I was watching an interesting podcast about how autism relates to many other activities in life, and they mentioned that "collecting knowledge" and being "obsessed with a hobby" were signs of it. Without going into other aspects of the hobby that could also play into autism (such as the sounds, sensations, organization, etc), I think we can agree that Railfans aren't the majority or all that "normal." Otherwise TSW would be a top seller, not Call of Duty. To be clear, I'm not saying it's a BAD thing. Hobbys can be good expressions for people who have issues with socializing or relating to other people and society. It's an outlet like any other hobby and can be healthy. From interactions on here, while the Internet isn't known for encouraging close interaction (it's rather impersonal by nature), I'm wondering if some of the communication issues spring from that obsession and perhaps the fact that we're all just a bit "odd" by nature. We are just passionate and that tends to lead to misunderstandings, assumptions, missing social cues, and sometimes a narrow focus on particulars. Just curious.
I'm autistic and have a strong interest in railroads/trains. I also have a strong interest in aircraft. Both circles are in some ways considered weird. I'm often asked why I like specific interests and my answer is always, because I do. I find them fascinating, as Mr Spock would say. A friend used to hate it when I would randomly talk about trains or planes, wanting to see trains or planes and would be bored immediately. However, she did lighten up a bit on the aircraft front after she saw Vulcan XH558 on its last flight weekend back in 2015 and was awestruck by the size and sound. She also seemed to enjoy a visit to a local aviation museum and was asking me questions about specific aircraft. She hated me talking about trains a lot though after I volunteered at a heritage railway for a while and I called it work. Some people, even non-autistics, have specific interests. A family member hates it when I'm online gaming with him and I talk to another friend about trains in the party chat. I don't complain when he starts talking obsessively about Marvel or DC stuff though, even though I'm not into that kind of thing. I will say that, yes, being autistic and having those specific interests can cause issues with communication, especially if the topic is something you talk about too often. I struggle in general picking up social cues and have had a lot of misunderstandings with people due to the autism.
I wouldn't be surprised if I was somewhere on the spectrum, I think a good portion of the population is without even realizing it or acknowledging it. I think part of the issue is that it hasn't been until somewhat recently that we as a society (at least here in the US) has become more accepting and open about autism, providing more support, treatment, and tolerance, and just how vast the spectrum is. Growing up in the 90's, I don't think parents and doctors really thought anything of certain traits that nowadays would be pretty clear indications of being on the spectrum. Obviously someone who was on the extreme side and required special attention and care received it, and I always remembering the special education departments in the schools I attended being especially accepting and nurturing to those who needed it. That said, I don't particularly think neurodivergence was really on anyone's minds at the time, aside from people in the medical field who had a vested interest in it; most people would just chalk it up to a kid being especially weird. I do feel like there were definite signs in my case though. Being obsessed with things like trains, firetrucks, military vehicles, Star Wars, etc. to the point where I would study books, games, movies, and images with fierce focus and memorize facts and specs at such a young age. I would find myself drawing detailed pictures of trains and firetrucks, Star Wars ships... always striving for perfection in my artwork. At the same time I never really socialized outside my friend group of maybe half a dozen kids; I just never felt comfortable around people my own age, like I didn't fit in and never understood things that normal kids liked. Changing schools in middle school where I literally didn't know anyone was especially hard, especially going through puberty which was already awkward and stressful enough. I still had all of my obsessive interests, but just avoided sharing them or talking about them with people my own age. Trains especially, I would avoid talking about them like the plague with my peers and kids my age despite my passion for the topic... it just felt, I don't know, wrong? Going into high school it got a little better, and I was more open to embracing and sharing my obsessions especially as I made new friends and reconnected with old ones, but still mostly with adults and older people. As an adult I've been able to accept and embrace my interests, and while I consider them my passions I certainly don't feel that same obsession I had growing up. Part of it could be that my brain is now considered fully developed and I don't have the hormonal insanity of puberty clouding my thoughts and judgement, part could be that as an adult I've had to re-prioritize things to live responsibly, part could be that our current culture is more accepting of things we would used to typically think of as weird, nerdy, and/or different. Or it could be some combination of everything. I still get uncomfortable in large social gatherings where I'm forced to attend and interact with people outside of my regular social group, but otherwise I've learned to embrace my interests and quirks, and if people don't like it or accept it then I probably don't want them in my life anyways!
I've had a fascination with railways from small childhood. I'm also a chartered engineer. I think the two are related. I've never been tested for autism, so I can't say whether I have it or not, but probably not, although I am dyslexic. My grandfather was a civil engineer who worked for Canadian Pacific for a while. I think there are some inherited traits.
What I can say about this that it’s obviously it’s not a bad thing that things such as trainspotting is associated with autism, but what is annoying is that sometimes people think that EVERY train enthusiast is autistic, take me, I do not have autism but I like the railways, I just think that people need to understand that you can have an interest in things without having a ‘disability’…
Another Autistic Train Enthusiast here! I too have had a interest in trains from the beginning. I was officially diagnosed at the age of 5. When I was 1 I had the little plastic Thomas & Friends trains, I watched Thomas the Tank Engine on every single day until I was 8, I lost interest in it after they changed into CGI. Chuggington was another. My Auntie would take me onto the Tyne and Wear Metro every week, Howdon to South Shields and back was a regular. Being a 2000s kid, I had plenty of books on the subject, whether bed time stories or factual, and when I received my IPad Mini (1st Gen) and discovered the internet around that time, opening the can of worms of information regarding the railways, spending hours learning the different routes and TOPS classes. Trains are the only thing that has remained a constant interest in my life, despite Bob the Builder and Postman Pat making way for Minecraft and Terraria, the trains have stayed. I’m currently doing a College Course on Rail Engineering, and aspire to have some role in the Railway sector. I do think that (these days especially) Rail-fanning is associated with the disability. Indeed, both of my mates in College are on the spectrum and also have an interest. I’m not saying everybody is, but I do think it is more widespread and affects a greater percentage of the population than we think; remember, Autism comes in many different forms and it all comes down to where you fall of the spectrum.
I would hope people are not " self- diagnosing " this very serious condition. Autism or ASD are not simply behavioral conditions like OCD or an obsession with trains or some other hobby. Autism is a very serious condition that usually presents during early childhood and requires a specific diagnosis by a professional in the field. Autism is not some " fashionable " attribute that you can talk about without expert opinion. Just because you have a hobby or interest that consumes a good deal of your time to the exclusion of normal everyday activities doesn't necessarily mean you're autistic. Lots of people, especially young people, spend far too much time staring at computer screens. It just means you're obsessive or maybe lack social skills. Not the same thing at all. So be careful and not casual when you're discussing such a serious condition.
I don't believe I am autistic, I have never been assessed for it, I may well be of course but I grew up in an age when it wasn't even spoken about, If I am then I have got to nearly 50 without knowing about it. I have been into railways since childhood, influenced by my father and next door neighbour who were both railway enthusiasts, my neighbour was a BR guard and an early volunteer on the Severn Valley Railway. I do think it is great that conditions like autism are recognised, my nephew likely has some form of autism, however I do feel we are getting to the point where everyone has to have some kind of label. Surely this isn't helpful as it demeans those who do have conditions. It seems everyones child has ADHD now.
It doesn't really matter if you are or not from your point of view and what difference would it make if you knew one way or the other? My family and others think I am odd and I have questioned whether or not I have it but honestly it would not change anything if I was labelled with some "condition" or otherwise, it wouldn't change how I live, think or feel. I would just say that plenty of people have life long interests in railways though, just look at people like Pete Waterman! Its engineering, adventure and speed all rolled into one, what's not to like?
I was diagnosed as autistic several years ago. It's strange how when I was a child, I was described as a awkward little problem child! And now days my traits are acceptable! People think I'm weird yet when they find out I'm autistic I'm accepted into thier circles. Anyway I know plenty of people interested in railways, planes etc.. and by no means are they autistic. A lot of kids are obsessed with trains, it's a fact. So is a lot of kids are obsessed with football. Why would someone think that an obsession with trains is autistic yet an obsession with football isn't? Does anybody actually know the figures when it comes to tsw? Like how many people play tsw, is it in the 1000s, 1000000s, millions? Actually how many train drivers are there world wide? How many of those see it as.. just a job compared to how many do it because they love trains?
True in some extent, however people with autism are often intelligent enough to do a self-diagnosis. There's plenty of information about autism around the internet, and if the symptons sound extremely familiar to you, chances are you have it. Just having a niche interest isn't the only symptom of autism though. The world is changing and expects more of us. It doesn't surprise me that more people run into their problems with autism or ADHD. I feel the world used to be a lot more simple and autism-friendly. Additionally, science around autism and ADHD are relatively new, and there's a lot more knownledge gained about it in the past few decades.
I believe https://steamdb.info/app/2967990/charts/ is the only charts we actually have? DTG once said PC players were a third of the whole playerbase.
But that's just a 24 hour period. You could have 2000 players on one 24 hour period and 1500 different players in another. Would need to know the sales figures.
Not the perfect chart, but I believe the best one we have available. Unless there's one I'm not aware of. EDIT: But we're kinda heading off-topic.
I'm Autistic (Aspergers, actually, which is just higher functioning Autism). I'm a huge train lover, and as my profile picture and name indicate, I'm a huge Star Wars fan. I've loved trains since I was four years old. I probably will never stop being a train lover. Trains are just so big, loud, and cool.
When it comes to conditions or anything to do with mental health man knows nothing, they haven't even scratched the surface, there are no experts sadly, it is not as black and white as people believe.
I am not autistic, and in actual fact aren't interested in railways in the same way most here (probably) are. Although where I lived and what my Father did as a job essentially made my childhood be surrounded by and rely on the railways, my interest only grew once I got my job on the railways and so could appreciate how much goes into operating them and of course there is the nostalgic element of it which has developed as I have got older. However, working on the railways for such a long time has led me to interact with many enthusiasts and spotters and I just think no matter whether someone has a condition or not, as long as you are respectful, there is nothing wrong with standing at the end of a platform to see a train go past and certainly, in my book, should not solely lead to it meaning people being associated with conditions which can affect some very seriously.
I'm autistic. I do think that does help my liking towards trains, however I think that overall the main thing that got me into trains was the simple fact that I grew up riding trains (namely the Class 150s) daily. My dad was always in work and my mum couldn't drive, so getting trains was the only way me and my mum could get out of the house when my dad was in work.. that's where my interest in trains started, I think the autism just helped that liking grow into what it is now, that and the fact that I do now see some interesting trains; like 37s and so on! I do however think my interest in buses, trucks and cars is primarily because of autism.. I don't film those (trains are the only things I film) but I take pictures of nice cars/buses/trucks, if I see any, and I go to quite a few vehicle shows; like one held very close to me; the Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza! (as seen below, with a British Steel truck - thought it was somewhat fitting with trains..?)
This probably belongs in off topic but I do find this topic interesting and I think you make good points. So I’m a social worker and in grad school to go further in social work (and I’m autistic) so I can comment on this from a clinical and personal perspective. Under the DSM V-TR diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder, some of the criteria include restricted interests and obviously difficulty with social interaction. While not specifically mentioned in the DSM, my grad school classes have mentioned that often these restricted interests are “hard” things like trains, trucks, planes, tanks, math, civil engineering, computers, and other technical things. It’s possible but less common to see restricted interests in topics like art, film, music, literature, or politics. I think this ties into the second big part of ASD that I think affects how we interact with the train sim community, and that is rigidity and routine. Us autistic folks tend to prefer routine, predictability, and structure. Things that disrupt our routines can be quite distressing. Nuance and things not being “just right” can also be difficult for autistic people to adapt to. It makes sense why people with autism tend to have “harder” interests. Trains and computers have specific qualities that are either true or not that don’t require much abstract thought or grey areas. This is also probably why lack of realism can be quite upsetting for many in the community. Something bothers us about something not being “just so” or “how it should be”. I’m not jumping down DTG’s throats online but I also refuse to do conductor mode from the front 3 quarters of US trains because I can’t stand the lack of proper horn and bell usage. At least from the last car I can pretend I’m just too far to hear it. Does it make sense? Probably not if you’re neurotypical. But it makes a lot of sense if you have autism or have clinical training to diagnose or work with autistic people. It’s certainly a dynamic you won’t see in CoD or Fortnite. But you do see it in other games. Look at the people who’ve leaked classified information and risked jail time because they couldn’t stand inaccuracies in tanks in WoT and War Thunder. So yeah, your idea makes a ton of sense. I generally never thought about it before and I’m glad you brought it up.
Nice to see a Seddon Atkinson in your picture above trainguy. My late Father drove one of those when he worked for a now long gone company called Hales Cakes. His Seddon was amazingly powerful, it could accelerate up to 70MPH quickly with a trailer full of cake with ease on the hill between Clevedon in Somerset and the split level on the M5, it was a beast of a truck. Space_ace96, your post makes so much sense to me.
Late-diagnosis autistic here. I think it's fair to say my depth of interest in some subjects/hobbies would be considered unusually deep! Some things more so than my interest in railways. I was into trains as a kid and have returned to them in the last few years. One thing I've found reading the forum very useful for is increasing my knowledge of proper procedures so I can follow them in TSW, even when the game doesn't enforce them. Makes it more real and fun.
It's also a spectrum. It's not a light switch. People may have a "tendency" without it interfering with daily activities. It's only when it becomes an impediment to normal living that it becomes a "disability."
Tough to say exactly. Hundreds of thousands of people have downloaded at least one of the TSW games, but that's not the same as actively playiing regularly and we only really have stats for Steam not XBox or Playstation which are the majority of players. All we can definitely say is it's tens of thousands every day on Steam. Which depends on your point of view if that's a lot or not. To me 50,000-100,000 people is a lot... but compared to Call of Duty or Fortnite I suppose it's a drop in the bucket.
Sales figures don't tell you how many people play it regularly. The daily figures are roughly similar across months.
