Are there still any 'bashers' on today's railways?

[Shaw S Hunter]

Or give up and go to the pub

I know you have mostly disdain for people who make railways an active hobby but it is perhaps worth pointing out that "back in the day" many a bash was punctuated by time in the nearest pub rather than hanging around on the station. So not so different to football fans, eh?

 

[fowler9]

I started recording haulage in 1981, and still find there's plenty to get interested in. 68s are probably the best things on the rails at the moment, although round here we have the 37 hauled set for a bit. I expect that when all the new stuff that is coming to Greater Anglia arrives on these shores I'll be out sampling them. I also find that some of the preserved railways offer a good deal of nostalgia as well

Enjoy mate. It's still fun using the railways for me. I just don't do it the way I used to. That said it wasn't much fun getting from South Parkway to Lime Street after 20:00 this evening. Ha ha. That said I still had far more options than when it was Allerton Station years back. Even had 68026 stopped in platform 4 for a short while.

 

[DarloRich]

I know you have mostly disdain for people who make railways an active hobby but it is perhaps worth pointing out that "back in the day" many a bash was punctuated by time in the nearest pub rather than hanging around on the station. So not so different to football fans, eh?

No I don't! I have disdain for dribling obsessives with nothing else to talk about.

Today I will be mostly travelling by train around Sussex. However one southern unit is exactly the same as another southern unit. No character. Dull. Boring.

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

No I don't! I have disdain for dribling obsessives with nothing else to talk about.

Today I will be mostly travelling by train around Sussex. However one southern unit is exactly the same as another southern unit. No character. Dull. Boring.

And in the days when BR Blue reigned supreme it could equally be said that one loco was the same as another. They certainly were to the public. It was only the "dribbling obsessives" who picked up the differences, firstly by class and then by heat/no heat. Ultimately people tend to build a certain affection for things they became familiar with as they moved through adolescence to adulthood. So those who grew up with steam don't care for diesels, those who grew up with loco-hauled trains don't like units, etc. You can be sure that today's younger generation of railfans will at some point in the future be critical of some future type of train saying that you couldn't beat a Sprinter/Networker/Desiro/Electrostar/Voyager. But it's such a backward way of thinking. Move with the times or grow old and grumpy!

 

[Nomad8459]

I've had a few spells at Bashing.. one youthful from 1989 to 1992 ( then I wished I was born earlier) one a bit later in life to get the Rhymneys along with lots of charters and the Pres lines and looking at UK rail more recently.. it's started to get a little more interesting again.. I plan maybe to sample 68 and 67 as I haven't tried either as yet.. lucky to have been hauled by 20s, 25s, 26s, 27s, 31s, 33s, 35s, 37s, 40s, 43s, 45s, 46s, 47s, 50s, 52s, 55s, 56s, 60s, 66s, 73s, 81s, 85s, 86s, 87s, 90s, 91s and even 92s over the years ... sampled 37s on the Cambrian just after Barmouth re-opened.. had 20s over the S and C.. went for a run on the then soon to end Fort William 37s with 37406 basically falling apart.. 47s and 50s on the sea wall... freight only lines.. literally all sorts... 40s and 47s are the best for me with 37s shortly after.. but I find all locos pretty cool... the proverbial NED! I feel for a new generation trying to keep it alive and yes liking the 319s as opposed to the new breeds... it's like anything else.. the first gen DMUs became nostalgic in the end.. pacers and 150s are becoming so now.. they do kinda thrash with the hydraulic transmission...oh and one day I hope they get that Co-bo going at the ELR for giggles... at least Pres keeps it alive.. it's not the same but it's close..

 

[fowler9]

And in the days when BR Blue reigned supreme it could equally be said that one loco was the same as another. They certainly were to the public. It was only the "dribbling obsessives" who picked up the differences, firstly by class and then by heat/no heat. Ultimately people tend to build a certain affection for things they became familiar with as they moved through adolescence to adulthood. So those who grew up with steam don't care for diesels, those who grew up with loco-hauled trains don't like units, etc. You can be sure that today's younger generation of railfans will at some point in the future be critical of some future type of train saying that you couldn't beat a Sprinter/Networker/Desiro/Electrostar/Voyager. But it's such a backward way of thinking. Move with the times or grow old and grumpy!

I know what you mean but it really isn't quite the same. Loco hauled has passed and there are still trains which is great. It has got more and more dull to watch though whichever way you look at it. It is fun listening to younger posters asking how a loco got from one end of the train to the other and being able to tell them another loco would just drop on the front. As the train leaves the one at the buffers leaves behind it and join the queue to take another train out. You would need serious issues to find a 350 arriving in Lime Street and then go out again more interesting than all the movements that used to happen. God forgive me but even push pull and 125's are a bit dull.

 

[Mag_seven]

Loco hauled has passed

Not in mainland Europe it hasn't!

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

I know what you mean but it really isn't quite the same. Loco hauled has passed and there are still trains which is great. It has got more and more dull to watch though whichever way you look at it. It is fun listening to younger posters asking how a loco got from one end of the train to the other and being able to tell them another loco would just drop on the front. As the train leaves the one at the buffers leaves behind it and join the queue to take another train out. You would need serious issues to find a 350 arriving in Lime Street and then go out again more interesting than all the movements that used to happen. God forgive me but even push pull and 125's are a bit dull.

Oh dear, still suffering withdrawal symptoms after all these years: you have my sympathy! The answer is either concentrate on heritage railways with the occasional mainline tour or else just let go of the past and find the interesting bits of today's traction. As an example the first time I rode a 323 I ended up with a huge grin on my face as I was so impressed by the "music" of the electronics in the traction control system. Networkers are similar. And 185s have quite a decent growl.

Not in mainland Europe it hasn't!

True. But in rapid retreat in many places. And an awful lot of what remains is push-pull meaning far fewer loco run-rounds or changes.

 

[theblackwatch]

No I don't! I have disdain for dribling obsessives with nothing else to talk about.

Today I will be mostly travelling by train around Sussex. However one southern unit is exactly the same as another southern unit. No character. Dull. Boring.

And a load of other dribbling obsessives will have stood around a field for around 90 minutes from 15.00 onwards, as they do every other Saturday, not talking tho, but shouting...

 

[Kite159]

And a load of other dribbling obsessives will have stood around a field for around 90 minutes from 15.00 onwards, as they do every other Saturday, not talking tho, but shouting...

And then spend the following couple hours talking about what happened in those 90 minutes over many cans of cheap mass produced lager

 

[fowler9]

Oh dear, still suffering withdrawal symptoms after all these years: you have my sympathy! The answer is either concentrate on heritage railways with the occasional mainline tour or else just let go of the past and find the interesting bits of today's traction. As an example the first time I rode a 323 I ended up with a huge grin on my face as I was so impressed by the "music" of the electronics in the traction control system. Networkers are similar. And 185s have quite a decent growl.



True. But in rapid retreat in many places. And an awful lot of what remains is push-pull meaning far fewer loco run-rounds or changes.

Ha ha, yeah I guess I am. I do like the little tune the 323's play. Wish we could get some Tauri (is that the plural of Taurus? Ha ha).

 

[ash39]

I think there's a distinction to be had between different levels of basher/spotter/enthusiast. You get the hardcore ones, at the most extreme end of the spectrum they probably don't have any other interests or even family to speak of. Whilst that lifestyle wouldn't be for me, if it brings them happiness then it's not for anyone else to judge, and good on them for being single minded enough to enjoy their hobby without fear of ridicule by others.

On the other extreme, there are people quietly clocking up miles on locos without doing anything to draw attention to themselves. It's a bit of a shame that society is such that they can't outwardly enjoy their hobby, but I totally understand why.

I would place myself somewhere inbetween. I have what most people would call a regular life with a full time job and family. Every now and again I like to ride on trains to unwind. It's not a common passtime so I choose to be fairly discrete about it.

I also enjoy the completion aspect of chasing particular units/stations/lines. I think that's just a male thing, which explains why 99% of railway enthusiasts are male.

 

[fowler9]

Well

I think there's a distinction to be had between different levels of basher/spotter/enthusiast. You get the hardcore ones, at the most extreme end of the spectrum they probably don't have any other interests or even family to speak of. Whilst that lifestyle wouldn't be for me, if it brings them happiness then it's not for anyone else to judge, and good on them for being single minded enough to enjoy their hobby without fear of ridicule by others.

On the other extreme, there are people quietly clocking up miles on locos without doing anything to draw attention to themselves. It's a bit of a shame that society is such that they can't outwardly enjoy their hobby, but I totally understand why.

I would place myself somewhere inbetween. I have what most people would call a regular life with a full time job and family. Every now and again I like to ride on trains to unwind. It's not a common passtime so I choose to be fairly discrete about it.

I also enjoy the completion aspect of chasing particular units/stations/lines. I think that's just a male thing, which explains why 99% of railway enthusiasts are male.

Well put. For me personally, and I've said this before, I really don't mind telling people I like trains any more. I think I got over that one when a mate of mine told my girlfriend at the time that I did, then she told her family who were all in the forces. I was expecting to get ripped but it was the opposite. They all realised I was the same person who could chat to them about pretty much anything. A few of them "Came out" as liking trains. Ha ha. I was a full on basher, even then though I had other interests. There is a stereotypical image of the train spotter and some people fit it perfectly, they don't cause any harm though and as long as they are happy then that is great. Anyone who is completely obsessed with one particular thing is going to get stick off some, personally I'd rather be friends with the obsessed person than the one who wants to take the mick out of them. At least the obsessed person is doing what they do out of love and not hate.