What's the point in trainspotting?

[Metroland]

My main interest in that regard is in finding ways that the speeds of modern rail services could be increased to levels that I would find reasonable - Such as increasing Pendo speeds on the WCML to around 550mph or so!

With those overhead lines, this could be some time Death

 

[Aussie_Rail]

Well if you don't like the term 'train spotter' you could call your self a 'gunzel'?

A gunzel is what Australian people are who like trains, trams and buses etc. Although it does have its variations, people who like buses are often called 'bunzels' and people who like planes are called 'plunzels'.

Basiclly the term 'gunzel' has been changed to 'enthusiast', so you get tram gunzels and bus gunzels and gunzels in general, if your going train spotting your going 'gunzelling' your going to check out a station and photograph it like it won't be there tomorrow, your going to 'gunzel' it. Understand?

Different places call train spotters different things. Other than gunzels we get called foamers too.


AR

 

[Phoenix]

Well if you don't like the term 'train spotter' you could call your self a 'gunzel'?

A gunzel is what Australian people are who like trains, trams and buses etc. Although it does have its variations, people who like buses are often called 'bunzels' and people who like planes are called 'plunzels'.

Basiclly the term 'gunzel' has been changed to 'enthusiast', so you get tram gunzels and bus gunzels and gunzels in general, if your going train spotting your going 'gunzelling' your going to check out a station and photograph it like it won't be there tomorrow, your going to 'gunzel' it. Understand?

Different places call train spotters different things. Other than gunzels we get called foamers too.


AR

In Australia is gunzeling something that people make fun of you for doing or are people a little more tolerant?

 

[anthony263]

I find nothing wromng with trainspotting since I do take notes of what train i travel on from Bridgend to Swansea and i also take note of what buses i have driven and i also phptograph them.

i dont however like it when people say that u need to get a life, i agree about football, since i dont really understand why people get so upset when their team looses a game or the league etc.

 

[flymo]

Hmmmmmm.....Just out of curiosity why hasn't the OP come on again to say anything? Is s/he still there...?

30-odd replies to this should warrant some sort of retort.

 

[5872]

Doesn't it depend on what you class as 'Trainspotting' ?

I basically do it all, I phot/video, take down numbers, passing times, direction, load etc etc and love witnessing Freight. Now down to just 13 66s! (excluding French 66s) Not bad for me.

I get a buzz out of doing it and don't care what people think of me or it. It's my hobby at the end of the day.

Could be a little different for me as I don't see much that often as I live over 30 miles from a railway line, then that's only Aberdeen so a few Freights a week. But when I do get out and further afield to busier places, I love it

I wonder why you get so many 66s

 

[90019]

"What's the point in trainspotting?"

What isn't the point?

 

[507 001]

does ther have to be a point? if you enjoy it what other "point" does it need?

As for football, a famous comedienne once said "if i wanted to see a bunch of sweaty men touching balls I'd got to a gay bar"

 

[Techniquest]

I too wonder though where the OP has disappeared to. Like I've said, I reckon he's just posted this thread to watch people argue and never reply...

So many photters will argue they aren't spotters and get hugely insulted by the insinuation. Thing is, they then make sure they have the number to add to their captions on Photobucket/Fotopic/whatever. So in essence they're spotting just as much as anyone else.

If you ask me, if you can't be honest and admit you're an enthusiast because you're scared of what your mates will say, then that is truely sad. If they turn around and mock you after you tell them, ditch them. I have no time for such people and keep my non-enthusiast friends to a limit. Those non-enthusiast friends are the only people I've come across who understand the hobby whatsoever but wouldn't do it themselves. Fair play to them, I couldn't get into what they're into (Christianity on a big scale, evangelist level) but I'm still friends with them.

To be fair, though, most people I come across do not understand the idea of travelling on trains just for the sake of it (bashing). Trying to explain the idea of bashing to such people is a task not even the good Lord could manage I suspect.

Metroland raises a good point in his post, that most spotters move onto buses and such like. I did the same thing myself and am a part-time enthusiast when it comes to buses. I know a couple of people who do buses and moved on to include trains too.

 

[90019]

So many photters will argue they aren't spotters and get hugely insulted by the insinuation. Thing is, they then make sure they have the number to add to their captions on Photobucket/Fotopic/whatever. So in essence they're spotting just as much as anyone else.

Dunno about others, but I get the numbers from the photos, if i can't see it in the photo, chances are I don't know it

Except for a few I can remember (the 5 322s and a couple of others)
The 322s and the FSR liveried 90s, I do look to see which one it is

 

[Aussie_Rail]

In Australia is gunzeling something that people make fun of you for doing or are people a little more tolerant?

Well, you matter where you go people will look at you strange, and I think that is something fairly universal.

But, it really depends on where you go, who your with and what it is you are 'gunzelling'. If your out in the country side then most people wont give two hoots, but if your in the city then you might get a looking at, but no one really cares what your doing.

It really depends where you are and who your with, if your by your self and you decide to go gunzel a station or set up on the platform and photograph the trains at a station that is near schools and your there when all the schools finish then you might cop a bit of flak from kids, but if your with a friend then at least your not alone and you might get left alone.

If your with a big group, say 5 or more, as part of a meet up or a tour then you'll be fine, no one is really in their right state of mind going to cause trouble to a big group of people, especially if they're likely to offend everyone.

But in most cases and in my experience people will just look at you, see that your interested in trains and then just carry on with their life. There are not that many people that are going to stand there and abuse you for it, really, either they are mentally unstable or on drugs if they do.

My advice, if your put off exercising your hobby then be a little more discrete about it, don't draw attention to your self and you'll be fine and if possible go with a friend, that way you have support, someone to talk to, company and its safer as well.


AR

 

[MCR247]

I mean when people say 'Whats the point in trainspotting?' and half of them love football and cause riots if they lose. I mean I hate voyagers, but if a trainspoter want a HST and a voyager comes trainspoters dont start a riot and get police involved. I mean what is they point in buying a season ticket for a season and fork out loads and some use private boxes for ££££ to see some overpriced idiots runs around a field, its fine as a game, but who in their right mind would think that Ronaldo should get payed the same amount of money in a month as a surgeon does in a year is beyond me! :roll:

 

[Darandio]

I personally think that the comparisons being shown now on this thread are becoming a bit daft. I will defend anyting to do with trains, and also to an extent football because I follow that too. People pay a lot of money to watch football because for some, it is a chosen hobby, that of which we are trying to defend in the first place on the thread. So the many posts that have stemmed from this having a constant go at football seems a bit hypocritical to me especially considering what we were trying to achieve in the first place, which was to defend a persons right to a hobby!

On a lighter note, in the above post, if the surgeon gets paid less than Ronaldo, maybe he should have stuck in at P.E.

 

[MCR247]

I personally think that the comparisons being shown now on this thread are becoming a bit daft. I will defend anyting to do with trains, and also to an extent football because I follow that too. People pay a lot of money to watch football because for some, it is a chosen hobby, that of which we are trying to defend in the first place on the thread. So the many posts that have stemmed from this having a constant go at football seems a bit hypocritical to me especially considering what we were trying to achieve in the first place, which was to defend a persons right to a hobby!

On a lighter note, in the above post, if the surgeon gets paid less than Ronaldo, maybe he should have stuck in at P.E.

lol

 

[spoony]

I'm not a trainspotter, but they are not wasting their lives? I mean its a hobby. Like say if you support Aresenal (very wise people anyway ) and you have a season ticket and go to almost everygame people could say thats wasting your life! Its a hobby. I'm sure you have a hobby! People could say thats a waste of tim, bust so you like it!!

I have a season ticket for Sunderland and go to most away games too, now that is wasting my life

 

[Techniquest]

Nah, that would apply if you did the same but with Newcastle...

 

[spoony]

Nah, that would apply if you did the same but with Newcastle...

Indeed I try to tie my away games in with rail travel too which makes the day even more interesting

 

[Techniquest]

Well aye, no point driving or getting the bus to an away game if you're a rail enthusiast as well!

And I feel qualified enough to make that comment before re: Newcastle as a supporter of 12 years. I mean, even Given's had enough and he's been with them since before I can remember much at all to do with sport! Once he's gone, the rest will start to jump ship before they get relegated...

 

[spoony]

Well aye, no point driving or getting the bus to an away game if you're a rail enthusiast as well!

And I feel qualified enough to make that comment before re: Newcastle as a supporter of 12 years. I mean, even Given's had enough and he's been with them since before I can remember much at all to do with sport! Once he's gone, the rest will start to jump ship before they get relegated...

I remember him playing for us on loan and Peter Reid would not pay a million pounds for him How times change

 

[Techniquest]

Might change his mind now if he does leave. IMO, he's a legend and would be welcomed at any club.

 

[Broken Viking]

Well aye, no point driving to an away game if you're a rail enthusiast as well!

Too right...Have ye ever tried finding a half-decent and affordable parking space within a one-mile radius of any Premier league stadium whenever there is a game on there? hock:
In the case of big events like that, all I can say is Public Transport for teh win!!!!1!1111!1!two :razz:

...Although mind ye, I find that I can get intimidated by large groups of football fans on public transport, so I try and avoid away fan routes and services whenever there's a major game on. If only TOCs would set aside dedicated carriages for football fans.

 

[spoony]

Too right...Have ye ever tried finding a half-decent and affordable parking space within a one-mile radius of any Premier league stadium whenever there is a game on there? hock:
In the case of big events like that, all I can say is Public Transport for teh win!!!!1!1111!1!two :razz:

...Although mind ye, I find that I can get intimidated by large groups of football fans on public transport, so I try and avoid away fan routes and services whenever there's a major game on. If only TOCs would set aside dedicated carriages for football fans.

You just have to know where to look

Agree with the point about dedicated carriages though. We came back from Blackburn in November and got on a cross country service from York-Durham, we were pretty much locked in a carriage and left to it. Its very rare you get your ticket checked on the way back. Coming back from Hull the train crew were more intent on enforcing a drink ban on the train than checking tickets.

 

[Aussie_Rail]

So I take it you are not permitted to bring alcohol on board? Its the same here too on suburban and regional trains.

But can you buy alcohol in the kiosk car? You used to be able to on some regional services but they stopped that recently.


AR

 

[spoony]

So I take it you are not permitted to bring alcohol on board? Its the same here too on suburban and regional trains.

But can you buy alcohol in the kiosk car? You used to be able to on some regional services but they stopped that recently.


AR

You can, NXEC are happy for you buy booze at 9am on the way down, but on the way back if say Sunderland and Middlesborough are both playing away in London they always have a drink ban after 5.30pm. Not that this stops most people

 

[D306]

So I take it you are not permitted to bring alcohol on board? Its the same here too on suburban and regional trains.

Not allowed it on any London Transport now or Boris Johnstone will be along on his bicycle telling you off

 

[mbonwick]

I think it's OK to have alcohol on the LU, but not to consume it. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Tom B]

You can have alcohol on trains, but not LU services.

Most long distance trains have some form of buffet which I presume is subject to licensing laws. Incidentally on a Sunday morning service going north from Berwick the buffet would have to stop serving alcohol at some point - as English law permits serving alcohol on a Sunday morning, where Scottish law doesn't permit it until 1230.

 

[WillPS]

To be honest, the whole trainspotting thing baffles me - but whatever, if people enjoy it then so be it.

 

[Glen0210]

Everyone should have a hobby, there are plenty worse things that youths could be doing with their time!!!
Everyone to their own

 

[ladysue]

It seems to me that the point in train spotting is the same as in bird watching ( which I enjoy), plane spotting or any other form of collecting. It gives pleasure seeing something you never saw before, satisfaction from collecting a whole class, and something to do at home when there is nothing on the TV, recording dates seen, haulage etc.

I dont collect numbers myself but I know several people who do and they enjoy talking together about what they have seen.It seems a perfectly harmless hobby and I am always happy to go along with my trainspotting boyfriend and take photos of the trains and scenery.If you cant beat them join them! We also share a love of football.