An Orchestra of Motion
When I was very little, growing up in a small suburb of Charleston, South Carolina, one of the most exciting things to do was to sit outside the barber shop and wait for the train to roll through town. Some people might say that would be as boring as watching grass grow, but they are not "railfans". So what's a railfan? The people who camp out for hours, and even days, to watch a train go by. According to Train Magazine, there are over 175,000 railfans in the United States and more than 24,000 railfan videos on YouTube. Bill Taylor, from Montana, sums it up the best by saying "It's an orchestra of motion." Learn more about railfans here.
Comments
Railfans, if you're ever in Maysville, KY, make sure you eat at Capronis Restaurant & Bar, 320 Rosemary Clooney St. It's slightly expensive, and you'll take about 3-4 hours from sitdown time to be served and finish your meal. But you'll be sure to see one or two trains pass right in front of the windows, which is in between you and the Ohio River, where you'll also see one or two barges pass by as well.
Posted by qualityleashdog on 05/10/09 at 11:05 AM
Oh that's neat, quality. I'd love to eat there and get the front row view.
Posted by Nethie on 05/10/09 at 10:59 PM
Useless fact: an Australian railfan is called a gunzel.
Railfan is an international term, but there's also an American word for railfan - foamer. Cos they get so excited about trains they foam at the mouth...
No, I'm not one myself - I work at a transport museum, and I just taught these words to kiddies for school holidays. I believe Nethie might be tapping my thoughts - oooh...
Railfan is an international term, but there's also an American word for railfan - foamer. Cos they get so excited about trains they foam at the mouth...
No, I'm not one myself - I work at a transport museum, and I just taught these words to kiddies for school holidays. I believe Nethie might be tapping my thoughts - oooh...
Posted by shadowkat on 05/11/09 at 12:52 AM
*laughs* are you my long lost sister Kat?
Posted by Nethie on 05/11/09 at 01:12 AM
What a bunch of losers. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my Space LEGO, comic books, and video games.
Posted by kingmonkey in Athens, Ontario on 05/11/09 at 04:17 PM
The Station Agent
Posted by vegas_girl in Vegas Baby!! on 05/12/09 at 04:28 PM
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Category: Eccentrics | Obsessions | Travel | Trains