Current Trainspotters reputation.

[ACE1888]

Mention Railways and Joe Public will always say 'Trainspotter'
I see myself as a 'Rail enthusiast and photographer', haven't spotted for around 15 years (not that there's much 'variety' left anyway:cry

 

[chris89]

All my friends know i am intrested in railways and so did a lot of people at college as well. But as others have said am a Railway enthusiast not a spotter never have been spotting.

Any train vid's i've uploaded on youtube is due to waiting for mine to arrive or other halfs to arrive.

Anyone who tends to take the mick i just say i go 'Train Spotter, Spotting'.

Anyways on the enthusiast side, i will be down the SVR for a few hours over the weekend due to the Autumn steam gala and wanting to see Straspheys 828.
But not in areas a lot of the public go to, so all great for me.

Chris

 

[Metroland]

Does it really matter if rail enthusiasts have a negative image?

Yes it does, there are a minority of people need to improve their image, because they do a disservice to everyone else, and put people off.

Next, the biggest challenge both the rail industry and railway enthusiasts face is improving the perception of the industry overall. Again, there are a minority of enthusiasts (and workers) spend most of their time either running down the railways or their interests. I don't get it. If you support a football team, for instance, you don't spend your time telling everyone else how crap it is.

Perception is not reality, again this does enormous damage to all concerned. For instance I really dislike the term 'normals'. What the f**** is that all about? What sort of a signal is that?

In other words 90% of the bad image of enthusiasts comes from within, enthusiasts and the industry are extremely poor at promoting themselves at times. The other 10% is plain ignorance of the subject by people that choose to be pig ignorant and ignorant over anything else they don't quite like themselves. And they are probably ignorant over other subjects.

Lastly the term 'trainspotters'. This needs to be challenged, a minority of people spot trains, and the idea needs to be sold rail enthusiasm is a little more than number collecting.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

With the gradual reduction in locomotive stock, enthusiasts made a progression to DMU and EMU to ensure that there was enough stock to see. Certain people also included departmental stock and then all the waggon stocks. These moves saw enthusiasts in far more locations than locomotive viewing ever entailed.

 

[Schnellzug]

Again, there are a minority of enthusiasts (and workers) spend most of their time either running down the railways or their interests. I don't get it. If you support a football team, for instance, you don't spend your time telling everyone else how crap it is.

I don't know, I think it's part and parcel of it. Surely moaning about your team is a time honoured tradition. Everyone enjoys moaning about how the current lot aren't a patch on the glory days of the 70's, and that goes for football as well as railways. It's just the same as always saying that your train service is worse than everyone else's. It's a kind of backhanded affection, I think.

Perception is not reality, again this does enormous damage to all concerned. For instance I really dislike the term 'normals'. What the f**** is that all about? What sort of a signal is that?

could it be a tongue in cheek one?

 

[AlterEgo]

For instance I really dislike the term 'normals'. What the f**** is that all about? What sort of a signal is that?

I don't know, but it's not on http://www.railsigns.co.uk/ so I'm stumped. Fnarf!!

I don't understand number collecting myself. It would bore the hell out of me. All my mates know I work in the industry and take the train everywhere, and we have good banter about it. I don't consider myself a gricer or basher, but I will readily admit to hopping on trains with the sole aim of riding the train until it terminates, taking the next one and see what that goes, etc! Most people with other hobbies don't understand that and that is fine by me. We are all individuals - but thankfully a mate of mine is a stamp collector so I'm not at the bottom of the pile!

 

[Temple Meads]

I don't understand number collecting myself. It would bore the hell out of me.

I don't know why I do it TBH and at times it is bloody boring

 

[Greenback]

Yes it does, there are a minority of people need to improve their image, because they do a disservice to everyone else, and put people off.

Agreed, and it isn't limited to trains and railways!

Next, the biggest challenge both the rail industry and railway enthusiasts face is improving the perception of the industry overall. Again, there are a minority of enthusiasts (and workers) spend most of their time either running down the railways or their interests. I don't get it. If you support a football team, for instance, you don't spend your time telling everyone else how crap it is[.QUOTE]

In my experience people do exactly that! About 80% of the people on sports fora seem to spend most of their time barracking their own team, manager or fellow fans!

If you watch rugby, it's even worse than football. The local team has a lot of criticism. Sometimes I think it is a kind of masochism, when you hear the way people talk, that they bother to attend the games at all!

Perception is not reality, again this does enormous damage to all concerned. For instance I really dislike the term 'normals'. What the f**** is that all about? What sort of a signal is that?

Yes, that one gets my blood pressure up too! It indicates that someone who enjoys their hobby is in some way abnormal. It cna hardly be a surprise when enthusiasts are not taken seriously when they refer to themselves in such a way, even if it is intended to be light hearted.

In other words 90% of the bad image of enthusiasts comes from within, enthusiasts and the industry are extremely poor at promoting themselves at times. The other 10% is plain ignorance of the subject by people that choose to be pig ignorant and ignorant over anything else they don't quite like themselves. And they are probably ignorant over other subjects.

Agreed.

Lastly the term 'trainspotters'. This needs to be challenged, a minority of people spot trains, and the idea needs to be sold rail enthusiasm is a little more than number collecting.

This could be difficult when you have the problems that you have already highlighted above!

I don't understand number collecting myself. It would bore the hell out of me. All my mates know I work in the industry and take the train everywhere, and we have good banter about it. I don't consider myself a gricer or basher, but I will readily admit to hopping on trains with the sole aim of riding the train until it terminates, taking the next one and see what that goes, etc! Most people with other hobbies don't understand that and that is fine by me. We are all individuals - but thankfully a mate of mine is a stamp collector so I'm not at the bottom of the pile!

I don't consider myself a basher, a gricer or a spotter. Like you, I enjoy travelling on trains, but then I enjoy travel full stop! I'm also interested in railway history, so I consider myself a railway enthusiast. In the same way I like rugby, football, cricket, real ale and a hos tof other things.

It always mystifies me why some of my interests are considered cool, and others worthy of jokes and insults.

 

[Metroland]

It always mystifies me why some of my interests are considered cool, and others worthy of jokes and insults.

Perception: a combination of spin, plain bull****, money (where there is money for advertising and therefore glamour things fair better), general public understanding and sterotype.

Unwashed, middle aged men dressed in out of date clothes at the end of platforms have done an enormous disservice to the rest of us, because that is the [public] image some people have, and what's worse they even believe: Even though the reality might be the enthusiast is a successful businessmen, media personality, young person with a steady girlfriend and a range of interests, and so on.

Human beings are curious creatures as we so like to compare subjective subjects and argue on the basis of perception. IE argue blue is better than green, one film or piece of music is better than the other, one interest is better than another. It's all guff of-course because beauty is in the eye of the beholder, there is no fact or reality just general trends often created through advertising. It could be argued people that follow trends are depth-less pavlovs dogs, or cute socialites, you decide. Nevertheless, human beinsg are the way they are and do work on image and perception. Therefore it's important not to make jokes about 'normals', to actually wash when people attend gatherings and dress well, and actually start challenging some of the assumptions; like all trains are late, the staff are lazy - created through the media, the latter in order to simply sell newspapers - rather than a broad brush lucid understanding the no transport system is a panacea or ever will be.

Don't get me wrong ALL hobbies have anoraks. There are anorak football supporters, anorak fans of TV programmes and film goers, anorak car enthusiasts. But it is an indictment the word actually springs from those people I mentioned above. So in that regard enthusiasts have their self to blame and must work much harder to better the image.

 

[Greenback]

Yes, I agree. But why are real ale drinkers and rail enthusiasts singled out, when there are obsessive, unwashed, middle aged, bearded, social outcasts at sports events, airport viewing galleries, vintage bus/car rallies and record fairs?!

 

[Schnellzug]

I blame, as so often, British Rail. I think it's all part of the "British Rail Sandwiches" school of thought; if, as the papers believed, the railways were a national Joke, then anyone who took an interest in them rather than mocking them at every opportunity had to be as well. Whereas cars have always been cool, even despite the evidence presented by ageing 1980s rock stars (and Jay Kay off of Jamiroquai, who i'm sorry but he's never been cool) who collect Ferraris (and Chris Evans), and flying is still seem as glamorous, despite the evidence to the contrary presented by Ryanair.

 

[Metroland]

In fairness because of rising passenger numbers etc the railways are seen as less of a joke, there is more respect about for them now. That said, there's still a long way to go.

NR have recently admitted the biggest problem in building HS2 is the industry assumes as long as they have the DfT on side, nothing else matters. The industry has been slow to understand they need to persuade the general population, it's not a given. The Daily Mail view of the industry is far too engrained, although just for balance it was the Observer (the Sunday Guardian) than coined the phrase anorak in 1984. The Daily Mail has done a lot to promote things like Tornado which is a positive story for rail enthusiasm in recent years, the Steam era was always viewed with a certain amount of glamour and charm.

 

[passmore]

Yes, I agree. But why are real ale drinkers and rail enthusiasts singled out, when there are obsessive, unwashed, middle aged, bearded, social outcasts at sports events, airport viewing galleries, vintage bus/car rallies and record fairs?!

Does it really matter though? At the end of the day, a person's prejudice towards a group of people is theirs to bear and should not be yours to bear as well.

So what if real ale drinkers and rail enthusiasts are singled out?

 

[Minilad]

Every hobby is a bit strange to people that don't have the same hobby. But it does annoy me how things like Golf and Fishing are seen as acceptable but Railway Enthusiasm isn't

 

[passmore]

Every hobby is a bit strange to people that don't have the same hobby. But it does annoy me how things like Golf and Fishing are seen as acceptable but Railway Enthusiasm isn't

Why is not seen as acceptable?

 

[aspierail]

I classified myself as a rail enthusiast and many people that i know have no problems with me about my interest in trains in fact they are quite keen to ask me about the different types of units and so on.

 

[Minilad]

I would imagine due to image it has. Mainly down to the way the hobby is shown in the media. Take Coronation Street's Roy Cropper for an example of the way the media sees Railway Enthusiasts

 

[passmore]

I would imagine due to image it has. Mainly down to the way the hobby is shown in the media. Take Coronation Street's Roy Cropper for an example of the way the media sees Railway Enthusiasts

But that's their own personal humor at the expense of a hobby group. How does that equate to the group being 'unacceptable'?

 

[Minilad]

By acceptable and unacceptable I meant to the general population. Golf, for example, would be seen as an acceptable hobby as you really don't see negative stereotyping of golfers. Railway enthusiasts on the other hand are always seen as slightly sad, loner types. Even going as far as to suggest they must have Aspergers

 

[passmore]

By acceptable and unacceptable I meant to the general population. Golf, for example, would be seen as an acceptable hobby as you really don't see negative stereotyping of golfers. Railway enthusiasts on the other hand are always seen as slightly sad, loner types. Even going as far as to suggest they must have Aspergers

An image which they created. Every rail enthusiast I have met is knowledgeable and friendly. I have a couple of friends who are avid rail photographers and they sometimes tell me of people who have an unhealthy obsession with the hobby. There's something called 'tones' which these people like to follow, something I don't really understand which they've mentioned to be about in the past.
The question is really: is it the antics of minority who fuel this stereotype or is it just a general public image that all rail enthusiasts 'might have Asperger's'?

 

[Minilad]

I would say it's the general public perception that has been fuelled by the media's portrayal over the years.
We all know some enthusiasts that would probably live up to the stereotype. On the other hand we also know more that wouldn't.

 

[passmore]

I would say it's the general public perception that has been fuelled by the media's portrayal over the years.
We all know some enthusiasts that would probably live up to the stereotype. On the other hand we also know more that wouldn't.

In which case, I'd say to the general public (sorry mods) 'bugger them'. It's something you enjoy doing so why do so many hobbyists let what is little more than common mockery get to them?

 

[Minilad]

In which case, I'd say to the general public (sorry mods) 'bugger them'. It's something you enjoy doing so why do so many hobbyists let what is little more than common mockery get to them?

Agreed 100%. But it does annoy me if I tell somebody I enjoy railways when nine times out of ten they will say "oh your a trainspotter then" and then make some stupid remark about anoraks and binoculars

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I would imagine due to image it has. Mainly down to the way the hobby is shown in the media. Take Coronation Street's Roy Cropper for an example of the way the media sees Railway Enthusiasts

The Roy Cropper character is clearly not as astute in his attention to detail as the scriptwriters would have us believe; has anyone noticed the very significant item of railway memorabilia on one wall of that café of his?

If the character was that believable, do you really think he would have the LNER number 22 locomotive oval brass cabside number plate in such an insecure location...?!

 

[strange6]

The Roy Cropper character is clearly not as astute in his attention to detail as the scriptwriters would have us believe; has anyone noticed the very significant item of railway memorabilia on one wall of that café of his?

If the character was that believable, do you really think he would have the LNER number 22 locomotive oval brass cabside number plate in such an insecure location...?!

Great reply once again, Peter! From a private point of view, I would rather the world be full of train-spotting stereotypes than what we have at the moment.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Out of curiosity, if that number plate is indeed supposed to be the one it looks like, how much would the real thing sell for at auction I wonder? Probably enough to make Cropper faint!

 

[strange6]

Out of curiosity, if that number plate is indeed supposed to be the one it looks like, how much would the real thing sell for at auction I wonder? Probably enough to make Cropper faint!

I'm no psychologist but I would suggest no amount of money would make Cropper want to part with it. That's the impression I get of his character (and indeed the stereotypical trainspotter and their numbers book!)

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I love how people can have intensive debate over something that is fiction...

 

[strange6]

I love how people can have intensive debate over something that is fiction...

There are quite a few people I know who I can relate to fictional characters like Cropper you know. They do exist!

 

[es373]

Its exactly the same as racial hatred in my eyes in the sense that there are a minority of spotters who make it bad for the majority.
By this I mean spotters who take photos of staff doing stuff and then sending it in to the company - as you can tell this sort of stupidity isn't appreciated and doesn't go down well but it does give the "good spotters" (if there are any ) a bad name which is a shame.
I like to consider myself a half decent photographer, I will take photos of trains should I be travelling but I wont go out of my way to do it and I certainly will not be scribbling down unit numbers as I really cannot see the point.

I guess its the same as this 'flailing' "hellfire" and 'bashing' stuff which to be honest most people do find particularly weird which again as joe public will see it as a reason to judge and stereotype.
Personally I find SOME spotters are a complete pain in the arse (personal experience) but the ones that just sit there on platforms or where ever taking photos are harmless.
Guess it keeps em off the streets eh? lol!