how long have you been a rail fan?
As long as I can remember…
Since I was 12 years old. I’m 51 now. Erik
Since I was 2yrs old,thats when i started to be a railfan. now i draw them, print out pictures. and also see them in live action.
For me it was genetic. I didnt have a choice.
[;)]
Since the late 60s when I was an undergraduate at University of Hawaii. In the Hamilton Library I found a bunch of bound magazines called “Railway Mechanical Engineer” stretching from the late 30s to the late 50s. Between classes and such I read every one of them over the 4 years- watched diesel-electrics take over, read about huge steamers being introduced, looked at advertisments by all kinds of builders (I liked Lima’s “Modern Super Power” ads best), etc. I was mesmerized, partly because there are no trains in Hawaii (I grew up there) so it was all new.
In many issues a guy named Walt Wyre told a little vignette in the life of a railroad electrican - and he was a very good storyteller. I learned about 2 and 3 phase motors from him, kindasorta understood the way early diesel-electrics “changed gears” by transitioning between series and parallel windings in their traction motors and how the old generators had to be “excited” before they would make current. Each story involved some perplexing and strange problem that he would solve.
Forever! When i was really young i always passed under BN’s Tennessee Yard and thats what got me started.