Most 'cranky' department

[87015]

Was wondering over the weekend, whilst repeatedly seeing some familiar faces, what do people reckon is the department/division/job whatever which has the highest number or concentration of cranks/enthusiasts in it? In or out the closet both counts I feel!

You'd expect a high number in retail and traincrew positions, purely because these are generally the largest number of employees (in a TOC anyway) but I reckon by concentration of enthusiasts they may be beaten by other postions

Control always seems to have a few I find, what do others think?

 

[Soupstone]

Training Schools.

 

[Anon Mouse]

Training Schools.

no, there were its beaten out of you with a big stick!

 

[Matt Taylor]

I would have to agree with 'Training Schools', more cranks than the local nuthouse.

 

[AlexS]

Signallers!

 

[lm321412]

Its clearly the platform dispatchers :roll:

 

[Fincra5]

Its clearly the platform dispatchers :roll:

Yep, from experience its platform staff. Any interest is beaten out of you at training school...

 

[scotsman]

Going to ruin it and say railtour Stewards, if they count?

 

[Galvanize]

With me at Southern, I've come across several conductors and drivers who are "out and proud" cranks! At my station, I believe I'm the only one properly into railways, though a couple of them have a fleeting interest in "Steam".

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Train Planning I found! There were a few train cranks there, as well as some bus cranks.

 

[33056]

Signallers!

No way, I know plenty of signallers and drivers and there are far more outright cranks amongst the latter.

 

[Minilad]

At my depot you are considered strange if your not a crank / enthusiast / photter / ned/ whatever else

 

[AlexS]

No way, I know plenty of signallers and drivers and there are far more outright cranks amongst the latter.

Outright cranks and cranks is a different matter

I know a lot of signallers who would never admit to it, but that are secretly cranking away all day.

 

[nr_signaller]

Outright cranks and cranks is a different matter

I know a lot of signallers who would never admit to it, but that are secretly cranking away all day.

Rubbish! Lol

 

[junglejames]

Drivers defo. Plus i can imagine planners would have a few.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Drivers defo. Plus i can imagine planners would have a few.

Are you just repeating what's been said above?

 

[spacehopper]

Can't say I've come across too many cranks in any grade, but the ones you know about do tend to stand out and its very noticeable.

Seems to be two camps- the out and proud spotter type- who go to gala days and travel by train on their days off etc. Who aren't ashamed to be seen taking photos on stations. Spend time fiddling around on TRUST, out on the platform when a "special" comes through.

Then the more conservative types who keep their more limited enthusiasm under wraps. These can be those who having a "passing" interest or just a more specialist localised part of the hobby like models.

Tends to be more of a middle aged thing, so more likely to see it in Network Rail bods or those working in control.

Most people on the railway these days will have come in off the street and would've been pretty clueless about the railway- its just another job to them. The odd spotter that does work on the railway will obviously be more knowledgeable which I think is a good thing.

 

[Anon Mouse]

Outright cranks and cranks is a different matter

I know a lot of signallers who would never admit to it, but that are secretly cranking away all day.

maybe something that rhymes with cranking?

 

[strange6]

maybe something that rhymes with cranking?

I can't see how signallers get the time off work to do a lot of banking, merchant or otherwise

 

[Anon Mouse]

Yeah, there are some folks that I work with who are cranks but keep it very quiet and some of them do not suspect their collegues are cranks. I kept it very quiet when I first started for fear of ridicule and slowly outed myself over a period of time. Some of my Collegues that are out and out cranks do get some stick and are seen as being a bit eccentric which is sad and annoying.

It doesnt help when as I was sitting on another companies unit alongside a special I overheard two members of staff making fun of the cranks, tooting the horn and shouting "get a life spotters" which I thought was really bad and made me discretly put my notebook and camera out of view and note the locos number on my phone as to look like I was texting!
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I can't see how signallers get the time off work to do a lot of banking, merchant or otherwise

depends on the box I guess!

 

[Minilad]

maybe something that rhymes with cranking?

That would explain a lot with a few of the boxes on my patch