I have been a railfan virtually since birth. I must say, I have had a wonderful life around trains, although I’m not and never have been an employee. I love riding them, photographing them, smelling them watching them and listening to them.
I remember in the 1970’s how I was laughed at because I took pictures of those “common” diesels, and of course I was continually harassed by police and citizens for my “questionable” activities. Up to now, dear fellow railfans, I have kept fairly quiet about this, and just considered them as people that could not understand a real love of trains. However, since the 9-11 tradgedy it seems we are considered bigger freaks than ever and worse yet, now we are terrorists! what a load of crap. I, as most railfans, have absolute respect for trains, obey safety regulations and have even reported dangerous rail conditions.
why is it in our car-mania society, it is acceptable practice to drive back and forth to work 5 days a week, and then drive to a car show or to watch cars go around in a circle alll day at an auto race? (get me straight here, I don’t care what others do, but don’t call us weird!) there are people out there so avid on collecting oddities like jars and bottles they would kill to get a specific one…NO…we are not freaks. some of us may do dangerous things around the railroads, and some of us steal anything thats not nailed down…for them I make no excuise. But most of us are decent, hard working people that go to worship services…many even in the clergy, and many celebrities as well. the next time someone looks funny at You for taking a train picture…remember, this is still america and they are most likely just driving to a boat, auto, airplane or bus show… get out there and watch some trains! (safety first)
I think the reason railroad officials are suspicious of “train guys” is the often methods they use in taking photos, skulking around fences and bushes, roaming around behind buildings, standing 2 feet from an oncoming train. I would be suspicious too. Try using a tripod and look like you are a photographer, set up on public property, get a lawn chair and just look like you are there only to photograph trains, If you need to, get an old hat and make a sign with PRESS on it. (you have to learn to play their game) I guarantee no one will ever bother you. There is an Indian saying: Never bend over to tie your shoe in a mellon patch-- Avoid Suspicion !
I never worry about it, because I have nothing to hide. I don’t have a press hat or anything. I go about my business (obeying rules in the process), and try to be as open about it as I can be, and if someone tries to talk to me I don’t act like I am ashamed of my hobby. In my 8 years of seriously photographing trains I was only stopped once (last year) my a county sheriff. Probably because I was sitting by myself in my moms car and could be mistaken that I was haveing car problems. I told the sheriff what I was doing, he looked at me like I was nuts (I love that), and took off. So even if we are freaks in some peoples mind, I really don’t care, because by calling us freaks they are calling themselves freaks too cause they probably are going to a car, boat or antique show. (as tatans said). It all comes out even in the end.
(siting at my office playing Tycoon XXIV in my two-sizes-two small Alaskan Railway T-shirt, with my hard-billed two-sizes too big Indiana Transportation Museaum NKP 587 hat, watching my model train go around my desk, trying to understand why my wife wants a divorce because I spent the entire weekend photographing trains and have spent our retirement fund on my trainset, trying to understand why my employer is not happy with my work product–while looking at my 1000+ posts on Trains.com–, and boring my co-workers with the wonderful world of 3-truck shays)
Freak? Who is a feak? I hope they are not referring to me?
Sorry, you have to be able to have a little fun and laugh at things some time and not take life too seriously. In my experience, assuming you don’t shove it into people’s faces, most people respect the fact that train fans have a hobby and something that makes them happy.
Gabe
P.S. For those that care, I don’t think my wife or my employer are at all unhappy with me.
I dont worry about it either.actually the more people that know I like trains the more material I get for vacations videos maps and where rail mow is at.
stay safe
Joe
CHILL out guys, we are reasonable folks who just happen to like a transportation industry and method that dates back well over one hundred years and is still very viable and growing. Let the people who laugh at us continue to do so… I for one don’t really give a hoot about them and neither should you…just continue to go about our hobby in a safe and respectul manner and above all…HAVE FUN!
Because society dictates what’s ‘cool’ and ‘not cool’. Why is basketball cool, but Dungeons and Dragons ‘nerdy’. Not that I play D&D… A little too nerdy for me If you were tattooed head to toe in America, you’d be considered a freak… If you had that in some other parts of the world, you’d be the coolest guy around. That’s just the way it is… Your peers dictate what’s cool and not cool. I don’t know how it’s decided some things are cool and some things aren’t, but like most things… It probably has a lot to do with acceptance. Many people would never do things they think people will look down on them for… They want to be accepted, or ‘popular’. They’re not going to risk doing stuff they will get teased for. I’ve introduced people into things that they thought were lame at first, then I noticed once I brought the
I’m going to have to agree with two of the previous posts here. I don’t care about people thinking I’m a terrorist nor do I hide my hobby. I’m darn proud to tell people that my number one love and fasionations is trains. Somtimes I get weird looks and other times I don’t. I don’t care. To all those people out there look all you want. People are going to be looking even more when they see me behind the throttle!!! lol.
Sometimes when I go out railfaning I wear either one of two of my railroad hats or I’ll wear my Conrail jacket. When I do this I get asked some questions like “Do you work for the railroad?” Sometimes tresspassers high tail it, when I wear these items, the scanner adds a nice touch too. lol
Why is it that watching trains is considered weird,but playing golf,or fishing is normal?I think it is because a lot more people are involved in the latter two activities that makes it this way.If there were as many railfans as golfers or fishermen,our hobby would be considered normal,too.
Just my [2c].
I’ve been a rail advocatre since birth in 1950. To be in school during the '60s and espouse one’s love of railroads, which at the time were not fashionable, caused a lot of folk to look upon me as out of the norm. Back then one ws supposed to worship the future, outer space, and baseball.
I feel that now as times change, and real railroading has disappeared to a degree, people actually are interested in learning more about trains and railroading.
Mitch
Me a freak??? Nah, nerd you bet and proud to. I have my son under my wing and he is becoming a rail fan and fire buff like his Dad, much to my wifes dismay!
I am who I am, people like me or not for that. I am to old to try and change to appease a few. If I am so off the wall, then how come I can talk friends toddlers with me when my son and I go to rail fan?
As the old saying in AA goes “to yourself be true” that my friends is all you need. Enjoy life for its far to short to worry what others think!
Ah well, off to be a beach bum for the rest of the day at York Maine.
Actually, being a rail fan has paid off on one occasion… I actually got a date out of it… LOL. Being a single dad, I take whatever avenue I can for landing a date (within reason, and moral and ethical standard that is) I was in LaGrange, at my favorite spot along the IHB, a north (west) bound CSX was coming through late one afternoon last summer. Well I got a shot of the SD-40-2’s as they pulled through the crossing. Well, traffic had stopped at the crossing (obviously) and a this woman in a mini van was watching me. (About 5’6" brown hair, blue eyes, cute too) She beeped her horn and waved me over, and asked what I was doing… well to make a long story short we wound up chatting until after the train passed (she pulled over to the small parking lot by the cell tower) and we swapped phone numbers,and went out a couple of days later… We had fun, and have remained in touch sincec then… no, we’re not a couple, but we are still friends… Bottom line is, it all depends on who you are dealing with. Mature, “normal” people will regard our hobby as just that, a hobby. In fact, I have taken a couple of my female friends with me when I have gone shooting pictures a couple of times, they find it interesting as well. So, we are not freaks…never have been, never will be. I work around police officers and firemen, and my hobby is something I take good natured ribbing over, but, I don’t care. A couple of times I have been out with the camera, and have had people ask me questions about where the train is going, what it’s doing, etc etc. It’s all in how you present yourself as well, if you act like a weirdo, well, people will treat you like one. If you are friendly with people, they will be friendly back. Standoffishness, gruff remarks, and cold attitudes will make people shy away from you.
I have been out shooting pictures in the vicinity of other rail fans, and I have run across a couple that give the rest of us bad names. Climbing on equipment, signal towers, bridges, b
No, not all train watchers are freaks but there are some in the crowd who take the stuff way too serious and my message is to chill out and relax and get a life. Yrs ago I was w/a dude and we were going to a location to snap a pic of a train close by. The train got there before we did. The dude freaked out began throwing a fit and cussed all because he missed a picture of a stupid train. Seeing that freaked me out. I also had someone tell me once they took their scanner w/them to a Sun morning church service and listened in on the earplug while the service was in progress. That is just nuts. People like this are not normal and have no life what so ever. These are the freaks that give the good train watchers a bad name. I’d stay away from them.
If you were tattooed head to toe in America, you’d be considered a freak… If you had that in some other parts of the world, you’d be the coolest guy around. That’s just the way it is… Your peers dictate what’s cool and not cool. I don’t know how it’s decided some things are cool and some things aren’t, but like most things… It probably has a lot to do with acceptance. Many people would never do things they think people will look down on them for… They want to be accepted, or ‘popular’. They’re not going to risk doing stuff they will get teased for. I’ve introduced people into things that they thought were lame at first, then I noticed once I brought the