I’ve been interested in trains since I was a kid but only recently have I heard the term “foamer” used to describe people “like me”. I have since learned that it is not a complimentary term applied by the PROS to descibe people who foam at the mouth when they see a train… Well…that isn’t me…maybe that WAS me way back when…when my fresh little seven year old face was pressed up against the fence to see the passing parade of first generation diesel motive power. I really don’t dont know if I foamed back then…all I can tell you is that I liked what I saw and wasn’t afraid to show it. Fast forward a few years to when I was a teen…now I’m most decidedly NOT a foamer…In fact by that point I had learned to display a cool disinterest in almost everything. Today I’m much the same way…I don’t foam for anything or anyone…and I don’t know of any train buffs who do.
So when has being interested in something become a liability? Lots of people have NO interests. Is that better? Just curious…I personally don’t take offence at the term foamer even when applied to me…So what do you guys call people who like gardening, airplanes, ships, sports etc? Some people have more than one interest…that must be REALLY bad huh?
It is human nature to strengthen the bonds with one’s chosen group, and to distance oneself from others who have marked similarities, but who are never-the-less distinct in some way(s). For example, and I don’t defend the practice for a second, it is common in the regular armies to deprecate the reservists, or what you would call the National Guard. Us vs. them syndrome, where “we” are the “real” whatever, and the rest are wannabes or posers. Weekend warriors, and other pejorative terms.
I suppose in this instance, though, that a good number of rail fans have made distinct nuisances of themselves over the years. The details or specifics are not the issue…the issue is that the pros, who get paid for a particular form of work, and who would like to work unfettered or unharassed…and safely…must feel that at times rail fans have gotten in the way. They may have used questionable judgement and done things that showed a lack of respect for the work that the pros were doing…or so it appeared. At the same time, jaded individuals who no longer find their work particularly thrilling or appealing will sneer at the enthusiasm of even well-behaved and well-meaning fans.
The term is an attempt at classification. It tends to be eroded over time, or it morphs/creeps to include other meanings as well as excluding others it originally signified. I don’t know enough about this particular term to say what is what, except that it doesn’t sound very friendly or genial. Perhaps context means a lot with respect to its use.
yeah thats why some teams are offering 5 dollar a seat night to fill the stands.you can call me foamer if you want but railroaders usually call us friends because if we see something going on we can help them out.
Correct me if I’m mistaken, I think “foamer” is a more modern, post 1990s term. I railfanned a good deal back in the late 70s-early 80s. At worst, we were referred to as “train nuts” or “train freaks”.
If I"m not mistaken, the term foamer came about due to those few railfans out there that make it so tough on the rest of us:
I.E: Walking on to railroad property without asking permission…Rreacting rudely to railroad personnel when questioned or asked to leave…Stepping too closely to photograph moving trains…like within 10 feet of the track!
Hence a lot of railroaders viewed these guys as “So obsessive with trains that they foam at the mouth!” Understandable how some railroaders can feel wary of us on some occasions, especially today with our lawsuit happy society. About 2 or 3 years back, wasn’t there a story about one of our forum members getting into very serious trouble trespassing on railroad property after he falsely identified himself as a railroad or industrial rep? Anyone remember that?
Personal memory lane: Back in the 70s, here in the Tampa Bay area most camera-toting railfans were generally courteous and “quietly” welcomed at most rail yards or facilities (even though No Trespassing signs were slowly going up). It was a simple matter of letting the personnel know your intentions and asking them if it was “o.k” for you to be there. Answers I usually received were along the lines of “Sure buddy, just watch yourself. Hey, what brand of camera is that?” Railfans with good attitudes and manner
I find that too…in “real life” all I ever see is friendly railroaders. But here in chat forums I sense some hostility…maybe I’m just an internet dick…I dunno… But all in good fun…I never heard the term foamer used until about a year ago.
Foamer seems to me to be a term only used to describe railfans online. None of the people I work with refer to a railfan as a foamer and they have probably never heard of the term. Usually they will just call them a “rail nut”.
Foamer - Thinks they know everything, shows off, all of the above (i.e. Brings their biggest SLR and lens to the Rochelle Railroad Park, and seldomly uses it ((or doesn’t know how to use it…LOL)))
Railfan - Respected person who loves trains, takes pics, models in a scale (or 3D on a computer) respects the law and the railroad, but sometimes crosses the line (still shows off now and then)
Railroader - Former of all of the above, finally saw common sense and reality that life does not consist of fun and pleasure, understands that railroading takes a lot of work. Eventually hires on with a railroad. Still models and “railfans” now and then, but has a hard shell that needs to be cracked hard to see that come out)
I, myself, I consider to be inbetween a railroader and a railfan. I work for a railroad, model, but still like to activly do railfan activities.
I call myself a foamer, but nobody else does. Something tells me that I foam at the mouth a little less every time I see the kind of consist that currently inhabits my signature.
Also, I would take my biggest camera to Rochelle, just not the biggest lens - Unless Rochelle has more interesting birds than I’m aware of?
I hear FRN (F------ Rail Nut) more often than Foamer. I myself don’t care for the foamer lable for the average railfan. I generally use, and will admit to being, an FRN.
I guess this is because a read once, I don’t remember for sure where but I think it was in Trains, what some of the origins of Foamer were. One origin given was about a fan acting in an extreme manner and an employee described the fan as being:
Far Out And Mental. Foams, then foams at the mouth, then foamer.
Because of this I reserve foamer for those few “special” railfans who make it bad for everyone else. To me everyone else is a FRN.
I tell some, that I might be a F–Rail Nut, but that’s better than being just plain nuts.[:D]
Jeff
PS Larry, I don’t mind when we work together and you use the term, “foamer special.” I know you mean it in a good way, and that’s fine with me.
Correct me if I’m mistaken, I think “foamer” is a more modern, post 1990s term. I railfanned a good deal back in the late 70s-early 80s. At worst, we were referred to as “train nuts” or “train freaks”.
If I"m not mistaken, the term foamer came about due to those few railfans out there that make it so tough on the rest of us:
I.E: Walking on to railroad property without asking permission…Rreacting rudely to railroad personnel when questioned or asked to leave…Stepping too closely to photograph moving trains…like within 10 feet of the track!
Hence a lot of railroaders viewed these guys as “So obsessive with trains that they foam at the mouth!” Understandable how some railroaders can feel wary of us on some occasions, especially today with our lawsuit happy society. About 2 or 3 years back, wasn’t there a story about one of our forum members getting into very serious trouble trespassing on railroad property after he falsely identified himself as a railroad or industrial rep? Anyone remember that?
Personal memory lane: Back in the 70s, here in the Tampa Bay area most camera-toting railfans were generally courteous and “quietly” welcomed at most rail yards or facilities (even though No Trespassing signs were slowly going up). It was a simple matter of letting the personnel know your intentions and asking them if it was “o.k” for you to be there. Answers I usually received were along the lines of “Sure buddy, just watch yourself. Hey, what brand of camera is that?” Railfans wit
To the contrary, we ALL pay for the salaries and other earnings of professional railroaders by purchasing products that are transported via rail to their destinations…and that includes both “foamers” and others as well. By the way and for the record, I don’t give a flip what anybody calls me, foamer, FRN or anything else…I love trains and railroads, period, and am proud to say so.
My hobbies, beyond taking train pictures, are WWII history, military history in general, weather, and music. I have met people in all of those hobbies that I would classify as a “Foamer”.
They are generally: someone who thinks they know it all, is not afraid to tell everyone. When they attend an event, they wear the shirts, hats, buttons, badges, or other accoutrements that identify one with that hobby. If they are taking photos of the event, they invariably bring the most expensive camera they have, with the biggest lens… One more thing: They tend to be rude, antisocial, and short-tempered.
Quick story: Last fall, the NWS office in Romeoville was giving a tour of the weather office. I went with my kids, and it was a great event, full of information, and well done. In my group, there was one “gentleman” who was going on about how much he knew about the weather. He was so bad, that during the tour of the inside of the weather office, he was openly contradicting the meteorologist who was giving the tour. After the 3rd or 4th time, the meteorologist basically told the individual to shut up. (In a nice, diplomatic way) Well, that didn’t deter this guy, and he was whispering to his companions “That guy doesn’t know anything, I could forecast the weather better than him”… Oh yeah, the guy conducting the tour had been with the NWS for 15 years…
That, ladies and gentelmen, is what defines a foamer.
Well maybe I was not clear on what I was trying to say, or your just splitting hairs. Without fans professional sports goes away, without railfans, railroads still makes money…
As I pointed out on another foamer thread - there are those in the fire community who fit the same description. They’re generally called buffs, but they can be just as crazy. And some of them happen to be firefighters as well.