Am I The Only Person Who Really Can't Stand The Term "railfan"?

Discussion in 'Off Topic' started by james64, Jul 30, 2022.

  1. james64

    james64 Well-Known Member

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    I never really saw it used until I started spending time on these forums, and I've heard it crop up a lot in some DTG streams. I'm not sure if it's an Americanism that's starting to be adopted in the UK, or if it's something younger enthusiasts are beginning to use (while I myself am quite young (a gen z), I never spend time with other enthusiasts my age so I wouldn't know), but there's just something about it that makes me cringe whenever I hear it, or even see it written.

    It just sounds "fake", if that makes sense. It sounds like something someone came up with to make the hobby sound trendy. There's nothing wrong with just saying a "rail enthusiast" or a good old fashioned "trainspotter". Is it just because we've decided to wage war on terms with too many syllables? Have we started calling Bus spotters "Busfans" or Planespotters "planefans"? Because I still hear both of those old terms still going strong, at least to my admittedly limited knowledge. As I said, before I started using this forum I didn't even know the term existed, so maybe I'm the one that needs to play catch up.

    Either way, there's just something about it that rubs me the wrong way. Does it matter? Of course not. But I still want to complain about it.
     
  2. Commiee

    Commiee Well-Known Member

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    I use "rail enthusiast" and "railfan" interchangeably. Even though I prefer the former, in informal quick chats on Discord, etc you do sometimes use different terms in flowing conversations without giving it too much thought. But "trainspotter" is not really an equal alternative I think - there are many people who have never done trainspotting (either because there are no railways in their country/locality, or because they just haven't felt compelled to get involved in trainspotting) but are major railway enthusiasts.
     
  3. shhweeet#4292

    shhweeet#4292 Well-Known Member

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    As someone who isn’t an out and out train enthusiast and definitely not a trainspotter but merely someone who has a passing interest in trains, as in I quite like them but am not obsessed with them, Rail Fan perfectly sums me up.
     
  4. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    The term Rail fan isn't the same as a trainspotter (which in the UK has a derogatory meaning for someone who sits at the end of a platform wearing a rain mac taking down numbers of trains in their little notebook)
    A rail fan would be anyone interested in anything to do with trains or railways so is more encompassing than a train enthusiast, whether it be signalling, track, riding trains, talking about trains, playing train games etc etc

    So whilst I can see "railfan" sounds a bit pants (and possibly too close to fanboi for comfort) it's not really something I'd get offended by
     
  5. james64

    james64 Well-Known Member

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    I stopped taking numbers a couple of years ago, but I never felt offended when someone called me a trainspotter, and I still don't now. Nowadays I prefer taking photos of trains, trying to get pictures of as many members of each class as possible, which now that I say it out loud I realise is the exact same as "spotting", just instead of a notebook and pen I just have the camera on my phone.

    I suppose I can see why some people are put off by "trainspotter", it does seem to have some negative connotations these days but it's never bothered me personally. I find that whenever you tell someone that trains are your main hobby they roll their eyes and feign interest anyway, regardless of the specific term you use.
     
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  6. Kitten

    Kitten Active Member

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    Seems pretty innocuous term to me; I guess I am a railfan. It's helpful also for international community, as it is plain reading rather than a loan word like "anorak" for trainspotter, or otaku.
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2022
  7. Blacknred81

    Blacknred81 Well-Known Member

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    Still better than being called a "Foamer"
     
  8. I've always known spotters as anoraks. When I'm out with my boy I often imagine being called the same thing as the trains pass by with passengers pointing at us.
     
  9. IsambardKingdomBrunel

    IsambardKingdomBrunel Well-Known Member

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    I can't repeat what we used to call them, in my time on BR. :D :D ;)
     
  10. Tigert1966

    Tigert1966 Well-Known Member

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    I didn’t mind being called a trainspotter when I was younger. I very much enjoyed trying to cross out every Class 50 in my book at Newton Abbot station. These days I don’t collect numbers, I live in Switzerland now, within half a kilometre of 2 stations and there are just too many trains. I think both Rail Fan and Rail Enthusiast are fine.
     
  11. Kitten

    Kitten Active Member

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    What does foamer mean?

    I heard the term "veg" recently in this video. What does it mean?


    Here's timestamp as the embed removed it:
    Code:
    https://youtu.be/-FbGLVjWp9Q?t=440
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2022
  12. Blacknred81

    Blacknred81 Well-Known Member

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    Derogatory term for a railfan here in the states, someone who is such one, that they "Foam at the mouth" at things like Heritage Units, Steam Excursions, etc.....
     
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  13. junior hornet

    junior hornet Well-Known Member

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    I don’t like labels in general but sometimes it’s useful to use them purely to aid communication.
     
  14. OldVern

    OldVern Well-Known Member

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    Gricer, crank, ned and indeed "veg" were common descriptions applied to enthusiasts in the 80's and early 90's. A "basher" was generally a haulage/mileage enthusiast as opposed to a "spotter".

    Here's an extract from Rail UK forums which might elaborate a bit...
    "Crank is an old style railfan. Spend all their times shoving people out of the way on trains in order to get the best window positions. Also known as the Coach A Crew.

    Veg are photters of sorts, famous for flying up in a car at points along certain trains routes grabbing pictures and then disappearing again. Veg because they don't move around very much, seen sitting in the same places at the same stations time and time again.

    Hellfire, Dreaful and My Lordz are all just basically enthusiastic 70's/80s style yells from a basher who has got lucky with a rateable loco or just had a particularly nice ride behind something special."


    And especially in the early to mid 80's the more extreme element even developed their own patois - another quote courtesy of Rail UK:

    "We got a compo in a crankex, out the window we saw a few baglets among the ethels. Fortunately we didn't get a bog unit. there were not many Cattle on the train, but plenty of sheep. It was a hellfire riot!
    Translation:
    We got a compartment on an enthusiast tour, out the window we saw a few fitties among the old women. Fortunatley we didn't get a bog unit. There weren't many track veg on the tour, but plenty of cranks following the example of others. It was a great trip!

    We would have made a minus 4 onto a yobex if we bailed at Crewe, but we rejected it, our main man got Gen that a large beast was at Warrington, so the cling-ons followed. Dreadful!
    Translation:
    We would have been 4 minutes early for a football train if we'd got off at crewe, but didn't do it, our informed man got information that an uncommon loco was at Warrington, so the people who followed us round came with us. Great!

    Some gricers were effing it and nearly got hossed but the fossil gripper wasn't desperate.
    Translation:
    Some enthusiasts were riding without a ticket and almost got caught, but the old guard wasn't worried.

    Our train was CAPE'd at Preston but all the disciples followed our Jed who took a fill-in move to Manchester where a large kettle that we required awaited us. We got a seminar, before boarding the wedged train, but we bailed at the next station due to a farce with a faulty peg.
    Translation:
    Our train was cancelled at Preston, but all the unexperienced entusiasts followed Jed (top 80s basher), who took an alternative train to Mancheser, where a large diesel with a boiler we required awaited us. We got a shot around the loco, before boarding the full train, but we bailed at the next station due to a signalling fault further on."

    Obvious, really, haven't you heard people talking like that on ex's?

    BTW - Veg also describes the people who just sit on a train to get the track / think they're top men because they do "heads out" from the rear coach of a leccy etc etc. Desprate/dribbling veg are people who sit on the end of a platform and wait for what they need, getting excited about various units etc. It's degrading to the people, but it's easier to say "who'd that veg" than point out a certain person in a crowd.
     
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  15. fabdiva

    fabdiva Well-Known Member

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    "Veg"etation - referring to linesiders.

    Aviation uses Avgeek these days.

    I also remember a certain Viz feature/hit piece on Trainspotters, though when you read it you realised it had been written by spotters
     
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  16. FD1003

    FD1003 Well-Known Member

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    Why would that be? From my experience when I went trainspotting with my stupid little camera a few years back all train and station crew have always been friendly with me, with many sounding the horn or even saying hi if they were stopped... but I guess my early age at the time might have made a difference...

    I get that some people might be over the top and start doing extremely stupid stuff like trespassing, but being excited about seeing a steam locomotive in action wouldn't result in you being considered a "foamer" here from my experience... jumping up and down for the same regional train on the other hand might result in other rail fans to consider you a bit "odd" though. But here trips with historic stock have generally a decent turnout, with a few trips being sold out pretty quickly.
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2022
  17. Blacknred81

    Blacknred81 Well-Known Member

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    When you see some of the stupid stuff some of these railfans do here in the states (Hold up traffic to pace, reckless driving to catch a train, Ignoring basic rail safety logic, stealing parts off of locos, etc.) you see why the word foamer exists.
     
  18. FD1003

    FD1003 Well-Known Member

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    I see... sad to hear this stuff happens there. I'm sure there are this kind of individuals everywhere but I guess they are more numerous in the states? I also seem to recall that they had similar problems with steam excursions on main lines in the UK but don't quote me on that
     
  19. royalscot#3684

    royalscot#3684 Well-Known Member

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    The discussion about Basher language reminded me of this legendary Uk documentary from the 1990s... sadly one of the stars 'Grandad' recently passed away...

     

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