Does anyone actualy go train spotting now ?

Question

Whats the appeal in doing so, i cant figure it out?

Answer 1

No idea about what's so appealing. Came home from town this afternoon and as the train slid past the end of the platform there they were, notebooks in hand.

Some are there in sleet and snow, but today, a sunny January day in London town, three poor sods couldn't think of anything better to do!

Bu as long as they're happy and NOT trying to share their enthusiasm with me...leave 'em alone!

Answer 2

Modern traction lacks the atmosphere of the old steam types.

Plus after the war years we never had computers, gameboys

sterio's etc.  It was an interesting day out and always the chance you might get invited onto the footplate, not very often!

You could experience the atmosphere by going to a preserved

railway, like the severn valley, Bluebell, west somerset, etc.

Also, try gandering this website, and don't tell me it didn't make

you go weak at the knees!

www.steamtraingalleries.co.uk/link.htm...

Happy surfing.  Dan

Answer 3

The sad thing is, he can't spell actually.

All too ready to point the finger, encouraging people to take the mick, but can't spell a simple word like that.  He also used the wrong case for I and missed the apostrophes in what's and can't.

I bet he drools with the overgrown schoolkids in Top Gear as they ogle their automotive p***s extensions.  Watches WWF with rapt attention, believing everything they try to say and thinks Big Brother is better than watching paint dry.

OK they're only spotting diesels and electrics, but they do no harm.

Answer 4

What the bloody h**l is wrong with some of you people?

People have a hobby - get a life, and get over it.

Nobody gives you a second look chopping up the country side chasing a tiny golf ball around.. Nobody cares about car fans or sports fans...watching trains is far safer and more interesting than your bloody "football" (its SOCCER people) and getting trampled to death when your team looses.

Answer 5

Yep they still do? i see them platform side regularly!! I grew up on a railway and it means a lot to me but gotta say collecting train reg plates is something that NEVER appealed to me??

Answer 6

Most people do it for the pics....Unfortunately (or fortunately), many railways (like UP) discourage train watching and argues this is under safety concerns.  I can't believe that!  Train watchers know what's going on, like if something bad is happening (e.g. tress passers, problem on train etc.) they can report it.  Besides it sheds some much needed publicity on railways.

Answer 7

Of course they do. Why not? Have you seen how many people go to a grand prix race to see lots of fast cars go past...very fast.Why? Why go to an art gallery? To see a train go by apeals to a lot of people, not just gricers. A real work of engineering art. If you don't fancy it, don't do it. Simple, but leave those who do like it alone. By the way, they're not all sad people.

Answer 8

What ever turns them on. There are a lot of 'odd' hobbies and interests out there, trainspotting is by no means the worst...

(Furry LARP is the strangest I've seen)

Answer 9

i see this every day when i go to work, people just waiting to take a pic of the train as it goes bye, a lot of people bring there kids to watch we always wave and give a hoot on the horn some of our trains are now quite long my longest was 12,500 ft 11,595 tons with 2 4400 HP units(engines)

Answer 10

dont be funny, I need to go to Solihull Hospital. It was a serious question

Answer 11

All sorts of hobbies seem perverse and incomprehensible to outsiders. Personally I've never seen the point of, for instance, from a very large potential list, fishing and tennis. I can't see the attraction of either - yet clearly millions do find them fascinating.

Who are you or anyone else to say that train spotting is pointless. At least spotters are out in the fresh air and travelling round the country keeping themselves occupied. 'Sad' people are those with no hobby - or those whose idea of a fun day out is going shopping.

Answer 12

Terrifyingly,yes.

Answer 13

I go out and watch trains every day, it is probably the power or the lenght of the train that makes people watch them.

I enjoy taking photos and video taping them for myself and my kids.

It's a hobby that is not expensive and you can do it close to home.

My kids get so excited when a train goes by so that is the reason I think it is worth it, just the look on their faces.

Answer 14

Yes, it would seem so.  

Although not a train spotter myself, I think they often get unfairly criticised.  They aren't doing any harm to others, just enjoying what they do.

I would suggest it beats watching 22 nancy boys kicking an inflated pigs bladder up and down a field for 90 minutes (and paying big money for the privilege).

Answer 15

I used to go trainspotting when I was a little kid until the Canadian Pacific Railway Police told me to go away.

Answer 16

Railroaders in the U.S call them "foamers"  because it seems like they foam at the mouth when a train comes by.  The take pictures, write down engine numbers. etcl.  Probably people that always wanted to be a conductor or engineer but never got the chance.  They're just fascinated with them.

Answer 17

dunno ! do they still sell anoraks ? ........lol

Answer 18

I cant explain the appeal but the exist and they are not a rare species , these days they come complete with PDA digital camera and some with video cams to record the exciting events of the day

Answer 19

I live close to a preserved steam railway, and they swarm there in their hundreds.

It's not a problem and they do no-one any harm.

The only time I get annoyed is when I can't get past the crowds when I'm on my way to an important church-organ crawl.

Answer 20

i waited 4 days before i realised they'd shut the line.

so the earth moves for you every night then wagon?

Answer 21

As far as I know they do.  Although, a lot of them prefer to be called railway enthusiasts rather than train spotters. I quote my Dad who was raised in Exeter  very close to a station: A train spotter is a dirty little boy with a dirty little train book, and a railway enthusiast is a big clean boy with a big clean train book. I was raised near railways, but have never been train spotting as such. I love trains, though. Yep, us girls like trains, too.

Answer 22

yes i go train spotting at the age of 14 because i like train as i would like to drive one and i can take pictures so i can do art work

Answer 23

yes there are still plenty of train spotters still going strong nowdays a lot of them have video cameras and Dictaphone to record stuff onto,Doncaster is a very popular station as a lot of different train companies pass through this station.

whats the appeal i don't know my brother used to be one and he had about 3 or 4 big huge photo albums full of trains and used to make me run about the platform if a train was going north and the train he wanted was going south, still they ain't hurting anyone so each to their own i say

Answer 24

Of course they do, and DDTS (etc) has the only sensible answer here. People also go plane spotting, and I dare say, ship spotting. Some people even, heaven forfend, go and watch tin cans chase each other round Formula 1 and Nascar circuits. I've seen a vintage bus as well. Why criticise someone for doing something they enjoy - at least they're not dressed in hoodies and assaulting some old guy (like me) and filming it on there horrid little camera phones.