well atleast i tried

[networkrail1]

Today i went to the DRS kingmoor TMD open day the idea was to try and see what exactly rail enthusiasts see in locos and try and get into an enthusiast mind.

Well i failed miserably, i met 2 forum members from here (both railstaff) and i must say they tried their best to help me understand but i ended up leaving with more questions than answers.

So maybe some people on here could try and help me.

Why would you stand out in the pouring rain (and i mean pouring) with your camera just to take a pic of a 37 yet there is a 37 which looks identical in the shed and which is undercover.

Why would you travel miles just to see 1 certain loco they all look the same other than the numbers i can't understand why.

Why would you stand in the pouring rain in a queue for an hour with no shelter just to see that certain loco.

I have many more questions but i will leave it at that for now hope someone can help.

All the best.

Simon

 

[Striker]

I fear you're going to end up with even more questions now and a ten page thread after posting that.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

I fear you're going to end up with even more questions now and a ten page thread after posting that.

Ten? More like 50. In fact, this will probably be this summer's equivalent of last year's wheelchair discrimination thread!

 

[Nonsense]

Today i went to the DRS kingmoor TMD open day the idea was to try and see what exactly rail enthusiasts see in locos and try and get into an enthusiast mind.

Well i failed miserably, i met 2 forum members from here (both railstaff) and i must say they tried their best to help me understand but i ended up leaving with more questions than answers.

So maybe some people on here could try and help me.

Why would you stand out in the pouring rain (and i mean pouring) with your camera just to take a pic of a 37 yet there is a 37 which looks identical in the shed and which is undercover.

Why would you travel miles just to see 1 certain loco they all look the same other than the numbers i can't understand why.

Why would you stand in the pouring rain in a queue for an hour with no shelter just to see that certain loco.

I have many more questions but i will leave it at that for now hope someone can help.

All the best.

Simon

If you don't have the calling, I wouldn't worry.

Its over twenty years since I last 'spotted' a train, and it was after watching a fellow spotter genuinely distressed that a coal train was accelerating away before he'd recorded the number of every wagon in his little book, that I began to reassess my interests. Discovered girls shortly after that too, and beer.

True story.

 

[Oswyntail]

Nostalgia. Not(obviously) going back to the trains of my far distant youth, but reconstructing the childish excitement of a "cop", the return of a favourite loco, or the vist of a rarity.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

So maybe some people on here could try and help me.

I regret that I can't help. It would never enter my mind to do what you did today, and I am generally unable to identify one class of whatsit from another.
I can, however, recognise the difference between an 08 shunter and a 91 'Electra' - (one takes me home, the other goes very slowly!) - and I feel that even that degree of observation makes me something of 'a nerd' in most people's eyes!

Actually, I'm being a little disingenuous otherwise I wouldn't be posting on here! However, my interest is limited to very specific areas and my knowledge is even more limited; even with a steam enthusiast for a father, I'm not sure I quite understood his fascination for trains - something he still wanted to talk about in his last days, but having had developed my own career I must acknowledge that the Railways are a part of it.

But standing in the rain to photograph an every-day loco? Hmmmm.

 

[newbie babs]

Because your passionate about something that means a lot to you and you enjoy it.

You could ask

"Why do people scream at Take That and queue for hours for their tickets " or queue up for the X factor in the rain and they can`t sing a note

Trains seem a much better option.

 

[Minilad]

Because your passionate about something that means a lot to you and you enjoy it.

You could ask

"Why do people scream at Take That and queue for hours for their tickets " or queue up for the X factor in the rain and they can't sing a note

Trains seem a much better option.

Couldn't have put it better myself. All hobbies look a bit strange to those who don't do them. As long as you are within the law and enjoying what you do, then do it.
It always makes me smile that some hobbies are socially acceptable and others are not. Railways seem not to be.

 

[kyrano]

Because your passionate about something that means a lot to you and you enjoy it.

You could ask

"Why do people scream at Take That and queue for hours for their tickets " or queue up for the X factor in the rain and they can't sing a note

Trains seem a much better option.

why do people go to see f1 racing to watch racing cars go round in circles ??

you only pass through this life but once , enjoy what you are doing and be happy.

 

[Minilad]

why do people go to see f1 racing to watch racing cars go round in circles ??

you only pass through this life but once , enjoy what you are doing and be happy.

Except fannying around on 390s obviously

 

[scotsman]

Today i went to the DRS kingmoor TMD open day the idea was to try and see what exactly rail enthusiasts see in locos and try and get into an enthusiast mind.

Well i failed miserably, i met 2 forum members from here (both railstaff) and i must say they tried their best to help me understand but i ended up leaving with more questions than answers.

So maybe some people on here could try and help me.

Why would you stand out in the pouring rain (and i mean pouring) with your camera just to take a pic of a 37 yet there is a 37 which looks identical in the shed and which is undercover.

Why would you travel miles just to see 1 certain loco they all look the same other than the numbers i can't understand why.

Why would you stand in the pouring rain in a queue for an hour with no shelter just to see that certain loco.

I have many more questions but i will leave it at that for now hope someone can help.

All the best.

Simon

I suggest you read Jeremy Clarkson's 'I know you got soul' - that explains part of my affliction.

I suppose it goes back to when I was a kid. It always brought me great joy to ride on a train. Then I saw a train that looked like the bottles of Virgin cola that I recognised from when my parents when shopping. It was bright red. Red was my favourite colour.

I got to go on it, I appreciated the difference between the train I usually got to Edinburgh and this one. I preferred 'the Virgin one'

That was when I was about 4. I always kept an interest, but it was when I was 13 and got my first decent camera that I took a real interest. To me, they were interesting therefore, they were worthy of a photo. Then I soon had a collection of roughly similar photos, I got bored. I decided to go for special trains, they were never the same. At the same time I was doing the same with my camcorder. I was uploading them to Youtube, I watched other people's videos. From these videos I saw that some were very enthusiastic over the Valenta engines in Class 43 locos - I, somewhat daftly, saw these people as cool. I learned to love the Valenta engine, which possibly was because it was distinctive, pleasing and a firm childhood memory. I remember a day in December 2008, Valentas were on the way out, it was cold and frosty and I woke up at 10am. Bollocks. I woke up at the same time as, what should have been a Valenta engined power car left Inverkeithing for Edinburgh - I knew this,
because I'd checked the diagrams the night before. I resolved to head to the Divit to catch the next HST to Waverley at 12 anyway.

I remember my heart sinking as I watched an MTU power car and 9 identical coaches glide in. 'Oh well,' I though, 'Wait a minute!' I listened. I heard the familiar deep, thoaty rattling-rumble of a Valenta. I smiled from ear to ear.

That was the last time I rode behind a Valenta in Scotland.

Of course, I was a fan of other types of engines too. By April 2009, I had a number of friends who were rail enthusiasts - this changed everything. It was no longer an anti-social hobby. I gained just as much enjoyment from their banter and the journey, as the trains.

Now, I take the odd video. I take more pictures, but I try to be arty. My interest lies in photography, not taking pictures.

A lot of my enjoyment from the railways comes from helping others enjoy them, hence why I enjoy stewarding SRPS Railtours and checking tickets (but more importantly, answering questions) as a Travelling Ticket Inspector on the Strathspey Railway. If I went into the railways, there's every chance I'd pursue a career as a Guard, without considering being a Driver. I'm a nosey and a social person, I like being around and dealing with people.

I can now say that, despite everything, I'm 17, got some excellent mates - many of whom don't give a toss about trains -had a girlfriend (don't ask how long for, that bit's not important!) and discovered the awesomeness of drinking in the Meadows in Edinburgh.

I think that should explain the mindset at any rate.

 

[d9009alycidon]

Why does my Brother-in-Law go out every weekend rain, hail, snow or shine to bag that 56th Munro
Why Does my Father-in-Law spend most weekends up to his waist in freezing cold water wit a big pole in his hand trying to get a fish to bite, that he is going to throw back anyway.
I cannot understand them, but they enjoy it, so good on them.

Jim

 

[Bittern]

Sometimes it's all about passion. Some people have passion for modern diesels and others for old cars. Everyone's different and it seems you don't have this diesel passion many do, or at least not on the level of many others.

I admit, I'd rather sit in Mcdonalds with a hot coffee when it's pouring wet than stand around to see a 37. Although, if it's a steam loco, I'll take that coffee to go. For me, it's not nostalgia when it comes to steam as I'm not old enough to have known it in my everyday world, but it's more of a true love for these machines that are almost alive.

If that makes no sense, I apologize. This isn't something easily explained.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

But standing in the rain to photograph an every-day loco? Hmmmm.

Sadly, 37s aren't everyday locos anymore.

 

[Spaceflower]

Its a man thing. I'm no trainspotter, but I'm equally as nerdy and excitable over the dullest of things with regards to my fishing, my dad is the same with pigeons, he never tires of writing out ring numbers, etc.

once something grabs the imagination of a man he has an uncanny knack of turning it into a nerdy obsession.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Never really trainspot, i enjoy watching trains but i do not take numbers as it is something that i would find a bit pointless but that is only my opinion. I know the differences in classes and take an interest in operations.

If a railtour is coming through run by something particularly interesting eg bittern, or scots guardsmen then i will go and see it, if its a pair of 37's i leave sighting things like that to chance because of the amount of railtours that run with them.

If its raining i dont go to watch a train, i may take a ride on one but not go watch them. Even if it was flying scotsman.

For me its what you see whether it be wierd people or people carrying fridges, the view out of the window or the various yards. I dont know the difference in wagons but i enjoy passing through them and nosying at stuff like that.

So like the parts of the hobby that interest you and leave it at that, otherwise it becomes unenjoyable.

 

[northernrail]

Well whats your intrests and what makes you want to carry them out.

(Not the best wording but i can´t think of any better way to say it)

 

[Bittern]

Its a man thing. I'm no trainspotter, but I'm equally as nerdy and excitable over the dullest of things with regards to my fishing, my dad is the same with pigeons, he never tires of writing out ring numbers, etc.

once something grabs the imagination of a man he has an uncanny knack of turning it into a nerdy obsession.

It's not gender specific.

 

[NLC1072]

If you don't have the calling, I wouldn't worry.

Its over twenty years since I last 'spotted' a train, and it was after watching a fellow spotter genuinely distressed that a coal train was accelerating away before he'd recorded the number of every wagon in his little book, that I began to reassess my interests. Discovered girls shortly after that too, and beer.

True story.

Best of both worlds, don't count the numbers, just take the girl, on a train which has a buffet full of beer!

Although I don't get the spotting of wagons though =S

 

[heart-of-wessex]

For me it's unexplainable. Many have their own answers to use and I've followed on with it, a bit like the PCSO who didn't come to tell me off but to say 'why do you like them, I've never understood the answer' well you won't from me, as all I say is 'why do people like Fishing, golf, stamp collecting' etc

To say why travel thousands of miles to see an identical loco would be like me (who never catches on with Golf) saying to a golf nut 'why travel to all these different courses on tour when they all look identical?' For a non enthusiast, to me their are identical but they would have to spend hours explaining it to me...which then works in the same way as the orginal question the OP asked :P


James.

 

[BestWestern]

I used to 'spot' when I was a lad, but I've not done so now for many years. However, I'm still in my element watching and being around trains (the satisfaction levels do fluctuate when 'being around' involves working for a living! ). It's just the quiet fulfillment of being around something which you like, can't really put it any better than that! I get a feeling of fulfillment being around scantily-clad ladies during the summer months too, same difference Now, a train full of said ladies....oh, just too much

Seriously though, it's true that if you don't share a hobby or passion you very probably won't understand it. Fishing always gets me, sitting all night or in the pouring rain on a muddy riverbank, the odd flash of excitement when a piece of litter rattles your rod, not my cup of tea. But many others get great satisfaction, and that's fair enough. Be a dull world if we all did the same stuff!

 

[4SRKT]

I don't really get the premise of this thread. I wouldn't go onto a football fans' website and say, well, at least I tried to like football, but I don't really get the appeal. Because it railways, and because enthusiasts have such an unfair bad press, people seem to think it's fair game to express bewilderment at their interest, which is no more or less irrational or 'wrong' than any other pastime.

 

[WestCoast]

I don't really get the premise of this thread. I wouldn't go onto a football fans' website and say, well, at least I tried to like football, but I don't really get the appeal. Because it railways, and because enthusiasts have such an unfair bad press, people seem to think it's fair game to express bewilderment at their interest, which is no more or less irrational or 'wrong' than any other pastime.

Well said. You can't explain things like this to people, nor should you have to explain yourself...

I like travelling on (most) trains, but I am not interested in spotting them, but that's just my interest, I don't find anything "weird" about people who do it, that's just their interest.

I occasionally go to Manchester Airport Viewing Park, to watch the aircraft and I have noticed that "planespotting" seems to be slightly more acceptable (:roll than trainspotting, I've spoken to families on a day out to see the Airbus A380, when none of them were "planespotters" as it were

 

[Greenback]

Well said. You can't explain things like this to people, nor should you have to explain yourself...

I like travelling on (most) trains, but I am not interested in spotting them, but that's just my interest, I don't find anything "weird" about people who do it, that's just their interest.

I occasionally go to Manchester Airport Viewing Park, to watch the aircraft and I have noticed that "planespotting" seems to be slightly more acceptable (:roll than trainspotting, I've spoken to families on a day out to see the Airbus A380, when none of them were "planespotters" as it were

Seconded. I find a lot of activities interesting, and a lot completely uninteresting. Each to their own - there is nothing to explain!

 

[Madge Wildfire]

What I don't understand is why someone who doesn't understand anything about railway enthusiasm would deliberately find an enthusiasts forum and ask why they are enthusiastic.

I dont understand people who like to keep snakes as a hobby, but I don't go to the snake forum and ask them to explain exactly what excitement they get from seeing a 6 foot reptile curled up in a glass tank (hopefully that is where they keep them at that size).