Women Train Enthusiasts?

[SouthEastern-465]

on this site and another one i was on i have never seen or heard of a Women Train Enthusiast's.

if there is any can you explain why you like trains and why other women dont.

 

[thefab444]

There's a Stacey on this forum who I believe is carrying on with a Mr "Weasel" - whoever he is I don't know.

There's also Shauna Gizmogle if you count her.

 

[37401]

theres a few (not on the forum) but on Youtube Megan377 and HSTMiranda are 2 of them, theres quite a few on here too i beleve

 

[SouthEastern-465]

Thanks 37401,
It's Just ive "Heard" about them but you dont see many,i never knew there was even 2 on youtube and that even many taking in to account how many users youtube has,thanks for the info.

 

[43034 The Black Horse]

There's a Stacey on this forum who I believe is carrying on with a Mr "Weasel" - whoever he is I don't know.

Yea, She doesn't like to be called Mrs Weasel mind!

 

[theblackwatch]

Interesting subject. I think you will find that a lot of hobbies are largely dominated by one particular sex - football is in the main, but not exclusively, a male dominated hobby. Looking from the other side, how many males are part of a knitting group!

As mentioned by others, we do have a few females on this forum. One member on here (I'll leave her to reveal her identity if she wishes!) who I know quite well regularly goes on railtours, sometimes with her husband and sometimes without him, and they both regularly travel on railtours abroad as well as other bashing trips. You'll also find quite a few females involved in preservation - I can recall, off the top of my head, the DPS having had at least two women who have been on the society's committee over the years. One of them is now heavily involved as a member of the support crew on a main line steam loco.

I do think the last sentence by SouthEastern-465 is rather odd - surely the same question could be levelled at men?

 

[thefab444]

I wouldn't call it a sentence; more of a jumble of words - none of them capitalised.

There's a few, but none of the ones I've seen are what you could describe as "stunners" - I am presuming here that the the OP is scouring the land for an attractive female enthusiast.

 

[43021HST]

On my other forums Trainz Discussion forums there are a quite a few women on there because a topic similar to this came up on there.

 

[thefab444]

Actually, I'd like to apologise for the second half of my previous post, having re-read, it seems to me to be an extremely sweeping and unneccessary statement.

 

[ladysue]

I've been on here for a while. I dont specially like modern trains but I like steam trains.I think they are magnificent. My hobby is photography so that fits in well with my man's love of trains. Its also a matter of "If you cant beat them, join them".

Oh and I am not a "stunner". No offence taken at anything people have said here.

 

[Chris]

I wouldn't call it a sentence; more of a jumble of words - none of them capitalised.

There's a few, but none of the ones I've seen are what you could describe as "stunners" - I am presuming here that the the OP is scouring the land for an attractive female enthusiast.

Take a look at some of the male stunners on your next open day and you'll see its no different. Eg. The old Stoatface website

Now politely put as http://www.random-people.co.uk/index.php

 

[Aussie_Rail]

Its not just in Britain that there are few woman gunzels, I've only ever came across two in my travels here, not to say they don't exist, just there aren't many.

 

[mrcheek]

if this was a forum for anyone other than train enthusiasts, somebody would by now have made a post requesting pictures

 

[Metroland]

A lot of women like train travel though.

 

[SouthEastern-465]

Thanks guys,
a Quistion for LadySue,why do some women hate trains while others like you like them.

I hope no one who is a woman took the in a "sexist" way and apologise if they did.

True Metroland women do like train travel but only to get them to commute to work or take there family out,if there not Enthusiast that is though,ive noticed little children tend to take to trains,but i think this is influenced by "Thomas-The-Tank-Engine" but i dont know how it phases out when there older but i guess its the way of the world.

 

[theblackwatch]

Thanks guys,
a Quistion for LadySue,why do some women hate trains while others like you like them.

How do you expect LadySue to be able to answer on behalf of other women! Can you answer why some (in fact most) guys don't like trains?

 

[thefab444]

Can you answer why some (in fact most) guys don't like trains?

Indeed, the vast male population are not railway enthusiasts!

 

[Metroland]

I think its also about degrees. What constitutes as a rail enthusiast? Nearly a million people visit the NRM every year, but I suspect most of them don't stand at the platform's collecting train pics/numbers. 80% of people who visit preserved railways do not classify themselves as 'enthusiasts', yet, there must be some degree of enthusiasm or interest.

Are you an enthusiast for choosing train travel over say car travel for a specific journey?

Are people who are members of pressure groups, enthusiasts? Take pressure groups. Some people might be interested in supporting rail for social and environmental reasons, but it doesn't mean they are interested in trains themselves.

Do you have to collect numbers or take pictures to be an enthusiast, in which case I am not one? Not all enthusiasts buy books, or collect model railways, for example, or play with rail simulators. Raill enthusiasts do not fit into neat boxes, far from it. Some cannot stand steam and vice versa, for example. Some surprisingly enough, are not actually all that interested in trains themselves. I class myself as a RAILWAY enthusiast, not a TRAIN enthusiast, for example. Meaning, I am more interested than in just trains.

Some people also class themselves as enthusiasts and do not see any reason to ever travel by train.

Generally, I like quite a lot of things, I am enthusiastic about them, but I wouldn't say I'm an enthusiast of them. It's all about inspiration, it might be that elements of certain things inspire males more than females for some reason. But it doesn't mean that there is no crossover, it just means one aspect might predominantly appeal to men.

 

[37401]

I am presuming here that the the OP is scouring the land for an attractive female enthusiast.

Arnt we all

 

[90019]

Arnt we all

nope

 

[theblackwatch]

Sadly for 37401, if that's what you're looking for, I think 90019 is likely to have more luck in that respect - and that isn't a reflection on your "pulling power"!

Generally, I like quite a lot of things, I am enthusiastic about them, but I wouldn't say I'm an enthusiast of them. It's all about inspiration, it might be that elements of certain things inspire males more than females for some reason. But it doesn't mean that there is no crossover, it just means one aspect might predominantly appeal to men.

I suspect the sort of enthusiasts SE-465 is referring to are the more visible ones, such as those you see out and about photographing, linesiding. spotting and bashing.

Something else I've just picked up on is the 'reader profile' of one of the major magazines (Railway Magazine) - 99% of its readers are male! See http://www.ipcmedia.com/mediainfo/railway.pdf

 

[ladysue]

Thanks guys,
a Quistion for LadySue,why do some women hate trains while others like you like them.

I hope no one who is a woman took the in a "sexist" way and apologise if they did.

True Metroland women do like train travel but only to get them to commute to work or take there family out,if there not Enthusiast that is though,ive noticed little children tend to take to trains,but i think this is influenced by "Thomas-The-Tank-Engine" but i dont know how it phases out when there older but i guess its the way of the world.

I think engines, machinery and the like dont appeal to women so much because they have a different sort of brain.You dont get as many women as men going to drag racing, motorbike racing etc or spotting aeroplanes.Men still outnumber women in engineering , motor mechanics etc Although some people want to believe that men and women are the same and can do the same things, we are different and have different strengths and different interests. I wont go into the more technical stuff about brain differences but, as a psychologist, I can say that the male and female brains are different.

A lot of women, and many men, wouldnt even think to go and look at trains. Trainspotting anyway has got a very negative reputation as something only anoraks do.People wont even think of looking at trains for fear of being seen as anoraks. A shame really.

On a personal note my late partner loved steam trains and painted lovely pictures of them which I still have. He had been a trainspotter as a youngster and liked diesels too.We used to go to heritage places to see the trains, espcially NYMR which was a real favourite of his.I didnt mind going along as the scenery is beautiful and I could take photographs and take my dog. I got to love the steam trains, which to me seem almost like a magnificent living, fire breathing, hissing creature. I feel nostalgic about them too as, when I was a girl they were still operating on our local BR line.I especially love the really old steam locos which are a part of our nations heritage.I'm glad there are people who love them enough to keep them going.

After my partner died a met another man who is a real rail enthusiast and I often go with him on tours and to heritage places and even go with him on some of his days out on the mainline and linesiding taking photos.Its something to do, somewhere to go and it keeps my man happy.

 

[Metroland]

I suspect the sort of enthusiasts SE-465 is referring to are the more visible ones, such as those you see out and about photographing, linesiding. spotting and bashing.

I would say that's a particular sort of enthusiast, which I too clued that's what he was referring to.

Funny you should mention Railway Magazine, I was reading an article on Lord Adonis, he said

'Rail Enthusiasts come in different categories. I'm an enthusiast but I was never a trainspotter, I was a very active member of Cotswold line promotion group because I saw it as a vital community institution. People who belong to such groups may not log rolling stock numbers but they're every bit as enthusiastic and committed to the future of the railways'

Which follows what I've been saying for years, only a minority of enthusiasts are spotters. I would hazard a guess that women are more active in other areas. There would be more women in pressure groups, doing work for preserved railways, and perhaps slightly more in modelling because maybe its a different sort of enthusiasm. A once saw a lady in a shop who stood their very much admiring Hornby model trains who was just randomly walking by.

I certainly don't hang around stations, I go on the odd steam railtour and visit preserved railways occasionaly, so I wouldn't fit into the above category. But anyone that knows me knows I am very much an enthusiast about the railways, perhaps more so than some people that do spend time at the end of platforms.

 

[Buffer68]

In response to some of the things Ladysue said in her last posting, my wife and I went to the Swanage Railway on Sunday just gone and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I would say I am a rail enthusiast especially on the steam side but I enjoy all aspects of British railways, old and new. My wife and I love being together wherever we go and we also go Geocaching which is what we did at each station on the Swanage line - this way we both get something out of a day out and my wife really enjoyed going on the old trains - she is not a railway enthusiast however. We took loads of photos and soaked up all the atmosphere and the scenery, just great.

 

[metrocammel]

Trainspotting anyway has got a very negative reputation as something only anoraks do.People wont even think of looking at trains for fear of being seen as anoraks. A shame really.

This is a complex issue. Up until at least the 1970s, 'trainspotting' didn't really have a bad reputation at all. It seems an incredible amount of lads went to stations after school to 'trainspot'. I suppose it was phase that many people grew out of, but if you look at pictures of Doncaster station (and other major stations, such as Crewe) in the 1950s, the amount of children in their school uniform (complete with caps!) is amazing!

It seemed to gain the 'anorak' image in the 1980s - some have put this down to comedians, such as Jasper Carrot.

I personally have never seen the attraction in trainspotting, I suppose that could be down to the type of trains in my lifetime. When you consider the variety of trains in the 1960s, you can almost understand the appeal in 'spotting' back then, and can justifiably argue anybody who 'spots' the monotonous flow of units today is a little odd!

Worse still, it's the blanket sterotype that really annoys me. Anybody who has an 'interest' in railways in any way, shape or form (sometimes, even if you are a 'rail activist' or whatever) is regarded as 'trainspotter'. I even heard a member of staff on the Northern Stakeholder Special say 'oh, I do like these trainspotter days out'. Need I say anymore?

 

[heart-of-wessex]

There are a few I have seen before:

1) there was a mother (40s or so) and daughter who came up to the front of the Holyhead 47, asked if she could have the front window for a bit so I stood aside and stuck her head out and flailed like mad!

2) There is a 24 year old girl who is one in Reading

3) I have seen the odd woman around standing at the end of the platforms with notepads

4) there was one on the Alloa railtour (husband/wife IIRC)

5) There is an old woman who works in the cornershap only 4-5 mins walk away from my flat who is an enthusiast!!

 

[EWS 58038]

There is Jenny Amily from Durham.

 

[Matt Taylor]

There is more than you might think, they just don't stand out as much as the guys do, here's a trio of Desiro bashers waiting for the next down Windsor:

http://matthew-taylor.fotopic.net/p43705056.html

 

[37372]

I was on a Cardiff-Swansea rugex in early 2007 behind 50049. Myself and Jordy were stood in the front vestibule of the Mk2 when an elderly woman made her way up to the vestibule. She got to the end and peered through the small window of the connection door at the 50. We were expecting her to say something like "Oh I thought there were some more coaches further up" but instead she turned around to us and said "it's nice to see a 50 back on the trains again!" hock:

 

[whoshotjimmi]

I would assume that there are many elderly women who have an interest and understanding of the railway due to the situation during the war. Many women were employed by the railway when the men were having fisticuffs on the continent and, from what I have seen on historical programs, many of them loved it and were very disappointed when they had to step down again.

On the issue of 'stunning' female enthusiasts - why don't you find a stunning girl first and then train her up?!

Re: Matt Taylor's pic - you can just see the mathematics club in those faces......