Discussion
can someone explain it to me please?
i can understand why that, in the days of steam, schoolboys and the technically minded would want to stand by bridges and stations waiting for the likes of the flying scotsman or mallard to steam past.
but these days, whats the attraction? i work on a large industrial facility with a lot of raw materials coming in by rail and finished products going out the same way. there's usually 2-3 friends of dwayne dibbley stood on the rail bridge noting down the numbers of the locos.
they all look the same! [EWS diesel locos mainly]. its like me keeping a book of number plates i've seen for mk3 mondeo 1.8gl's
there must be some spotters on PH. create a new ID if you feel ashamed but i'm genuinely interested why you'd stand in the cold and rain just waiting for the moment of release when the next exactly-the-same-bar-an-ID-number loco comes into view.
i can understand why that, in the days of steam, schoolboys and the technically minded would want to stand by bridges and stations waiting for the likes of the flying scotsman or mallard to steam past.
but these days, whats the attraction? i work on a large industrial facility with a lot of raw materials coming in by rail and finished products going out the same way. there's usually 2-3 friends of dwayne dibbley stood on the rail bridge noting down the numbers of the locos.
they all look the same! [EWS diesel locos mainly]. its like me keeping a book of number plates i've seen for mk3 mondeo 1.8gl's
there must be some spotters on PH. create a new ID if you feel ashamed but i'm genuinely interested why you'd stand in the cold and rain just waiting for the moment of release when the next exactly-the-same-bar-an-ID-number loco comes into view.
Edited by shirt on Tuesday 8th December 14:15
I was on the Circle Line the other day and there was a bloke stood next to me keeping a track of the stations he visited and the number of the tube train in a little book. He had a bag as well, which I imagined to be full of Werthers and children's heads.
I didn't want to point out to him that it was in fact a circle, therefore the opportunity for variation would be limited at best.
I didn't want to point out to him that it was in fact a circle, therefore the opportunity for variation would be limited at best.
they all look the same! [EWS diesel locos mainly]. its like me keeping a book of number plates i've seen for mk3 mondeo 1.8gl's
If you were a train spotter , you would know that there is no truth in this.
Just for the record i am not. But It's their hobby , And i don't see why they should be criticised for it.
If you were a train spotter , you would know that there is no truth in this.
Just for the record i am not. But It's their hobby , And i don't see why they should be criticised for it.
NismoGT said:
they all look the same! [EWS diesel locos mainly]. its like me keeping a book of number plates i've seen for mk3 mondeo 1.8gl's
If you were a train spotter , you would know that there is no truth in this.
Just for the record i am not. But It's their hobby , And i don't see why they should be criticised for it.
I don't think he's criticising, I think he's geniunely asking what the appeal is? If you were a train spotter , you would know that there is no truth in this.
Just for the record i am not. But It's their hobby , And i don't see why they should be criticised for it.
MiniMan64 said:
NismoGT said:
they all look the same! [EWS diesel locos mainly]. its like me keeping a book of number plates i've seen for mk3 mondeo 1.8gl's
If you were a train spotter , you would know that there is no truth in this.
Just for the record i am not. But It's their hobby , And i don't see why they should be criticised for it.
I don't think he's criticising, I think he's geniunely asking what the appeal is? If you were a train spotter , you would know that there is no truth in this.
Just for the record i am not. But It's their hobby , And i don't see why they should be criticised for it.
But if i was to have a guess what the appeal is , then i would say that the trainspotters are trying to keep an eye out for British made diesel traction. As there are a lot of foreign made loco's on our tracks now.
Just because YOU don't understand what attracts people to certain hobbies or interests doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with that interest.
I was never a train spotter but was a keen plane spotter in my youth. And I still get a kick out of just looking at aircraft.
I expect most train spotters are keen train enthusiasts and are into ALL apsects of the railway world. I would think quite a few are into model railways too.
I admit that modern trains SEEM less interesting to the casual observer like you or me. But for enthusiasts who are interested in the minutae of railways, they will find the different engines, carriages etc pretty interesting.
In fact, since the demise of BR in the early 90s, trains at least carry a number of interesting colour schemes these days.
I was never a train spotter but was a keen plane spotter in my youth. And I still get a kick out of just looking at aircraft.
I expect most train spotters are keen train enthusiasts and are into ALL apsects of the railway world. I would think quite a few are into model railways too.
I admit that modern trains SEEM less interesting to the casual observer like you or me. But for enthusiasts who are interested in the minutae of railways, they will find the different engines, carriages etc pretty interesting.
In fact, since the demise of BR in the early 90s, trains at least carry a number of interesting colour schemes these days.
Edited by Eric Mc on Tuesday 8th December 14:47
the thing is though eric, this particular bridge they stand at near work has two lines going past it. one runs to, and terminates at, cleethorpes. the other is industrial traffic to/from immingham/grimsby docks.
i.e. ews freight and sprinters. you'd see all there was to see in a week, yet i've seen the same few chaps there 2-4 times a week for the past 4 years. if it was clapham junction i might be more forgiving.
i.e. ews freight and sprinters. you'd see all there was to see in a week, yet i've seen the same few chaps there 2-4 times a week for the past 4 years. if it was clapham junction i might be more forgiving.
shirt said:
the thing is though eric, this particular bridge they stand at near work has two lines going past it. one runs to, and terminates at, cleethorpes. the other is industrial traffic to/from immingham/grimsby docks.
i.e. ews freight and sprinters. you'd see all there was to see in a week, yet i've seen the same few chaps there 2-4 times a week for the past 4 years. if it was clapham junction i might be more forgiving.
For many I'm sure it's as much a social activity as a practical "spotting" activity.i.e. ews freight and sprinters. you'd see all there was to see in a week, yet i've seen the same few chaps there 2-4 times a week for the past 4 years. if it was clapham junction i might be more forgiving.
Would you say the same thing if you saw the same group of lads hanging around the same bar every Saturday evening?
shirt said:
bird spotting is different 
and at least they're warm and dry. its freezing today and cap'n birdseye is out there with his notebook [he is a dead ringer for the fish finger flogger].
i was hoping there'd be more to it that a social thing, but suppose you're right.
Certainly, when I used to spot at Dublin Airport in the 1970s there was often "bugger all" flying activity going on. Having a laugh and chat with your mates was always part of the fun.and at least they're warm and dry. its freezing today and cap'n birdseye is out there with his notebook [he is a dead ringer for the fish finger flogger].
i was hoping there'd be more to it that a social thing, but suppose you're right.
Another factor about "spotting" (of whatever you like looking at) is that it is a relatively cheap hobby - which is one of the reasons why I and my mates could do it as impecunious students.
I get the impression that many adult spotters are often from the lower level of the income scales.
I used to be a railway enthusiast (note not a spotter) back in the late 80's when I was a kid.
I would hazard a guess there are different categories, such as enthusiasts that go to preserved railways, those who go to take photos, those who have model railways or those who go purely to collect numbers. Or a combination of the above.
I had a model railway and used to take photos and wasn't bothered with collecting numbers.
I agree that recently everything looks identical, most Freight workings are handled by the GM built Class 66 (which is probably what the OP sees).
Back in the 1980's you had a large number of different looking Diesels and Electrics and with the Sectorisation a huge number of different Colour schemes, i.e Intercity, Network South East, Railfreight,Regional Railways, Civil Engineering. Within those schemes each Depot used to try and do variations on the theme.
With everything now being very corporate you don't get the variation. A lot of the old Diesels have gone and been replace by the one type.
I do sometimes find it strange to see the attraction with collecting numbers to put in a book, mainly with those at Clapham Junction which most of the time just see Multiple Units.
I would hazard a guess there are different categories, such as enthusiasts that go to preserved railways, those who go to take photos, those who have model railways or those who go purely to collect numbers. Or a combination of the above.
I had a model railway and used to take photos and wasn't bothered with collecting numbers.
I agree that recently everything looks identical, most Freight workings are handled by the GM built Class 66 (which is probably what the OP sees).
Back in the 1980's you had a large number of different looking Diesels and Electrics and with the Sectorisation a huge number of different Colour schemes, i.e Intercity, Network South East, Railfreight,Regional Railways, Civil Engineering. Within those schemes each Depot used to try and do variations on the theme.
With everything now being very corporate you don't get the variation. A lot of the old Diesels have gone and been replace by the one type.
I do sometimes find it strange to see the attraction with collecting numbers to put in a book, mainly with those at Clapham Junction which most of the time just see Multiple Units.
It was a good way of getting out and about, and I have always been interested in railways. It taught me independance, geography, maths, psychology, and all that.
I agree that a lot of the current stuff is pretty boring, which is why I generally gravitate to the Heritage Railways. I'm also interested in planes, cars, trucks, architecture, bridges and stuff like that, a lot of which developed from railways.
Something I didn't realise until a few weeks ago is that in my 50 years, I've never been further than ten miles away from the Great Central main line for more than five weeks, and that was for two holidays in the States.
I agree that a lot of the current stuff is pretty boring, which is why I generally gravitate to the Heritage Railways. I'm also interested in planes, cars, trucks, architecture, bridges and stuff like that, a lot of which developed from railways.
Something I didn't realise until a few weeks ago is that in my 50 years, I've never been further than ten miles away from the Great Central main line for more than five weeks, and that was for two holidays in the States.
I think i can understand the trainspotting thing if its a social gathering of more than one spotter but i tend to see the lonesome man at the end of the platform. I have never seen a tubespotter though.
What i can never understand are the Eddie Stobart spotters on the motorway bridges. Now thats weird.
What i can never understand are the Eddie Stobart spotters on the motorway bridges. Now thats weird.
I was a train spotter in the early 70's my very basic knowledge of railways was enough to get me on the footplate at 16 and I'm still there 30 odd years later.Yes todays railways are certainly more bland than in 1974 and I simply don't understand the reason for taking the number of yet another pedolino, voyager or 66.Now model railways is different(he says with aloft crammed with an american layout)at least I'm in good company Rod Stewart Pete Waterman and Steven Speilberg to name a few.
Mini1275 said:
I AM NOT A TRAINSPOTTER!! But like said above it's no different than you drooling over other peoples cars is it?, each to their own.
i beg to differ. if a car show was full of different models of mondeo in different colours and specs then it'd be comparable.i'm not knocking trains or the engineering, we make trains here on site [and are the only company who manages its own private rail system and makes its own locos apparently] and i've been to the rail museum in york a few times.
i just don't understand the thrill of seeing a number you haven't seen before.
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