People Just Dont Understand The Enthusiast

[theblackwatch]

You are correct. At the age of 14 I went on my first aolo train ride from Swansea to Milford Haven! It was a 37 plus 4 MkI compartment coaches! The guard sat in the compartment for a large part of the journey, asking me where Iw as from, where I was going and why! He wasn't nasty or interrogative, he was just very chatty and friendly, but I think he was concerned I might be a runaway or soemthing!

Railways can certainly teach you independence from an early age. I knew my way round a fair bit of the system early on, and when I was 11 went with my Grandma and her sister to London for a day -it was more me taking them round the place than them taking me as I knew the underground pretty well despite living in Yorkshire. After wearing them out dashing round all the tourist sights by tube, we ended up at London Bridge for a spotting session during the evening peak!

 

[At_traction]

In terms of interest, take football and cricket. Cricket is fascinating because of all the complications, how the game can unfold with all the twists and turns, how you never know what is coming next. The reason this happens is that the two teams are trying to do different things. Football, both teams are trying to do the same thing, and the game is basically predictable with only a few different possibilities. Why do you think I follow the interesting one?

Interesting in terms of very slow flow of game (and in the US the whole - called baseball there - made even slower by advert breaks), with the excitement along the lines of chess or curling (w/ inherent "nerdiness" of the proceedings in a sense)? And don't get me started on the corruption side! :roll:

*Gets coat and goes to watch paint dry - in slow motion*

 

[SouthEastern-465]

Nothing new there.
The same goes for the majority of interests.

Agreed.

I'm 15, and usaully get some nasty comments about being a railway enthusiast, I just take it as part of the hobby.

It also doesn't help that I love EMUs past and present, and I get quite alot of hassle from other enthusiasts sometimes, usually banter though. My reply to that is that diesals are farts in a bucket!

 

[NSE]

Haha farts in a bucket. Classic. Well I must say I agree with the whole independence thing, went on a school trip just four of us and a teacher to The Ritz. They seemed shocked they couldn't get a seat on the tube and that people will cram and squash you (Peak obv).
I nearly lost them as I flew through the ticket barriers haha benefits of growing up in London.

 

[junglejames]

Indeed. Just pursue your interest and enjoy it.

If people are getting challenged on stations it's probably because they're being a nuisance, maybe getting in the way or standing too near the platform edge.

There are plenty of stories of people with cameras being challenged, see elsewhere on the forum. But again, it's probably because they're ignoring the guidelines. If you respect others and follow any guidelines you'll be fine.

Unfortunately this isnt correct. Nice idea, but not how it works in general. There are so many stories out there about enthusiasts getting harassed by staff for absolutely no reason. They then make up rules that dont exist to try and get rid of you.
Once getting off a 37 charter in Kings X, we had security at the end of the platform. Why? After everybody had cleared, and keeping out of everybodies way, somebody set up a small tripod to take a picture. He was stopped. Told not to use a tripod. It was a plainly rediculous thing for the security guy to do. He didnt need to be there, let alone stop this harmless act that was well out of everybodies way.
That is nothing compared to some stories though. You can obey all the rules going, and still get stopped. Happens frequently. Then if you refuse to leave, they sometimes call the police.

 

[4SRKT]

The problem with all the current mania for 'security' is that it allows people who like minding other people's business to have some power. These people ordinarily would be unlikely to get any job where power was even a slight possibility, so we have to put up with nosey and unpleasant people lording it over their betters.

 

[junglejames]

People may not understand the enthusiast, but I often don't understand "normals". A few hours in a crowded HST trailer will inform you. What do they all talk about? Football, clubs, where they went on holiday, each other, music and television programmes. To me, that's utterly boring, because there's nothing different or exceptional about it. Sometimes I find people with an unusual interest, or an interesting past. Mostly, I just wish they'd all go away.

In terms of interest, take football and cricket. Cricket is fascinating because of all the complications, how the game can unfold with all the twists and turns, how you never know what is coming next. The reason this happens is that the two teams are trying to do different things. Football, both teams are trying to do the same thing, and the game is basically predictable with only a few different possibilities. Why do you think I follow the interesting one?

Railways are complicated, yet they are simple. A world in a chip of ballast, eternity in a half-minute.

So what about someone that likes railway, football and cricket?
Am I interesting and boring at the same time? Hey, perhaps im just strange! Dont give two hoots as long as our bowlers turn up tomorrow and show the Aussies whats what!

 

[Geezertronic]

Dont give two hoots as long as our bowlers turn up tomorrow and show the Aussies whats what!

[DIGRESS]We'll screw it up like we always do. Glad I didn't stay up last night [/DIGRESS]

 

[bnm]

[DIGRESS]We'll screw it up like we always do. Glad I didn't stay up last night [/DIGRESS]

What just like in '09 and '05?

 

[LE Greys]

So what about someone that likes railway, football and cricket?
Am I interesting and boring at the same time? Hey, perhaps im just strange! Dont give two hoots as long as our bowlers turn up tomorrow and show the Aussies whats what!

What have I started?

 

[E&W Lucas]

Moving swiftly on from the cricket (just seen the score from last night - oh dear!), I really don't see why anyone can complain about this: http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/777.aspx

You see dozens of enthusiasts at the major rail centres, seemingly being left in peace to pursue their hobby. To be honest, when they effectively take over platform waiting shelters, they're lucky that they are not moved on more often. Most staff just regard them as being part of the furniture, and have got more to be doing than to worry about them. I've only ever noticed that change when someone "steps over the mark." Such as flash photos (please see recent thread on that). Making staff or passengers uncomfortable with inappropriate conduct - let's be quite frank here, some of those that we are talking about have underdeveloped social skills. Interfering with people doing their jobs, and that includes pointing a camera at someone working without asking if they mind first. Showing a total disregard to their own safety - running frantically along the very edge of a packed platform to try and get a photo of a special typically. And simply the worst that I've ever seen - rushing giggling and pointing to take a photo of a HST that was pulling in with a smashed up front end. It had just been involved in a fatality.

Having an interest in railways when you're young does not always lead to ridicule, it just depends on how that interest manifests itself. If your interest was to be on a more active level, you could be learning skills and developing maturity. I'm particularly thinking about those who get involved with the more serious preservation outfits at an early age, and show that they can be trusted with responsibility. It was certainly something that prospective employers were interested in talking to me about as a youngster.

 

[Metroland]

I've never been ridiculed, ever, and have made many friends from it. But then I don't train spot (which many enthusiast don’t even understand) or go on about railways to people that are not interested. The only thing that irritates me is the way some enthusiasts, railwaymen and the media always run the railways and their interests down, among other things. It's become a “can't do” country, no wonder Daily Mail circulation has increased.

 

[TGV]

I've never been ridiculed, ever, and have made many friends from it. But then I don't train spot (which many enthusiast don’t even understand) or go on about railways to people that are not interested. The only thing that irritates me is the way some enthusiasts, railwaymen and the media always run the railways and their interests down, among other things. It's become a “can't do” country, no wonder Daily Mail circulation has increased.

Best post I've seen for ages. Couldn't agree more. I had a proper rant about this a few weeks ago when we had the snow last. The media - Sky News and the tabloids in particular were running our country down because they couldn't cope allegedly and apparently every other one can. Well here's a few Facts:

- We had ONE train - a Southern service on "Victorian" 3rd rail lines fail and passengers (around 200) were stuck overnight. DB had over 2000 - TWO THOUSAND passengers stuck on various trains in and around Frankfurt... but we never heard about that. The fact that on our much maligned track, we did a better job than other countries is never mentioned.

- SNCF cancelled just about every TGV service in Northern France. But in COLDER conditions, Virgin, East Coast and GW kept running trains - OK not to timetable, but they didn't give up.

- Geneva airport was CLOSED because of 10" of snow on the SAME DAY that Edinburgh airport was closed due to 12" of snow - but of course we keep hearing about "Swiss efficiency" and how clueless and inept we Brits are supposed to be...

I was at a railway conference at the time - one of the other delegates had worked with SJ - Sweden's national rail carrier and he said that in such rapid accumulations of snow even in Sweden they get cancellations and delays. They cope with the very deep winter snow as they do in Canada - BECAUSE THEY KNOW IT'S COMING WEEKS IN ADVANCE. That's CLIMATE - not a weather event like we had then and are having now. Huge difference. Sweden gets caught out just like we do in the same conditions.

So don't let the media bullsh*t you - this country does just as well/badly as any other. However unlike some countries, there isn't enough bloody national pride to admit it.

As for your comment about enthusiasts not being spotters - can't agree more. I've always had what I call an interest in railways, but not once have I ever felt the need to write numbers down or take photos of every train I see. Now - there's nothing wrong with it at all - if that's your passion - good on you. But there is a distinct type of enthusast that doesn't get anything from old fashioned "trainspotting" and I'm in that category.

 

[tbtc]

Best post I've seen for ages. Couldn't agree more. I had a proper rant about this a few weeks ago when we had the snow last. The media - Sky News and the tabloids in particular were running our country down because they couldn't cope allegedly and apparently every other one can. Well here's a few Facts:

- We had ONE train - a Southern service on "Victorian" 3rd rail lines fail and passengers (around 200) were stuck overnight. DB had over 2000 - TWO THOUSAND passengers stuck on various trains in and around Frankfurt... but we never heard about that. The fact that on our much maligned track, we did a better job than other countries is never mentioned.

- SNCF cancelled just about every TGV service in Northern France. But in COLDER conditions, Virgin, East Coast and GW kept running trains - OK not to timetable, but they didn't give up.

- Geneva airport was CLOSED because of 10" of snow on the SAME DAY that Edinburgh airport was closed due to 12" of snow - but of course we keep hearing about "Swiss efficiency" and how clueless and inept we Brits are supposed to be...

I was at a railway conference at the time - one of the other delegates had worked with SJ - Sweden's national rail carrier and he said that in such rapid accumulations of snow even in Sweden they get cancellations and delays. They cope with the very deep winter snow as they do in Canada - BECAUSE THEY KNOW IT'S COMING WEEKS IN ADVANCE. That's CLIMATE - not a weather event like we had then and are having now. Huge difference. Sweden gets caught out just like we do in the same conditions.

So don't let the media bullsh*t you - this country does just as well/badly as any other. However unlike some countries, there isn't enough bloody national pride to admit it.

As for your comment about enthusiasts not being spotters - can't agree more. I've always had what I call an interest in railways, but not once have I ever felt the need to write numbers down or take photos of every train I see. Now - there's nothing wrong with it at all - if that's your passion - good on you. But there is a distinct type of enthusast that doesn't get anything from old fashioned "trainspotting" and I'm in that category.

Spot on

 

[ainsworth74]

Well here's a few Facts:

Best post I've seen for ages.

 

[Geezertronic]

I'm not a spotter, I suppose I am an enthusiast. Only thing that narks me is the behaviour of some spotters/photographers who get quite arrogant at times when you get in their way or obscure their view.

And on the odd occasion this has happened to me, it has always been the older generation that have exhibited this behaviour towards me never the younger generation.

 

[Track Basher]

When it comes down to it if you enjoy what you are doing continue. What other people think does it really matter? We are all individuals and the world would be a very boring place if we were all the same. Are they really you friend? If they were they would like you for who you are not because you blend in with everyone else. You can have different sets of friends to do different things with you know.

This hobby has a number of different themes. There are those who will spend as much of their time as possible riding behind the same class of loco. Personally this is not for me I would much prefer visiting all parts of the network, travelling behind different classes of locos and taking photos, the cross dressing thing mentioned earlier in the tread has however never appealed. No my thing at all.

The choice of loco hauled trains have very slim pickings these days and I don't tend to bother what is in the picture but the quality of overall photo.

What can also happen is that things can change over time. I had just over 10 years off major travelling after getting married, self imposed due to other priorites to budgetary contraints (no spare money to give to the railway as we bought a house).

Over the last couple of years things have changed again and my eldest son is getting an interest in railways so I back riding round again. I have some good friends from this hobby and we still meet up a couple of times a year despite many of us living in different parts of the UK. Even with the 10 year gap in the middle. We still used to meet up once in a while and go to the pub.

My collegues in my department at work know I am interested in railways and they do joke where I am I going this weekend. Secretly I think they think I am mad but it is done in all good fun. A day trip from South Wales to Glasgow anyone? What is wrong with that? It has done me no harm over the years. I have visited many places they have not and it is their loss not mine. I do however not mention it to people from other companies I deal with as this is not very professional and they do not need to know. You do come across fellow enthusiasts in the most unlikely places, people who you were not expecting to be.

I think my advice here is that you will not know your school / college friends forever don't worry about what they think this is your hobby enjoy it while you want to. If you life changes and the time is not right for railways store you stuff safely away. DON'T THROW IT AWAY. Many people have done this and very much regretted it. You may find that a later time in your life you may wish to return.

I am very glad I stored away all my slides from the 80s and 90s as they could never be replaced.

I have spent the last 30 years or so being interested in railways I would not have changed anything and do not regret the 10 years away. My only partial regret is that I did not start taking photos a little earlier.

Links below to photos and trips I have done (as best I can remember), when you get past 40 you start forgetting.

 

[tbtc]

I'm not a spotter, I suppose I am an enthusiast. Only thing that narks me is the behaviour of some spotters/photographers who get quite arrogant at times when you get in their way or obscure their view

There are certainly some idiots who give enthusiasts a bad name (in the way that there are some staff who give professionals a bad name).

I'll not list the kind of behaviour, but we've all seen it, and it's embarassing. Shame is, it only takes one bad apple in either "camp" to give others a bad name.

 

[junglejames]

Spot on TGV. I always knew other countries suffered just as badly. Unfortunately we have some of the worst newspapers around, and everyone listens to them.
Are they slagging off our cricketers yet? Wouldnt surprise me if they are.

 

[jon0844]

It's somewhat ironic that in a thread of this nature people are slating others who like football.

Yes I thought that too! Much easier to say you just don't like football. No harm in saying that, rather than slagging it off or those who follow it.

 

[chuckles1066]

Indeed. Just pursue your interest and enjoy it.

Yep, I trainspotted in my youth, happiest days of my miserable existence in this $h1thole of a country.

Went all the way to Toton on a Sunday, asked the guy if I could look around the shed area (class 20's were gods then).............he looked at me like I was something he trod in and said no.

So I did it anyway.

Don't be deterred by the p1$$p00r attitude of others

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Yep, I trainspotted in my youth, happiest days of my miserable existence in this $h1thole of a country.

Went all the way to Toton on a Sunday, asked the guy if I could look around the shed area (class 20's were gods then).............he looked at me like I was something he trod in and said no.

So I did it anyway.

Don't be deterred by the p1$$p00r attitude of others

So you trespassed then?

 

[chuckles1066]

So you trespassed then?

Civil offence, can't be prosecuted for it unless you cause damage.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Civil offence, can't be prosecuted for it unless you cause damage.

Criminal offence on a railway.

 

[chuckles1066]

Criminal offence on a railway.

Never ever been proven in a Court of Law.

Trespass is trespass, the railways might like to think they're above the law but they aren't

Otherwise they'd spend their entire days in front of a District Judge trying to defend cases of late trains, non-arriving trains, short-formed trains......you get my drift.

 

[37401]

have you any stories of being challenged at a station or bridge

Nope, the other day when me and my mates did 67018 up the WCML some normals were asking if it was a special or something like that but thats about it

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Section 16 Railway Regulation Act 1840: it is an offence to wilfully trespass on any railway or premises connected therewith and to refuse to leave when asked to do so by any officer or agent of the railway company. 'Wilfulness' can be proved by the refusal to leave. The offence is punishable by one month's imprisonment.

Section 23 Regulation of the Railways Act 1868: this prohibits passage upon or across any railway line except for the purpose of crossing the line at an authorised point. A person commits an offence by so doing after having once received warning by the railway company, their servants or agents, to desist.

Section 55 British Transport Commission Act 1949 penalises trespass on railway lines or property in dangerous proximity to such lines or electrical apparatus. Evidence is required of a notice exhibited at the station nearest the place of offence providing a clear public warning not to trespass on a railway. Punishable by a fine.

I think the law might disagree with you

 

[4SRKT]

Anyway, show me the enthusiast who's in his 30s or older today who says he didn't trespass ever back then, and I'll show you a liar. We all did it every now and then, and this doesn't mean we'd condone it now. Call it a combination of youthful exuberance and a frankly totally different and much more lax era.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Shhh, no fighting at the back. Trespass on railway property: it's not clever and not legal. Have I done it - yes, it was part of my youthful teenage exuberance, some 25 years ago.

Track Basher: I agree with you about how it enables travel and geographic knowledge. My brother and I used to travel the four corners of the UK, completing our Rail Atlas and enjoying the independence.

I tell you what, in the years since, I've found it invaluable navigating when driving across country on A- and B-roads. No satnav for me, thanks!

For me, that's the stimulus I get - the voyage of discovery one associates with travel. It's what inspires my overload holidays around the world. The inclusion of rail travel is, of course, preferred but by no means mandatory.


Edit: 4SRKT! Ha, you posted as I writing! Our thoughts are one.

 

[LE Greys]

Perfect way to get to know a new country as well. You get to see what a place is really like, and speak to the locals if you know enough of the language. Might have something to do with the fact that you usually see the backs of people's houses rather than the fronts.