Rail Enthusiasts: Are you 'out'? Or are you still 'in'?

[Thebaz]

This is not a Brexit-related post. Or one about your sexuality. Read on..

I've been reading this forum tentatively for about one and half years (hiding it when work colleagues wander over ), and I recently had a thought. Considering the stigma that is so often attached to being in any way enthusiastic about railways, I wondered how many forum users actively pursue their interest, and how many keep their interest hidden from their family and friends/colleagues out of fear? Not including rail staff here for obvious reasons, although it would be interesting to find someone who worked on the railways but pretended to everyone else they didn't!

Personally I loved the railways as a kid and was always talking about them to my school friends and anyone else who would listen. I even did work experience in '94 in NSE South central timetabling department. By the time I was 15 I realised talking railways wasn't 'cool'and definitely wasn't going to lead to me getting a girlfriend so I shut up and let sport and other interests take over. Now I'm nearly 40 with a partner and kids (mission accomplished, ha) I don't really care what's cool and what's not and I've rekindled my interest (cue applause) - Special subject: abandoned railway routes in the south of England - I mentioned to a work colleague the other day in the pub that I had an interest in railways and was greeted with a snigger and the question: are you a trainspotter? So I'm partially 'out' though I still don't think I'm brave enough to openly talk railways on Facebook !

What about you? What's your story?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Most people know I'm a bit of a "train geek" (I hear that term much more than "trainspotter", as I don't think anyone thinks I stand at platform ends writing down numbers, I have more of an operational interest in the modern railway). I think once you get a bit older the stigma disappears; there's an acceptance that most middle aged blokes have some kind of eccentricity, though I suppose football and cars are more common.

 

[PeterC]

I no longer bother hiding Modern Railways inside a copy of Playboy

I soon found collecting numbers boring but I have sustained an interest in railways and their operation since my teens. I have usually kept quiet about it unless I am talking to other rail fans.

 

[class387]

I'm quite open with it, which in secondary school leads to some snide comments, but most don't have a problem with it.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I’m pretty popular at school, I tell nobody that I like trains for fear of ruining that status. I’ve always been pretty lucky when it comes to popularity and I just don’t want to ruin that. That’s probably bad of me but I don’t mind. I can just talk about other interests of mine like football and stuff.

I have been going out with my girlfriend since August and I haven’t told her either I must admit haha. As far as my interests go all she knows is that I play football and that’s pretty much it.

To the OP - I don’t understand what Brexit or sexuality has to do with this but OK haha.

 

[PeterY]

I'm not embarrassed in the slightest about telling anyone about my interest in railways. In fact I'm very open about it. Most of the books I own are railway related. The older I get the less I worry about what other people think.
I don't do trainspotting but enjoy, as time allows track bashing.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

I was 'out' getting shopping in Sainsbury's half an hour ago, but now I'm back 'in' my house again, and will probably stay in for the rest of the evening.

 

[221129]

I don't go around announcing it but if asked I don't hide it... A lot of banter from my colleagues ensues but most of the depot come and ask me for advice or if rumours they have heard are likely to be true or not.

 

[HainultLoop]

I'm quite open with it, which in secondary school leads to some snide comments, but most don't have a problem with it.

I don't go around telling people in my school that I am a railway enthusiast, but somehow everyone knows it anyway! Most people are quite nice about it but I agree - I get snide comments too sometimes - our interest seems to be seen as a 'geeky' hobby.

 

[class387]

I don't go around telling people in my school that I am a railway enthusiast, but somehow everyone knows it anyway! Most people are quite nice about it but I agree - I get snide comments too sometimes - our interest seems to be seen as a 'geeky' hobby.

"You have a sad life" is the one I get most - because shooting someone on a computer screen obviously isn't .

 

[fowler9]

When I was at school everyone knew and I did get some stick. In 6th form though, despite my "boring" hobby out of 100 lads in the year I was going out with one of only 20 girls in the year so I just thought to myself "Hey, who cares". It does help being able to talk about stuff other than railways of course. In the work place, when people find out, I still occasionally get called a boring ******* and I just say "Yeah right". I go the match, I have mates in Death Metal bands who tour the world and have been on MTV, I have flown right the way around the world, I have seen most of Europe, and I like trains. Yeah I'm boring. They normally slope off and talk to someone else about their annual holiday in Tenerife or their love of Coldplay or whatever other tedious stuff they are in to.

 

[Cowley]

When I was at school everyone knew and I did get some stick. In 6th form though, despite my "boring" hobby out of 100 lads in the year I was going out with one of only 20 girls in the year so I just thought to myself "Hey, who cares". It does help being able to talk about stuff other than railways of course. In the work place, when people find out, I still occasionally get called a boring ******* and I just say "Yeah right". I go the match, I have mates in Death Metal bands who tour the world and have been on MTV, I have flown right the way around the world, I have seen most of Europe, and I like trains. Yeah I'm boring. They normally slope off and talk to someone else about their annual holiday in Tenerife or their love of Coldplay or whatever other tedious stuff they are in to.

Just read this out to the missus. Loved it.

 

[GW43125]

I don't go round announcing it, but I won't lie if asked.
Despite only telling a few friends, the whole 6th form knows (I got "choo choo" directed at me walking out of the toilets today-thanks, really mature). I'm used to it.
Though if i'm out it's hard to hide it-a little joy when a required unit arrives, for example.
It does help sometimes, as when things happen, I'm the go-to point of contact. (And VERY opinionated on some subjects).
And the time I was on an Edinburgh train, was talking to my friend about various train related topics, a Geordie lady overheard and we actually had a rather pleasant conversation as far as Newcastle, including being the go-to when we kept stopping (thanks York ROC for letting the late stopper go ahead of our express!).
So it depends is the answer.

 

[yorkie]

In one of my jobs an interest in railways never gets mentioned, while in the other it's almost compulsory

 

[fishquinn]

I genuinely don't care what people think of me: it's their own problem if they have such a closed mind. I'm struggling to think of people who don't know that I have an interest in railways and have never had hassle for it from people I know. If I did have any problems then I'd be happy to stand up for myself (and indeed have against strangers while on trains who can't seem to grasp the fact that someone may like the railways); if their interest is football then I can question the fun in watching several overpaid men kicking a sack of wind around for 90 minutes as an example (not that I have any problem with anyone that does like football: it's their own choice just as rail enthusiasm is mine).

 

[AJM580]

The picture of D9000 in the snow at Peterborough that sits on my desk is a bit of a giveaway, however I've never had problems with snide comments or the like. In fact we have a fair bit of banter about trains on the section, only today I was explaining the intricacies of Shay locomotives to my mate from South Africa.

 

[GW43125]

Speaking of pictures, nobody has batted an eyelid at my phone background picture being a class 158; nor my previous picture of a Wessex Electric

 

[fowler9]

Just read this out to the missus. Loved it.

Ha ha. As an aside over the last few weeks the same new member of staff in work has called me a devil worshipper (Because of the music I listen to), boring (because I like trains) and was shocked that me and another guy in work used to snowboard (Came up because it was on a big screen in work). I am the worlds first boring devilworshipping snowboarder. Some people just haven't had an original thought for years. She is alright really by the way, and I'm not a devil worshipper. If someone thinks you are boring because of one of your hobbies it is their problem not yours.

 

[cactustwirly]

I only told my really close friends at Sixth Form, and none of my Uni friends or flatmates know.
I do try and 'blend in' when I'm bashing by myself, but this is a bit difficult when I'm out with other train enthusiasts.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Thankfully most of my mates know I’ve done work for ITV in the past so if they catch me on the trains I can say I’m travelling to the studios

I shouldn’t be so closed should I? Sorry...

 

[theblackwatch]

I don't go into great detail, but people at work know I enjoy travelling by train and go on holiday to travel round countries, and that I travel on/help out on excursion trains/charity trips. Probably a good thing after, on one tour when I was doing a ticket check, a voice said to me "so this is what you do at weekends" - it was a friend of my boss!

I have been going out with my girlfriend since August and I haven’t told her either I must admit haha. As far as my interests go all she knows is that I play football and that’s pretty much it.

What does your girlfriend think you are doing when you go off on all these train trips - seeing somebody else?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I've never kept it hidden in all of the 39 years I've been doing this train stuff.

You'll probably all have noticed by now that I post in my real name with a real picture of myself ( albeit outdated,. but the aviation cognoscenti amongst you will realise why I'm still using that picture ) not just on here but also on Twitter and that I have quite openly been in the press a few times on railway related matters.

So... I'd say that's a very definite "out" on railway interests, wouldn't you?

 

[Crossover]

My interest started out in uni and a few friends knew about it. Initially kept really geeky stuff off Facebook but that soon gave way to more geeky stuff!

When I first started at where I work now, I kept it quiet and if I had been off on the train on a weekend or such wouldn't say. A conversation between me and a couple of colleagues one lunchtime was something related to Marple and I made a comment (I forget what) about the stations there, to which my colleague remarked "You're a right little Portillo, aren't you!" I said to them at the time that I had an interest and was advised another colleague had an interest and would "bore you to death about buckeye couplings!" (may be paraphrased from the actual words used!). It kind of went from there really and progressively more colleagues have got to know (more so since I now have a few on Instagram where I have the odd rail photo mixed in amongst other interests) and I don't recall a snide remark from anyone. Sometimes get asked about services now, have had colleagues send me links or show me things in the news and had a conversation with other colleagues who have said they used to go watching movements round the East Lancs in the past. Maybe I have been fortunate, but I am of the mindset generally that I am who I am and we all have our own interests and idiosyncrasies. It can and do chat about other things too, which may help

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I've never kept it hidden in all of the 39 years I've been doing this train stuff.

You'll probably all have noticed by now that I post in my real name with a real picture of myself ( albeit outdated,. but the aviation cognoscenti amongst you will realise why I'm still using that picture ) not just on here but also on Twitter and that I have quite openly been in the press a few times on railway related matters.

So... I'd say that's a very definite "out" on railway interests, wouldn't you?

That’s braver than me dude. I used a fake name on here for a few months I was so scared of people finding out my passion for trains As sad as it sounds in Year 10 and 11 reputation is key.

I don't go into great detail, but people at work know I enjoy travelling by train and go on holiday to travel round countries, and that I travel on/help out on excursion trains/charity trips. Probably a good thing after, on one tour when I was doing a ticket check, a voice said to me "so this is what you do at weekends" - it was a friend of my boss!

What does your girlfriend think you are doing when you go off on all these train trips - seeing somebody else?

Haha. Very funny.

 

[cf111]

I think I may have outed myself when on the Far North Line with colleagues and a simple question about why we were waiting at Lairg resulted in a detailed explanation of the RETB signalling system

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Why are you all discussing train enthusiasm like it’s some sort of sexuality anyway what with “outed” and that

 

[alxndr]

I wouldn't say I'm an enthusiast per se, but I don't generally let on at work quite how much time I spend thinking about railways, or that I have a fair few books at home.

My partner knows, thinks it's a bit odd, but is gradually getting interested herself (she always peers over when I update my route coverage map, indulges me in sometimes making a little diversion to tick something else off, and at least pretends to pay attention if I waffle on trying to explain something that's happened). Other people I do know struggle to get the nuance between being interested in the infrastructure and history and being a "trainspotter". I am the former, not the latter.

Coincidentally I've been thinking about this a bit recently after delving deeper into Geoff Marshall's videos and his "Choose Corrour" video.

 

[Bevan Price]

I have never hidden my interest in railways, but don't go out of my way to tell people. I just ignore nutters in white vans, etc. who make silly comments if they see me taking lineside photos.

 

[Cowley]

I have never hidden my interest in railways, but don't go out of my way to tell people. I just ignore nutters in white vans, etc. who make silly comments if they see me taking lineside photos.

I’m a nutter in white van. It may have been me .

Very happy to tell people about my railway interests.
I told a customer today about it but I needn’t have bothered as I’d already told her mum when I worked for her in the past so she knew anyway.
All my friends know and we all have a chuckle about it at times but also talk about it because it can be interesting (if you know how to make it interesting).
My friends send me pictures of things sometimes, a few weeks ago someone sent me picture of a “big diesel” at Norwich - it was a 37. He probably wouldn’t have taken any notice of it if it hadn’t been for me, but as it was he watched it leave and reported back that it was impressively loud!

 

[GusB]

I'm not sure what's worse: closet gay or closet rail enthusiast. I'm fairly certain I've had more favourable reactions to coming out of the closet for the former reason than the latter.

As I approach my mid 40s, I find myself caring less about what others think.

This is cheesy, but whatever :