near other areas of rail infrastructure, railfans have sometimes been requested to aid railways and legal authorities alike in observing and reporting safety breaches and incidents of crime. Railfans in the United States have been asked by BNSF to keep railroad areas safer by reporting crimes and suspicious activity.^[35]

In the United Kingdom the British Transport Police have asked trainspotters to report any unusual behaviour and activities at stations.^[36]

In the United States, concerns about terrorism have led to situations where railfans are followed or confronted by local law enforcement or transit police.^{[37] [38]} This has also led to situations where certain transportation agencies have implemented photography bans systemwide.

A railfan was a factor in the 2008 Chatsworth train collision, as the engineer responsible for the accident had been distracted by texting the railfan while in charge of his train, eventually causing it to pass a signal at danger and crash into an oncoming Union Pacific freight train, killing 25 and injuring 135 others.^[39]

BNSF instituted the "Citizens for Rail Security"^[40] (CRS) program for the general public to report suspicious activities on their railways. Obtaining this card was common for railfans and is a derivative of the BNSF "On Guard" program for employees. However, this card does not recognize members as employees or contractors, asks them to keep off railway property, and is no longer obtainable. Amtrak offers a similar program, "Partners for Amtrak Safety and Security" (PASS).^[41]

In Japan, toritetsu have been frequently criticised for their behaviour when photographing trains, including incidents of vandalism and trespassing into restricted areas to set up cameras, destruction of lineside property and plants to clear a view of the track, stealing goods to sell on to fund expensive cameras,^[42] theft of railway equipment, being rude towards station staff and train drivers,^[43] physical assault,^[44] and attempting to intimidate passengers and road users for inadvertently interfering with their activities.^[45]

Network Rail, the British rail infrastructure owner and station operator, has produced guidelines for the behaviour and responsibilities of railway enthusiasts at its stations.^[46] In May 2010, the dangers of acting carelessly in the vicinity of an active railway were highlighted after an enthusiast, standing immediately next to a double track line photographing the Oliver Cromwell, failed to notice a Bombardier Turbostar express train approaching at ~70 mph (112 km/h) on the nearer track in the other direction, and came within inches of being struck by it.^{[47] [48]}

See also

• Anorak (slang)
• List of railroad-related periodicals
• Rail terminology
• Rail transport modelling
• Railway enthusiasts societies in the United Kingdom
• RR (2007 railfan film by James Benning)
• Sensible Train Spotting, the world's first computer train spotting simulator
• The Station Agent, 2003 film staring Peter Dinklage as a railfan who inherits a train station.
• Train whistle
• Trainspotters in the United Kingdom
• Tracks Ahead

Similar hobbies

• Aircraft spotting
• Bus spotting
• Car spotting
• Ship watching
• Gongoozlers, enthusiasts of canals in the United Kingdom
• Roadgeek
• Fire buffs, enthusiasts of firefighting and emergency services

Glossaries

• Glossary of North American railway terms
• Glossary of Australian railway terms
• Glossary of United Kingdom railway terms
• Glossary of New Zealand railway terms

Sources

• Book: Kisor, Henry. Zephyr: Tracking a Dream Across America. Adams Publishing Group. Holbrook, Massachusetts. 1994. 1-55850-477-X.
• Heritage Railway. 122 . March–April 2009 .

Further reading

• Book: Adams, Will. Trainspotting Days. Silver Link Publishing. Kettering. 2006. 1-85794-267-1.
• Book: Carter, Ian. British Railway Enthusiasm. Manchester University Press. Manchester. 2008. 978-0-7190-6566-8.
• Rail Enthusiast No. 1. Adrian. Gray. Rail Enthusiast. Emap|date=February 1986|issue=53|page=43|issn=0262-561X|oclc=49957965.
• Book: Harvey, Michael G.. Forget the Anorak: what trainspotting was really like. Sutton Publishing. Stroud. 2004. 0-7509-3402-6.
• Book: Harvie, Christopher. Diller . Hans-Jürgen . Englishness. 1992. Carl Winter. Heidelberg. 3-533-04536-6. 107–22. The English railway enthusiast.
• Book: Marchant, Ian. Parallel lines: or, Journeys on the Railway of Dreams. Bloomsbury Publishing. London. 2003. 0-7475-6578-3.
• Book: Marsden, Colin J.. Rail Guide 2010. Ian Allan Publishing. Shepperton. 2010. 978-0-7110-3457-0.
• Book: Mathison, Phil. Shed Bashing with the Beatles. Dead Good Publications. Newport, Yorkshire. 2006. 0-9546937-3-6.
• Book: Packer, David. Well Trained. Triangle Publishing. Leigh. 2003. 0-9529333-8-1.
• Book: Whittaker, Nicholas. Nicholas Whittaker. Platform Souls: The Trainspotter as Twentieth Century Hero. Gollancz. London. 1995. 0-575-05981-8 .

Notes and References

1. Book: Larson, Russ . 101. Kalmbach Publishing. N Scale Primer. Learn the lingo. 1974. Fourth printing, 1977. Milwaukee, WI.
2. Kisor, p. 5.
3. Book: Oxford English Dictionary. 5 March 2015. Gricer, n..
4. Web site: Gunzels . Tramway Museum Society of Victoria. 2 January 2004 . Campbell . Don . Trams Down Under . 5 October 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070905013728/http://www.tmsv.org.au/papers/gunzels.htm . 5 September 2007 .
5. News: Moynihan. Stephen. Rail Fans Celebrate Own Win as New Line Launched. The Age. 1 October 2007. 5 October 2007. 13 October 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20071013214347/http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/rail-fans-celebrate-own-win-as-new-line-launched/2007/09/30/1191090945555.html. live.
6. Web site: Trainspotting in Japan . 30 June 2022 . JRPass.com . en . 28 June 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220628185626/https://www.jrpass.com/blog/trainspotting-in-japan . live .
7. Web site: Gold. Scott. 12 May 2007. Train hobbyists are loco for that motion. Los Angeles Times. 19 June 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20211014122026/https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-foamers1-2008oct01-story.html. 14 October 2021.
8. McGrath . Ben . 29 August 2022 . All Aboard the Berkshire Flyer! . . Condé Nast . 5 September 2022 . 98 . 27 . 14 . 0028-792X . 10 September 2022 . 10 September 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220910203527/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/09/05/all-aboard-the-berkshire-flyer . live .
9. News: Barry. Dan. 7 November 2009. Awesome Train Set, Mr. Buffett. en-US. New York Times. 2 January 2022. 0362-4331. 5 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170805103205/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/weekinreview/08barry.html. live.
10. Web site: village voice > nyclife > Forbidden Photos, Anyone? by Matt Haber . 28 February 2005 . 18 March 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20050228050013/http://www.villagevoice.com/nyclife/0423%2Chaber%2C54075%2C15.html . 28 February 2005 .
11. Web site: Is it really illegal to take pictures in the train station? Transit agencies have differing policies for photographers videographers a . Hudson Reporter. 23 December 2014 . 2 March 2018 . 13 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220413181344/https://archive.hudsonreporter.com/2015/01/04/is-it-really-illegal-to-take-pictures-in-the-train-station-3/ . live .
12. Web site: Railway enthusiasts . Network Rail . 25 September 2015 . 30 December 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161230011425/https://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/777.aspx . live .
13. Web site: Filming & photography on TFL. 16 May 2018. 6 April 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220406212530/https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/filming-and-photography/filming-and-photography-on-tfl?intcmp=1594. live.
14. Web site: Photography and filming nexus.org.uk . Nexus. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20191112215059/https://www.nexus.org.uk/metro/looking-after-our-passengers/photography-and-filming . 12 November 2019.
15. Web site: SMRT Trains: FAQs. SMRT Trains. 26 April 2019. 16 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220716154457/https://www.smrttrains.com.sg/Journey-with-Us/Travel-Information/FAQs#928060-are-there-any-other-details-i-need-to-take-note-of. live.
16. Web site: Adif - Permisos de aficionados. adif.es. es. 11 July 2017. 24 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210824042129/http://www.adif.es/es_ES/ocio_y_cultura/fotografia_ferroviaria/aficionados_fotografia.shtml. dead.
17. Web site: Legal case. 21 April 2016. 14 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160314231156/http://www.synigoros.gr/resources/docs/199930.pdf. dead.
18. Web site: распоряжение 1513р. 17 November 2018. 24 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210224132122/http://www.consultant.ru/cons/cgi/online.cgi?req=doc&base=EXP&n=428419#048836943327073. live.
19. Web site: Regio Decreto 11 luglio 1941, n. 1161. - Norme relative al segreto militare.. www.meniero.it/. 12 April 2013. 4 December 2013. 7 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210307220052/http://www.meniero.it/articoli/PDF/Regio%20decreto.pdf. live.
20. Web site: Decreto Legislativo 15 marzo 2010, n. 66. www.difesa.it/. 31 August 2015. 26 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211226180256/https://www.difesa.it/Content/Documents/Codice_aggiornato_con_DLgs_24febbraio2012.pdf. live.
21. Web site: Informationen für Hobbyfotografen und –filmer. 6 July 2022. 24 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210624124444/https://www.deutschebahn.com/resource/blob/1304188/55be4366e9cc7ffdb3df2b511fd18605/Informationen-fuer-Hobbyfotografen-und-filmer-data.pdf. live.
22. Web site: Foto-foto di Stasiun Kereta Api Harus Izin? Ini Penjelasan PT KAI . Aira . Tidar . 8 October 2022 . 6 August 2023 . Depok Today . Indonesian.
23. News: First recorded trainspotter was not man clad in anorak but 14-year-old girl Fanny Johnson . . Mark . Foster . 27 August 2014 . 1 August 2021 . 26 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211126074851/https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/11434053.first-recorded-trainspotter-not-man-clad-anorak-14-year-old-girl-fanny-johnson/ . live .
24. Nesbit, E. 1905. The Railway Children. London: Wells, Gardner, Darton. Ch. 3
25. Interview with Ian Allan as part of the Last Days of Steam broadcast as part of the Timeshift series, BBC Four, 5 April 2012
26. Book: Chard, Andy . Winners & Losers: Loco Bashing Tales from the 1990s . 8 . 2023 . Platform 5.
27. Web site: Carter . Gary . Everything You Need To Know About "Bashing" . (A Beginner's Guide) . Dreadful.org.uk . 27 March 2007 . 18 July 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070718224328/http://www.dreadful.org.uk/bashing.htm . live.
28. Railway Top Spots: Revisiting the Top Train Spotting Destinations of Our Childhood - by Julian Holland
29. News: Rare Mileage . American Heritage . 29 October 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081201164616/http://americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/2000/4/2000_4_23.shtml . 1 December 2008 .
30. Web site: Australian Railway Slang . Home.alphalink.com.au . 15 March 2012.
31. Web site: Hotham Valley Railway . Hotham Valley Railway. 15 March 2012 . 5 March 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220305090505/http://hothamvalleyrailway.com.au/new_page_3.htm . live .
32. Book: Tom Kneitel, K2AES. Rail-Scan: Directory of railroad scanner frequencies. CRB Research Books, Inc. 0-939780-12-7. 1990 . 1982. New York. 5–6.
33. Web site: 2018-11-07 . New railfan tower opens near Cincinnati. Trains. 2023-11-02 . en-US.
34. Web site: Cordele, Ga., opens viewing platform for busy, three-railroad diamond . 2023-11-02 . Trains . en-US.
35. Web site: BNSF Railway Asks Rail Fans for Cooperation To Keep America's Rail System Safe . 4 February 2008 . 7 June 2006. . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080208210827/http://www.bnsf.com/media/news/articles/2006/06/2006-06-07a.html . 8 February 2008.
36. Web site: British Transport Police advice to Rail Enthusiasts . British Transport Police. 13 August 2014 . 9 June 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170609122413/http://www.btp.police.uk/advice_and_info/travelling_safely/rail_enthusiasts.aspx . live .
37. News: Ripley. Amanda. Hobbyist or Terrorist?. time.com. 16 May 2004. 11 July 2015. 4 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210804165351/https://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,638410,00.html. live.
38. News: Phillips. Don. 'Railfans' Love Trains, But They Draw Stares From Cops After 9-11. orlandosentinel.com. 17 November 2002. 11 July 2015. 11 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150711235036/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2002-11-17/news/0211170082_1_railroads-whitenight-union-pacific. live.
39. Web site: Dead Metrolink engineer let railfans sit at controls . 12 November 2022 . Trainorders.com Discussion . 12 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221112205415/https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,1886730 . live .
40. Web site: Citizens for Rail Security has moved . 18 March 2015 . 10 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180710122409/http://www.citizensforrailsecurity.com/ . live .
41. Web site: Partners for Amtrak Safety and Security website . police.amtrak.com . 25 September 2014 . 10 July 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220710000019/https://pass.amtrak.com/ . live .
42. Web site: 30 June 2022 . Tokyo Police arrest 24-year-old suspect dubbed the 'Lego Kid' for stealing toys . 1 July 2022 . NextShark . en-US . 3 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221103112806/https://nextshark.com/tokyo-police-arrests-lego-kid/ . live .
43. Web site: 3 January 2014 . Train enthusiasts gone wild! Are Japan's train photographers losing their social graces? . 1 July 2022 . SoraNews24 -Japan News- . en-US . 7 September 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220907080040/https://soranews24.com/2014/01/04/train-enthusiasts-gone-wild-are-japans-train-photographers-losing-their-social-graces/ . live .
44. Web site: Auto . Hermes . 28 March 2022 . Japan's hardcore train fans accused of going off the rails The Straits Times . 1 July 2022 . www.straitstimes.com . en . 5 July 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220705214827/https://www.straitstimes.com/life/japans-hardcore-train-fans-accused-of-going-off-the-rails . live .
45. Web site: 6 August 2021 . Furious train otaku in Japan confront foreign bicyclist after he gets in the way of their cameras . 1 July 2022 . SoraNews24 -Japan News- . en-US . 11 August 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220811062022/https://soranews24.com/2021/08/07/furious-train-otaku-in-japan-confront-foreign-bicyclist-after-he-gets-in-the-way-of-their-cameras/ . live .
46. Web site: Railway enthusiasts . Network Rail. 15 March 2012 . 30 December 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161230011425/https://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/777.aspx . live .
47. News: Train spotter in narrow escape. 14 May 2010. 14 May 2010. BBC News. 12 March 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120312170647/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8683750.stm. live.
48. News: Railway buff filming in Suffolk fails to see express. 14 May 2010. 14 May 2010. BBC News. 6 May 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220506160040/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/suffolk/8682769.stm. live.