Train spotters.

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There are a large number of rail-related transport threads here. Come on then, how many of you are anorak clad-trainspotters? Or do you just enjoy the thrill of memorising ancient tube maps?

― Bill, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

New bloody railways.

― Bill, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think it may be a London thing, I know that ever since I lived here I've found myself become more and more (not quite) obsessed with finding the best ways round the city, in particular avoiding the busiest lines where the veal fattening pen effect takes hold. Then there's so much architecture linked in there what with stations around London being built in so many different periods.

― chris, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Architecture tends to be the excuse, yes.

Trainspotters are lovely folk except when they hunt in packs.

― Tom, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Not as good as bus spotters, though.

― Ally C, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I do belive its a london thing, most londoners have the tube map engraved on their soul. (also new york subway is becoming fixed there too).

howevr as a 7 year old I used to go to kings cross with a mate sit at the end of platform 8 and collect numbers. Train travel thrills me more than anyother form of travel and I still remeber a lot of very technical stuff, although I am an engineer so that';s probably allowed.

― Ed, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I really used to be into it. We have all these books about glory days of steam and I still read them some time. Plus had a model railway which was muchfun. I think it helps that there are a large number of disused lines round here and it's nice working out where they are. I once went on this walk and suddenly found myself on an abandoned station platform in the middle of a wood. Memorable.

― Bill, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

we're going on an outing to the North York Moors steam railway next weekend, that or chatsworth, i know where my vote lies

― Ed, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Chatsworth is immensely overpriced I remember from when I was 6. But it does have a good adventure playground.

― Bill, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Chatsworth's fantastic, and quite cheap if you only go in the gardens which I think are the best bit, the rooms aren't that stunning, what the place is deservedly famous for are the beautiful capability brown gardens. They used to have a fantastic adventure playground there back when I were a nipper. And, if you can, go to the chatsworth farm shop which is in a village nearby, they have most gorgeous food there.

― chris, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i have no interest in the trains themselves, but places will always fascinate. hence, tubes, and maps and shit. but yes, it seems london, nyc, cities etc bring this out best.

― gareth, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i take the train to the coast eery 6 months and it is the prettiest thing in the world. but i am flying in november which saddens me,

― anthonyeaston, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

My grandad used to drive steam trains! Everyone in the village where dad grew up worked on the railway and all the kids were trainspotters. Quite a lot were morris dancers too. My dad was both and I is proud to admit this in public.

― Madchen, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Eastern train rülz, breakfast along the Saint Lawrence into Montreal with all you can drink coffee. Plus all the crazy newfs in the smoking car up all night.

― Mr Noodles, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I wonder if there are trainspotter-spotters.

― helen fordsdale, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Never had any interest in collecting numbers, but loved being around stations, and travelling on the trains was a thrill. Our summer holiday every year involved the same thing: a 7-day North-West Rail Rover.

Time and time again we just missed the 07:48 Edinburgh service from Lime Street (the only train you could take before 09:30 on the family ticket), ruining our Windermere plans, forced to skulk around the buffet for an hour and a half before heading off for Morecambe or Barrow. Changing at Shotton for the North Wales coast was an impractical indulgence allowed me each summer (nothing stopped for an hour! Freight trains screamed through inches from yr face! It was my Alton Towers), until we tried it one Sunday, waited *two* hours, escaped to a local pub in the driving rain and then went home. Changing-at-Shotton privileges were revoked.

Oh, and the smell of James Street station in Liverpool (before they built the Loop) - Proustian, mate.

― Michael Jones, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I used to know a bus-spotter.

― DG, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I do not hesitate to say that I have always found and still find all railways in the UK fascinating, though this is despite, not because of, their present state.

― Robin Carmody, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm with Gareth on this. Individual trains = blah, networks, maps, places = ace. I own a very big (ie not on A scale) map of passenger rail services in London and can spend hours poring over it. I've also got the two books of pre- and post-Beck tube maps, which are very interesting if you bend even slightly in this direction (as a certain frequent poster to this board who seemed rather engrossed in one of them on Sunday can no doubt testify).

― RickyT, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two years pass...

Reviving, because I can't wait to ride the AirTrain at JFK even though it doesn't really go anywhere.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Wednesday, 17 December 2003 23:05 (twenty-one years ago)

I also miss seeing the airplane icons on the "Train To The Plane" subway cars

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Wednesday, 17 December 2003 23:07 (twenty-one years ago)

jfk has one now? the newark one was ok, each carriage was weird, like a little cubicle

― charltonlido (gareth), Wednesday, 17 December 2003 23:18 (twenty-one years ago)

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