Why don't Other People like Trains?

[PrincesWinsdor]

When I grew up years ago being interested in aspects of railways it was seen as being "odd" by one of my parents who had common interests like sport where the other parent had an interest in railways. Many years later I say to that parent who never got it that I rode train type xyz as it had this significance and just get a blank look!

All I can say is now as a parent myself if my kids had an interest in something less common, I would make an effort to at least understand it to connect as we are all wired differently.

This.

Interest in things that are meant for daily convenience would be perceived as weird, while interest in entertainment like sports or music would be perceived as normal.

 

[styles]

When I grew up years ago being interested in aspects of railways it was seen as being "odd" by one of my parents who had common interests like sport where the other parent had an interest in railways. Many years later I say to that parent who never got it that I rode train type xyz as it had this significance and just get a blank look!

All I can say is now as a parent myself if my kids had an interest in something less common, I would make an effort to at least understand it to connect as we are all wired differently.

I'm supportive of any niche things my nieces and nephews become interested in, same as if it was a mainstream interest. I can't imagine anything else really!

Not to mention that children often jump from one interest or hobby to the next until they settle with something. I'm sure we all recognise that child who wanted to be a firefighter then a train driver then an artist then eventually goes to school and finds out they're really good at chemistry and becomes a pharmacologist.

 

[adc82140]

Being a rail enthusiast has such a wide scope for interpretation.

Personally, I'm interested in how the industry is run, stock allocations, planning etc.

If I had my time again, I might have considered a career at Network Rail in Control or similar.

I have little interest in individual unit numbers, and I don't own a parka or thermos flask, or shout "my lordzz" at passing trains (although I have nothing against those who do!).

Steam doesn't really interest me, but at the same time I'll never turn down a trip to a preserved railway, but I go more for the diesel traction and the rolling stock.

I'm supportive of any niche things my nieces and nephews become interested in, same as if it was a mainstream interest. I can't imagine anything else really!

Not to mention that children often jump from one interest or hobby to the next until they settle with something. I'm sure we all recognise that child who wanted to be a firefighter then a train driver then an artist then eventually goes to school and finds out they're really good at chemistry and becomes a pharmacologist.

My son has been interested in buses since he was old enough to talk. He's now 11, and hasn't lost the enthusiasm. He wants to do engineering at university, then work for Alexander Dennis, and I genuinely think he will. I'll let him join the forum here when he's a bit older.

 

[zero]

I wouldn't want my hobbies to be my employment, unless I'm running my own business or it's a casual role where I choose when to take part.

Interest in things that are meant for daily convenience would be perceived as weird, while interest in entertainment like sports or music would be perceived as normal.

Well, some people have found it weird that I'm just as interested in commuter train networks/stations as I am interested in railway lines that are used primarily for leisure

 

[Merle Haggard]

I wouldn't want my hobbies to be my employment, unless I'm running my own business or it's a casual role where I choose when to take part.

I have the opposite view. I worked for a bank as a computer programmer for a short period and, although good at the logical processes all the banking ones (shareholding on behalf of customers, for instance) were a complete mystery to me and impossible to understand intuitively. Work was just a drudge, and, although well paid, the money just seemed to go on making life bearable. When I moved to B.R. initially in a customer facing role (again, with almost zero training) I could solve most of the problems I was faced with using knowledge gained from being a well-travelled and observant spotter in my youth.

One of the curiosities was that my first B.R. supervisor was obsessed with football, talking about it constantly, but he regarded an interest in railways as a sign of immaturity. Similarly football-orientated people were encounters as I moved up the ladder, with pictures of players, scarves and celebrations of team success on display in their offices. Perhaps they should have been football managers...

 

[Gloster]

One thing that has long struck me is that cars and, more recently, sport, particularly football, have had an enormous amount of money spent on them to make them appear positive and desirable, particularly to males who were traditionally the ones with the disposable income. It was suggesting that real men had an interest in polluting lumps of tin and more recently that they should just love twenty-two overpaid clowns running about on the grass. Once you get the ball rolling, there is a herd mentality as few want to be left out: the whole thing feeds on itself and pushes other interests aside.

It is worse now because changes in the media landscape make it easier to push what the owners can make money from. The crucial moment, in my opinion, for football was the creation of BSkyB in 1990, when Murdoch needed to make more money and, shrewdly, forced tastes to change and make football far more ‘popular’ than ever before.

Meanwhile, the railways did not have the money or the lack of scruple to risk spending a lot of money trying to make travelling on a DMU sexy. One wonders what would have happened if they had tried.

 

[D6130]

One wonders what would have happened if they had tried.

.....lots of little DMUs with duffle coats, Adidas bags and Thermos flasks perhaps?

 

[Tetchytyke]

It comes down to “cool” and “not cool”, for want of a better description.

If you have an encyclopaedic knowledge of music trivia or sports trivia that is seen as cool. Similar with cars. But it’s still just a special interest. Having a deep knowledge of the horsepower of a McLaren P1 is no different to having a deep knowledge of the horsepower of a class 158.

But as for the original question “why don’t others people like trains?” Well, the answer is “other people don’t have a touch of the ‘tism.”

(And I very much include myself in the category of people who have a touch of the ‘tism!)

 

[Strat-tastic]

Brilliant! Then it's a wonderfully diverse and enjoyable hobby!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Sep 2025 ==


Yes I agree with what you're getting at. However, here's one that made me laugh...

Early 1980s.rail enthusiasts guilty of touching, hugging and even kissing* their beloved locomotive!

I've seen worse

 

[Bald Rick]

It comes down to “cool” and “not cool”, for want of a better description.

If you have an encyclopaedic knowledge of music trivia or sports trivia that is seen as cool. Similar with cars. But it’s still just a special interest. Having a deep knowledge of the horsepower of a McLaren P1 is no different to having a deep knowledge of the horsepower of a class 158.

Not for nothing were those of us with a comprehensive knowledge of dance / funk / soul music knwon as ‘r
trainspotters’ in the 90s.

“Ahyes, that is the drum loop of the James Brown b-side sped up and paired with the vocal from a Martha Wash album track…”

 

[Bevan Price]

An ex-lady friend did not like trains. Not sure of the full story, but I think that, as a young girl she was on a footbridge and was frightened by a noisy train passing beneath.

 

[alex397]

I can understand people not liking trains (and other transport) in the way that we do. But what I don’t understand is when others think it’s a strange interest and they can’t get their head around it. I’ve had that a few times in life, where it’s like I’ve told people something incredibly wierd.

I find all sports very boring. However, I can still understand why people like it - the atmosphere of events, the stats, the tactics, the drama etc. Growing up, I even tried to get interested in sports myself, to try and fit in with others, but just couldn’t get in to it.

 

[styles]

I can understand people not liking trains (and other transport) in the way that we do. But what I don’t understand is when others think it’s a strange interest and they can’t get their head around it. I’ve had that a few times in life, where it’s like I’ve told people something incredibly wierd.

I find all sports very boring. However, I can still understand why people like it - the atmosphere of events, the stats, the tactics, the drama etc. Growing up, I even tried to get interested in sports myself, to try and fit in with others, but just couldn’t get in to it.

Yes, exactly this.

I really am not interested in cricket. But I fully understand why people may be even if I find it boring as f...

 

[zero]

I really am not interested in cricket. But I fully understand why people may be even if I find it boring as f...

I enjoy playing cricket but I find it boring to watch. I went to Lord's once and from my observations the majority of attendees also found it boring to watch.

 

[Bald Rick]

I enjoy playing cricket but I find it boring to watch. I went to Lord's once and from my observations the majority of attendees also found it boring to watch.

The general rule at Lord’s is that if you get bored you can always watch the cricket.

 

[Silent]

I love cycling. But I am completely disinterested in bicycle models, makes, parts, etc. I've got MTB friends who can talk all day about the latest and greatest hubs/brakes/whatever, but I really don't care. I just want to ride fast around the forests and up the munros.

Similarly with trains, I enjoy travelling by train and often pay a premium to do it instead of driving. I take very little interest in rolling stock though. People I used to work with in the rail industry would say oh I love those class 153s - they feel so much airier and make such a comforting sound, and I'm like yeah ok. I could never be a spotter, but I'd be a basher any day.

It's just the way of life and the way our brains are wired. Some people love cricket, but I can't fathom why.

Recently I’ve gotten interested in cycling and am interested in parts and different cycles. I have a single gear, I’ve noticed how fixed gear bicycles encourage riders to skip red lights due to the lack of brakes but, I’m guessing, improves a cyclists intuition to traffic flow and speed as there is no coasting, so is suited to congested cities but also dangerous. I feel like I’m less of a fan of bicycles seeming to become more complex with more electrical components and internal cabling.

 

[route101]

I like the railways and the routes and scenery. I am interested in riding new and old classes although not so much interested into steam. I don't pay much attention into unit numbers.

 

[317 forever]

I like the railways and the routes and scenery. I am interested in riding new and old classes although not so much interested into steam. I don't pay much attention into unit numbers.

I'm similar, in that I like riding new or freshly refurbished stock and seeing scenery, but not old heritage railways/stock.

I think some people who don't like trains mean that they don't enjoy travelling on crowded trains or facing delays or cancellations, rather than not liking trains per se.

 

[Forty29]

Not long ago l was standing on Bicester North station when the empty coaching stock of a previous days railtour passed through with a class 37 on full throttle blowing its horn and working wrong line through the station. I didn't notice anyone on the platform seeming to be moved by what was going on in front of them all still looking at their phone's, reading a paper or chatting or with their back turned to it all.
Just goes to show that l was in the minority and thoroughly enjoying it.

 

[DM352]

My interest has been older dmu and emus along with past and present railway infrastructure, with narrow focus areas like why BR took an engine off the 111's after scrapping the centre cars!

Interest has changed over time, like a year ago would not have had an interest in the 455s being scrapped, as used them to commute when then had been in service 10 years. They were just basic open plan with the high density low back seats. Since then have pulled out all the stops to get that last ride. It was a similar story for the pacers but at least there are quite a few few left.

An only exception maybe not missing the voyagers in 10-15 years timewhen they become razer blades.