Trainspotters...

specialman

specialman

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Pat MacInnes
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Always wondered what it is trainspotters (and planespotters) are looking for?

Saw some at the local station the other day with scopes and cameras but just couldn't see what attraction there was in recording the passing of a dirty old diesel engine. Obviously there is something to it but I just don't know what.

They looked very engrossed in whatever it was that made the train so 'unmissable'.... :)
 
A few years back I was travelling down south with a colleague (he was driving) when we came upon an Eddie Stobart truck - "quick" he said, producing a dictaphone from his door pocket, "record the reg number, make and girl's name on the front of that truck."

My response isn't publishable on a "family" forum :lol:
 
Some folk like to look at trains, some like to look at planes and maybe others like to look at breasts. Each group would fail to see what the other groups found so fascinating.

Bob
 
I started off as a #1 until steam vanished, then spent an indecent amount of my youth as a #2 until I discovered #3 :)
 
If its anything like plane spotting, then some will be after the registration numbers, some follow particular types of vehicle, and some go for particular styles of shot ;)
 
I was hitting on #3 since I found them very interesting :lol:
 
I used to know someone who photographed / wrote down all the reg numbers for buses. He was fascinated by them.

Flash In The Pan said:
A few years back I was travelling down south with a colleague (he was driving) when we came upon an Eddie Stobart truck - "quick" he said, producing a dictaphone from his door pocket, "record the reg number, make and girl's name on the front of that truck."
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I also know people who are Eddie-spotters: I had a phone call once telling me my name was on the front of a truck and I've been looking at them ever since :lol:
 
Canon Bob said:
Some folk like to look at trains, some like to look at planes and maybe others like to look at breasts. Each group would fail to see what the other groups found so fascinating.

Bob
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Canon Bob said:
I started off as a #1 until steam vanished, then spent an indecent amount of my youth as a #2 until I discovered #3 :)
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I work with a bunch of plane spotters (no, I'm not a medical professional, I just work for an airline :D) and so I feel qualified to offer this observation ...

In my experience, it's not uncommon to find #1s who are also #2s, but it's utterly unheard of for either of those groups to moonlight as #3s :nono:.

I even know some spotters who get their registration numbers from the Internet, instead of looking at the actual planes themselves :bang:.
 
In my experience, it's not uncommon to find #1s who are also #2s, but it's utterly unheard of for either of those groups to moonlight as #3s .

I have known lots that are 1's and 3's and my late husband was a 2 and 3 :)
There are certainly a few strange spotters out there but I've met a couple of strange toggers too. :) I'm just glad the world is made up of all sorts of people.
 
Seen them in bus stations too with cameras, bincs and even telescopes.
 
im sure there was a bus spotter clip on youtube and the guy gets run over by a bus haha.....
 
Iwas on the train coming home from yesterday's London meet and Ioverheard a conversation amongst a group of lads about a friend oof theirs who was into photography and they were saying how boring they thought photography was and that they couldn't see the appeal. Does that make us #4s? :D

Went they went to get off the train I had a look at them and they were definitely #1s or #2s, possibly even both. ;)
 
trains and planes TBH


specialman said:
Always wondered what it is trainspotters (and planespotters) are looking for?

Saw some at the local station the other day with scopes and cameras but just couldn't see what attraction there was in recording the passing of a dirty old diesel engine. Obviously there is something to it but I just don't know what.

They looked very engrossed in whatever it was that made the train so 'unmissable'.... :)
Click to expand...
 
specialman said:
Always wondered what it is trainspotters (and planespotters) are looking for?

Saw some at the local station the other day with scopes and cameras but just couldn't see what attraction there was in recording the passing of a dirty old diesel engine. Obviously there is something to it but I just don't know what.

They looked very engrossed in whatever it was that made the train so 'unmissable'.... :)
Click to expand...

The answer to your question is covered by the top line of your sig.
 
stressless said:
im sure there was a bus spotter clip on youtube and the guy gets run over by a bus haha.....
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My mates the poor bloke that deals with this for a bus company. He doesnot seem to get effected by it, but he can tell some horrible stories.

I worked for BR, and was lucky to ride in the cabs. No attraction at all to anything modern, but the sounds of some of the older stuff under load are excellant. Try this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E54KttjjsAg
 
These people take it quite seriously, not far from where I live you can cross the main line and walk to a beach (cant take cars) while crossing one day recently with my "serious" camera I found myself being followed by a "pack" of these guys, they thought I knew about some special train they didn't, and wanted to get in on it. They stuck with me untill I moved away from the tracks.
One guy told me theres a website somewhere that tells them where every little shunting engine is and where it's been, heaven knows how they keep it up to date.
 
I was at our local airfield t'other day
lots of anoraks and bobble-hats (why do they all wear bobble-hats?) jotting down plane regs
I asked if they wanted to look inside a real plane

"oh no mate, we just want the regs" :thinking::shrug:
 
I can understand the appeal of the engineering and experience of driving/riding in/on a plain/train....but I am utterly baffled when people start collecting registrations.

It just has to be one of those collecting for the sake of collecting things. Presumably no-one sits on motorway bridges firing gazillions of shots at every passing car to write down car registrations in their book.....or do these people exist too?
 
mid_gen said:
Presumably no-one sits on motorway bridges firing gazillions of shots at every passing car to write down car registrations in their book.....or do these people exist too?
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they do, we call em coppers :P

I get the engineering prettyness side of it, ya know 100 ton steam engines are just cool, same for fighter jets racing cars ect, but sitting watching british rail complain about the type of leaves on the line.....:thinking:
 
My old man (and uncle for that matter) are plane buffs...I don't know why they do it, but they do travel about a fair bit doing it, so perhaps that is part of the deal?

Now then, I'm no trainspotter, but I was at the East Lancs Railway yesterday, and I absolutely love the old steam and diesel engines they have there. So much noise and power in them...a certain grace! But like I say...I don't go round taking down numbers or anything :p
 
arclight said:
Seen them in bus stations too with cameras, bincs and even telescopes.
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There's a guy who sits at the corner of Argyle St and Union St in Glasgow and photographs buses, he's been doing it for years :shrug:

He's obvious never heard the saying "time (and Corporation buses) waits for no man" :lol:
 
People have autograph books its the same thing.
Just to show yeah seen that in the metal so to speak.
Now a classic Prop aircraft or classic car i can see more of the appeal, but sooner have a picture than a number.
More appeal to some with the trains as they are often limited to a certain area, part of the country so can cause a stir when they are in a new area.
Still no appeal to me but as everything else things become outdated scrapped as technology changes i dare say when the flying scotsman and the Malard left the construction yard they didnt cause to much of a stir.
The same goes for buildings a lot of the 70's buildings got demolished with the concrete cancer and new builds. A lot of these buildings were great pieces of engineering and or sculpture that marked the era but were not seen for it then.
Oh Well
 
gingerjon said:
He's a terrorist and it's your duty to contact British Transport Police immediately.

Dodgy people with cameras have no place in our society.
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On you go...this is the very man......:lol:


281280636_0a6f96bcec.jpg
 
Train-spotters do it for the same reason people go to a race track and take a photo of each and every car going round the exact same corner :shrug:
 
gingerjon said:
The answer to your question is covered by the top line of your sig.
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But is it the registration, name, make of the train (or whatever) or a combo of all the things that they're recording?

I can see the attraction of going to see a steam loco - there are so few these days and they do have a bit of something about them –*but a diesel? That just seems odd
 
We all have our interests and many of us find trains,even dirty old Diesels. interesting and photogenic,why he need to get all stroppy about our passion


Please PM me about your favourite photographic subject so I can needlessly slag it off
 
CaptainPenguin said:
We all have our interests and many of us find trains,even dirty old Diesels. interesting and photogenic,why he need to get all stroppy about our passion


Please PM me about your favourite photographic subject so I can needlessly slag it off
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Touché

Oh, wait....I mean touchy :lol:
 
CaptainPenguin said:
We all have our interests and many of us find trains,even dirty old Diesels. interesting and photogenic,why he need to get all stroppy about our passion


Please PM me about your favourite photographic subject so I can needlessly slag it off
Click to expand...

:clap::thumbs::clap:
 
Captainpenguin, not slagging it off, just don't understand it is that trainspotters do/look for. You've got a lot of steam engine in your gallery, which i can see the attraction of, but normal Intercitys and commuter trains - they're a bit bland aren't they?

By the way, you're more than welcome to needlessly slag of my love of fishing, DJing, music, drinking, MTBing, snowboarding to your heart's content ;)
 
I took couple of pics of a train couple of years ago :D

trainhm7.jpg


2214386445d0f731a06cog.jpg


The driver didn't look to impressed :lol::lol:
 
specialman said:
Captainpenguin, not slagging it off, just don't understand it is that trainspotters do/look for. You've got a lot of steam engine in your gallery, which i can see the attraction of, but normal Intercitys and commuter trains - they're a bit bland aren't they?

By the way, you're more than welcome to needlessly slag of my love of fishing, DJing, music, drinking, MTBing, snowboarding to your heart's content ;)
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Special that's quite amusing you mentioning fishing because the gaffer and i were walking the dog along the canal yesterday afternoon and I commented that I just don't get pole fishing,now my late father in law was a fly fisherman and I see the skill in that but not the pole variety

Re modern traction although the likes of the sprinter are ugly in the right location they can be part of a good shot and there are some quite photogenic modern engines around
 
swanseamale47 said:
These people take it quite seriously, not far from where I live you can cross the main line and walk to a beach (cant take cars) while crossing one day recently with my "serious" camera I found myself being followed by a "pack" of these guys, they thought I knew about some special train they didn't, and wanted to get in on it. They stuck with me untill I moved away from the tracks.
One guy told me theres a website somewhere that tells them where every little shunting engine is and where it's been, heaven knows how they keep it up to date.
Click to expand...

Back then it was called the Ian Allan Locoshed Book.

Oh happy innocent days of youth.....

Glad to say I grew out of trainspotting at a sensible age (15).
 
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