View source for Railfan

{{Short description|Rail transport enthusiast}}
{{About|railway enthusiasts|the PlayStation 3 game|Railfan (video game)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
[[File:Railfan photographers.jpg|thumb|Railfan photographers in [[Belgium]] in September 2003, at the farewell of the [[NMBS/SNCB Class 51]] locomotive]]
[[File:498 104 Dampflokfest Dresden 3.JPG|thumb|Preserved steam locomotive [[Czechoslovak State Railways|ČSD]] 498.104 at a festival in [[Dresden]] railway museum]]
A '''railfan''', '''train fan''', '''rail buff''' or '''train buff''' ([[American English]]), '''railway enthusiast''', '''railway buff''', '''trainspotter''' ([[Australian English|Australian]]/[[British English]]) or '''ferroequinologist''' is a person who is recreationally interested in trains and rail transport systems.<ref>{{cite book| page=101| publisher=[[Kalmbach Media|Kalmbach Publishing]]| title=N Scale Primer| chapter=Learn the lingo| year=1974| edition=Fourth printing, 1977| location=Milwaukee, WI| last=Larson| first=Russ }}</ref><ref>Kisor, p. 5.</ref>
Railfans often combine their interest with other hobbies, especially [[photography]] and [[videography]], [[radio scanner|radio scanning]], [[Rail transport modelling|railway modelling]], studying [[History of rail transport|railroad history]] and participating in railway station and [[rolling stock]] preservation efforts. There are many magazines and websites dedicated to railfanning and railway enthusiasts, including ''[[Trains (magazine)|Trains]]'', ''[[Railfan & Railroad]]'', ''[[The Railway Magazine]]'', ''[[Locomotive Magazine]]'' and ''[[Railway Gazette International]]''.
==Other names==
In the United Kingdom, rail enthusiasts are often called [[Trainspotters in the United Kingdom|trainspotters]] or [[Anorak (slang)|anoraks]]. The term ''gricer'' has been used in the UK since at least 1969 and is said to have been current in 1938 amongst members of the Manchester Locomotive Society, according to the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]''. There has been speculation that the term derives from "grouser", one who collects dead [[grouse]] after a [[Driven grouse shooting|shoot]], but other etymologies have also been suggested.<ref>{{cite book|title=Oxford English Dictionary|url=http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/243264?redirectedFrom=gricer#eid|access-date=5 March 2015|chapter=Gricer, n.}}</ref>
In Australia, they are sometimes referred to as "[[Wiktionary:gunzel|gunzels]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tmsv.org.au/papers/gunzels.htm |publisher=[[Tramway Museum Society of Victoria]]|title=Gunzels |date=2 January 2004 |last=Campbell |first=Don |work=Trams Down Under |access-date=5 October 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070905013728/http://www.tmsv.org.au/papers/gunzels.htm |archive-date=5 September 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| last=Moynihan| first=Stephen| url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/rail-fans-celebrate-own-win-as-new-line-launched/2007/09/30/1191090945555.html| newspaper=[[The Age]]| title=Rail Fans Celebrate Own Win as New Line Launched| date=1 October 2007| access-date=5 October 2007| archive-date=13 October 2007| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013214347/http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/rail-fans-celebrate-own-win-as-new-line-launched/2007/09/30/1191090945555.html| url-status=live}}</ref>
In [[Japan]] rail enthusiasts are known as ''[[Densha Otaku|densha otaku]]'', although numerous terms exist to describe activities falling within the category including ''Toritetsu'' for fans of photographing and/or filming trains, ''Nori-tetsu'' (people who enjoy travelling by train) and ''Eki-tetsu'' (enthusiasts of train station architecture).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Trainspotting in Japan |url=https://www.jrpass.com/blog/trainspotting-in-japan |access-date=30 June 2022 |website=JRPass.com |language=en |archive-date=28 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628185626/https://www.jrpass.com/blog/trainspotting-in-japan |url-status=live }}</ref>
In the United States, they can be referred to pejoratively as "[[Wiktionary:foamer|foamers]]".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gold|first=Scott|date=12 May 2007|title=Train hobbyists are loco for that motion|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-foamers1-2008oct01-story.html|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=19 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211014122026/https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-foamers1-2008oct01-story.html|archive-date=14 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=McGrath |first=Ben |date=29 August 2022 |title=All Aboard the Berkshire Flyer! |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/09/05/all-aboard-the-berkshire-flyer |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |publisher=Condé Nast |publication-date=5 September 2022 |volume=98 |issue=27 |page=14 |issn=0028-792X |access-date=10 September 2022 |archive-date=10 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220910203527/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/09/05/all-aboard-the-berkshire-flyer |url-status=live }}</ref> There is a dispute over the origin of this term. Some cite the extensive use of [[Polystyrene|styrofoam]] to create scenery and landscaping in [[model railroad]] building, while others trace its origins to the related term "Foamite" (which stands for "Far Out and Mentally Incompetent Train Enthusiast") or claim it refers to "the notion of foaming-at-the-mouth craziness".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Barry|first=Dan|date=7 November 2009|title=Awesome Train Set, Mr. Buffett|language=en-US|work=[[New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/weekinreview/08barry.html|access-date=2 January 2022|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=5 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805103205/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/weekinreview/08barry.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
"Ferroequinologist" derives from the use of "[[Iron horse]]" as a nickname for early steam locomotives.
==Activities==
[[File:EXPO-1520_train_parade_in_2015.webm|thumbtime=420|right|thumb|A train parade on a railway test circuit in [[Moscow]], Russia. Railfans taking photos and videos of rolling stock]]
[[File:Bill Nye model train 2018.jpg|thumb|[[Bill Nye]] looks over the model railroad display at the Pasadena, California model train club]]
[[File:Locomotora vapor Beyer Peacock 120.jpg|thumb|Steam locomotive built by [[Beyer Peacock]] hauling a rail fan train for the Uruguayan Railfan Association (AUAR)]]
The hobby extends to all aspects of rail transport systems. Railfans may have one or more particular concentrations of interest, such as:
*Railway [[locomotives]] and [[Railroad car|rolling stock]]
*Still-used or disused railroad lines, bridges, tunnels, [[Railway station|stations]], [[signal boxes]] and other infrastructure
*Subways and other local rail transit systems
*Railway history
*Railway photography
*Railway books and [[List of rail transport–related periodicals|magazines]]
*[[Railtour]]s
*[[Railway signalling]]
*Playing [[train simulators]]
*[[Railway modelling]], both physical and virtual model railroading, [[toy train]] collecting, [[live steam]] and outdoor [[miniature railways]], and [[model engineering]].
*Collection of railway artifacts, in particular: tickets, timetables, posters, railway paper, route maps, locomotive [[Train whistle|whistles]], number plates, [[builder's plate]]s, [[builder's photo]]s, badges, uniforms, railway crockery and other [[railwayana]]. Many items, such as timetables and railway paper (i.e. internal railway documents), are collected for study and not just as collectibles.
*Railway art or architecture
*Railway operations, economics or commerce
*Railway [[advocacy]] and politics relating to railways (in some [[Democracy|democratic]] countries)
*[[Railway preservation]]/restoration
*[[Level crossing]]s and their infrastructure. This is where the railfan can also be interested in the railroad or "grade" crossing signals.
*Monitoring railroad [[radio communication]]s with a [[radio scanner]].
The scope of the subject is so large that fans may additionally concentrate their interest on a particular country, town, [[railway company]], field of operations or era in history – or a combination of any of the above.
=== Railway photography ===
[[File:Mt Fuji Tokaido Shinkansen & Photographer.jpg|thumb|right|A trainspotter photographing an [[N700 Series Shinkansen]] on the [[Tokaido Shinkansen]] line near [[Mount Fuji]]]]
[[File:Railfantokyo.jpg|thumb|right|Railfans taking train photos at the [[Japan Railways Group]] (JR) Tokyo train center]]
Train photography is a common activity of railfans. Most railfans do their photographing from public property, unless they have permission to use a specific private property owner's land. Occasionally, they run into problems with law enforcement, especially due to [[post 9/11]] security concerns, because they are sometimes viewed as suspicious. In 2004, for example, the [[New York City Subway]] attempted to institute a photo ban, which was met with fierce opposition and ultimately scrapped.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/nyclife/0423,haber,54075,15.html |title=village voice > nyclife > Forbidden Photos, Anyone? by Matt Haber |date=28 February 2005 |access-date=18 March 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050228050013/http://www.villagevoice.com/nyclife/0423%2Chaber%2C54075%2C15.html |archive-date=28 February 2005 }}</ref> In sharp contrast, the [[PATH (rail system)|Port Authority Trans–Hudson (PATH)]] successfully implemented a photo ban that is still in effect (although it predated the 11 September attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing); it has led to confiscations and arrests on the PATH system.<ref name="HudsonReporter-Pictures-2014">{{cite web | title=Is it really illegal to take pictures in the train station? Transit agencies have differing policies for photographers videographers a | website=[[Hudson Reporter]]| date=23 December 2014 | url=https://archive.hudsonreporter.com/2015/01/04/is-it-really-illegal-to-take-pictures-in-the-train-station-3/ | access-date=2 March 2018 | archive-date=13 April 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220413181344/https://archive.hudsonreporter.com/2015/01/04/is-it-really-illegal-to-take-pictures-in-the-train-station-3/ | url-status=live }}</ref>
* In the United Kingdom, photography is allowed at all stations on the [[National Rail]] network.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/777.aspx |title=Railway enthusiasts |publisher=Network Rail |access-date=25 September 2015 |archive-date=30 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230011425/https://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/777.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Transport for London]], however, does not allow photography without permission and a permit issued by the TfL Film Office. However, photography for personal use, without ancillary equipment is allowed without a permit.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/filming-and-photography/filming-and-photography-on-tfl?intcmp=1594|title=Filming & photography on TFL|access-date=16 May 2018|archive-date=6 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220406212530/https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/filming-and-photography/filming-and-photography-on-tfl?intcmp=1594|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Tyne & Wear Metro]] prohibits all photography without written permission from [[Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Executive|Nexus]], the system's operators. As of 2015, it is the only system in the UK with such a policy.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nexus.org.uk/metro/looking-after-our-passengers/photography-and-filming |title=Photography and filming {{!}} nexus.org.uk |website=[[Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Executive|Nexus]]|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112215059/https://www.nexus.org.uk/metro/looking-after-our-passengers/photography-and-filming |archive-date=12 November 2019}}</ref>
* In Singapore, private photography is allowed at any one time, except those on movie productions or wedding photoshoots, they may need approval from the public transport operators' offices.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smrttrains.com.sg/Journey-with-Us/Travel-Information/FAQs#928060-are-there-any-other-details-i-need-to-take-note-of|title=SMRT Trains: FAQs|publisher=[[SMRT Trains]]|access-date=26 April 2019|archive-date=16 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220716154457/https://www.smrttrains.com.sg/Journey-with-Us/Travel-Information/FAQs#928060-are-there-any-other-details-i-need-to-take-note-of|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Spanish railroad company [[Renfe]] used to ask for a permit, but since 2018 it is not needed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://adif.es/es_ES/ocio_y_cultura/fotografia_ferroviaria/aficionados_fotografia.shtml|title=Adif - Permisos de aficionados|website=adif.es|language=es|access-date=11 July 2017|archive-date=24 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824042129/http://www.adif.es/es_ES/ocio_y_cultura/fotografia_ferroviaria/aficionados_fotografia.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* In [[Greece]], railway photography is permitted on all networks<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.synigoros.gr/resources/docs/199930.pdf|title=Legal case|access-date=21 April 2016|archive-date=14 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314231156/http://www.synigoros.gr/resources/docs/199930.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* In Russia, railway photography is permitted on all networks<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.consultant.ru/cons/cgi/online.cgi?req=doc&base=EXP&n=428419#048836943327073|title=распоряжение 1513р|access-date=17 November 2018|archive-date=24 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224132122/http://www.consultant.ru/cons/cgi/online.cgi?req=doc&base=EXP&n=428419#048836943327073|url-status=live}}</ref>
* In Italy, the Royal Decree n°1161 enacted on 11 July 1941, concerning "military secrets", prohibited all and any photographs and video recordings in and around a number of civilian and military installations, including public railways. Railway photography was largely tolerated by tacit agreement, but could be prosecuted as a felony. The law was repealed by Legislative Decree n°66 enacted on 15 March 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.meniero.it/articoli/PDF/Regio%20decreto.pdf|title=Regio Decreto 11 luglio 1941, n. 1161. - Norme relative al segreto militare.|publisher=www.meniero.it/|date=12 April 2013|access-date=4 December 2013|archive-date=7 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307220052/http://www.meniero.it/articoli/PDF/Regio%20decreto.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.difesa.it/Content/Documents/Codice_aggiornato_con_DLgs_24febbraio2012.pdf|title=Decreto Legislativo 15 marzo 2010, n. 66|publisher=www.difesa.it/|access-date=31 August 2015|archive-date=26 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211226180256/https://www.difesa.it/Content/Documents/Codice_aggiornato_con_DLgs_24febbraio2012.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
* In Germany, {{lang|de|[[Deutsche Bahn]]|italic=no}} allows non-commercial photography as long as no additional equipment such as tripods are used.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.deutschebahn.com/resource/blob/1304188/55be4366e9cc7ffdb3df2b511fd18605/Informationen-fuer-Hobbyfotografen-und-filmer-data.pdf|title=Informationen für Hobbyfotografen und –filmer|access-date=6 July 2022|archive-date=24 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624124444/https://www.deutschebahn.com/resource/blob/1304188/55be4366e9cc7ffdb3df2b511fd18605/Informationen-fuer-Hobbyfotografen-und-filmer-data.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
* In Indonesia, [[Kereta Api Indonesia]] allows photography on a train station and inside the train as long is for private use, on a public area and without ancillary equipment such as tripod and drones. Such equipment must have additional permission from the station master or operating divisions' public relations.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://depoktoday.hops.id/ragam/pr-3085076518/foto-foto-di-stasiun-kereta-api-harus-izin-ini-penjelasan-pt-kai |title=Foto-foto di Stasiun Kereta Api Harus Izin? Ini Penjelasan PT KAI |last=Aira |first=Tidar |date=8 October 2022 |access-date=6 August 2023 |publisher=Depok Today |language=Indonesian}}</ref>
=== Trainspotting ===
{{see also|Trainspotters in the United Kingdom}}
{{commons category|Trainspotting}}
A trainspotter may use a data book listing the locomotives or equipment in question, in which locomotives seen are ticked off. An early trainspotter was 14-year-old Fanny Gordon, who in 1861 recorded the names of locomotives passing [[Westbourne Park tube station|Westbourne Park station]] on the [[Great Western Main Line]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/11434053.first-recorded-trainspotter-not-man-clad-anorak-14-year-old-girl-fanny-johnson/ |title=First recorded trainspotter was not man clad in anorak but 14-year-old girl Fanny Johnson |newspaper=[[Northern Echo]] |first=Mark |last=Foster |date=27 August 2014 |accessdate=1 August 2021 |archive-date=26 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126074851/https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/11434053.first-recorded-trainspotter-not-man-clad-anorak-14-year-old-girl-fanny-johnson/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The hobby is referenced in Edith Nesbit's 1905 children's book ''[[The Railway Children]]''.<ref>Nesbit, E. 1905. ''The Railway Children.'' London: Wells, Gardner, Darton. Ch. 3</ref> In Great Britain, this aspect of the hobby was given a major impetus by the publication from 1942 onward of the [[Ian Allan Publishing|Ian Allan]] "ABC" series of booklets, whose publication began in response to public requests for information about the locomotives of the [[Southern Railway (England)|Southern Railway]].<ref>Interview with Ian Allan as part of the Last Days of Steam broadcast as part of the ''Timeshift'' series, ''[[BBC Four]]'', 5 April 2012</ref>
=== Railway trips ===
====Bashing====
In general terms, bashing, a term used by British railway enthusiasts, describes a trip, excursion or holiday primarily involving train travel, usually with the intention of collecting mileage on a train or for covering unexplored parts of the rail network.{{citation needed|date=December 2014}}
The practice of bashing dates back to the decline of steam locomotive operations, when more passionate [[Trainspotters in the United Kingdom|trainspotters]] wished to note which steam engines they had travelled behind.<ref name="Chard">{{Cite book |last=Chard |first=Andy |title=Winners & Losers: Loco Bashing Tales from the 1990s |page=8 |year=2023 |publisher=Platform 5}}</ref> Following the withdrawal of mainline steam in 1968, a new generation of bashers took to accumulating mileage behind diesel locomotives; the variety of diesel types, destinations to travel behind them, and the pursuit of clearing classes all fuelled the popularity of bashing.<ref name="Chard" /><ref>{{cite web |last =Carter |first =Gary |title =Everything You Need To Know About "Bashing" |work =(A Beginner's Guide) |publisher =Dreadful.org.uk |url =http://www.dreadful.org.uk/bashing.htm |access-date =27 March 2007 |archive-date =18 July 2007 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070718224328/http://www.dreadful.org.uk/bashing.htm |url-status =live}}</ref> Today, despite the majority of British trains being formed of [[multiple unit]]s, bashing still remains a popular pastime for railway enthusiasts.
"Shed bashing" describes going out to as many [[Motive power depot|railway sheds or depots]] as possible. It was very popular in the 1950s and 1960s. As they required a permit that could be hard to obtain, some "shed bashers" were illegal.<ref>Railway Top Spots: Revisiting the Top Train Spotting Destinations of Our Childhood - by Julian Holland</ref>
====Fantrips====
[[File:Паровозы Л-0073 и Эр-739-99 в Туапсе.webm|thumbtime=54|thumb|Railfans taking video of a moving restored train with steam locomotives during a fantrip taken in their auto]]
Many railway preservation groups run special trips for railfans using [[restored trains]], often on "rare mileage" lines that do not see regular passenger service.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/2000/4/2000_4_23.shtml | title = Rare Mileage | publisher = American Heritage | access-date = 29 October 2007 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081201164616/http://americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/2000/4/2000_4_23.shtml | archive-date = 1 December 2008 }}</ref> These trips are both social events and opportunities for railfans to photograph unusual trains. Chasing a fantrip by road for the purposes of photography is often referred to as "motorcading" in Australia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://home.alphalink.com.au/~koyli092/train_slang.htm |title=Australian Railway Slang |publisher=Home.alphalink.com.au |access-date=15 March 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://hothamvalleyrailway.com.au/new_page_3.htm |title=Hotham Valley Railway |publisher=[[Hotham Valley Railway]]|access-date=15 March 2012 |archive-date=5 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305090505/http://hothamvalleyrailway.com.au/new_page_3.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
===Other activities===
{{See also|List of railroad-related periodicals}}
Some enthusiasts combine their interest in trains with the hobby of monitoring radio communications, specializing in listening to radio communications of railroad operations using a [[Scanner (radio)|scanner]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Tom Kneitel, K2AES| title=Rail-Scan: Directory of railroad scanner frequencies|publisher=CRB Research Books, Inc|isbn=0-939780-12-7|year=1990 |orig-year=1982|location=New York|pages=5–6}}</ref>
In some busy rail corridors, local governments have budgeted, constructed and maintain railfan viewing platforms, sometimes part of a park area or nearby rail museum, which they promote along with other tourist attractions.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-11-07 |title=New railfan tower opens near Cincinnati|website=[[Trains (magazine)|Trains]]|url=https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/06-new-railfan-tower-opens-near-cincinnati/ |access-date=2023-11-02 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Cordele, Ga., opens viewing platform for busy, three-railroad diamond |url=https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/cordele-ga-opens-viewing-platform-for-busy-three-railroad-diamond/ |access-date=2023-11-02 |website=Trains |language=en-US}}</ref> One such example is the [[Folkston Railfan Platform]] along [[CSX]] tracks in [[Folkston, Georgia]], USA, where viewers can see regular Florida freight traffic, as well as [[Amtrak]] passenger trains, including its daily [[Auto Train|AutoTrain]].
In some [[Democracy|democratic]] countries, such as [[Canada]], many railfans [[Advocacy|advocate]] politically for expanded railway infrastructure and promote civic engagement that encourages further development of railways.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Advocacy and Lobbying |url=https://www.railfans.ca/advocacy-and-lobbying |access-date=October 18, 2024 |website=Rail Fans Canada}}</ref>
==Safety==
[[File:Railfans on 1939 camera excursion.jpg|thumb|upright|Railfans on a 1939 camera excursion train in the U.S. state of [[Ohio]]]]
Owing to their presence at stations and near other areas of rail infrastructure, railfans have sometimes been requested to aid railways and legal authorities alike in observing and reporting safety breaches and incidents of crime. Railfans in the United States have been asked by [[BNSF]] to keep railroad areas safer by reporting crimes and suspicious activity.<ref>{{cite web
|url         = http://www.bnsf.com/media/news/articles/2006/06/2006-06-07a.html
|title       = BNSF Railway Asks Rail Fans for Cooperation To Keep America's Rail System Safe
|access-date  = 4 February 2008
|date        = 7 June 2006
|work        = [[BNSF]]
|url-status     = dead
|archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20080208210827/http://www.bnsf.com/media/news/articles/2006/06/2006-06-07a.html
|archive-date = 8 February 2008}}</ref>
In the United Kingdom the [[British Transport Police]] have asked trainspotters to report any unusual behaviour and activities at stations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.btp.police.uk/advice_and_info/travelling_safely/rail_enthusiasts.aspx |title=British Transport Police advice to Rail Enthusiasts |publisher=[[British Transport Police]]|access-date=13 August 2014 |archive-date=9 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170609122413/http://www.btp.police.uk/advice_and_info/travelling_safely/rail_enthusiasts.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>
In the United States, concerns about [[terrorism]] have led to situations where railfans are followed or confronted by local law enforcement or [[transit police]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ripley|first1=Amanda|title=Hobbyist or Terrorist?|url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,638410,00.html|work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=16 May 2004|access-date=11 July 2015|archive-date=4 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804165351/https://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,638410,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Phillips|first1=Don|title='Railfans' Love Trains, But They Draw Stares From Cops After 9-11|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2002/11/17/railfans-love-trains-but-they-draw-stares-from-cops-after-9-11/|work=orlandosentinel.com|date=17 November 2002|access-date=11 July 2015|archive-date=11 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711235036/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2002-11-17/news/0211170082_1_railroads-whitenight-union-pacific|url-status=live}}</ref> This has also led to situations where certain transportation agencies have implemented photography bans systemwide.
A railfan was a factor in the [[2008 Chatsworth train collision]], as the engineer responsible for the accident had been distracted by texting the railfan while in charge of his train, eventually causing it to pass a signal at danger and crash into an oncoming Union Pacific freight train, killing 25 and injuring 135 others.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dead Metrolink engineer let railfans sit at controls |url=http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,1886730 |access-date=12 November 2022 |website=Trainorders.com Discussion |archive-date=12 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112205415/https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,1886730 |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[BNSF]] instituted the "Citizens for Rail Security"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.citizensforrailsecurity.com/ |title=Citizens for Rail Security has moved |access-date=18 March 2015 |archive-date=10 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180710122409/http://www.citizensforrailsecurity.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> (CRS) program for the general public to report suspicious activities on their railways. Obtaining this card was common for railfans and is a derivative of the BNSF "On Guard" program for employees. However, this card does not recognize members as employees or contractors, asks them to keep off railway property, and is no longer obtainable. [[Amtrak]] offers a similar program, "Partners for Amtrak Safety and Security" (PASS).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pass.amtrak.com/ |title=Partners for Amtrak Safety and Security website |publisher=police.amtrak.com |access-date=25 September 2014 |archive-date=10 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220710000019/https://pass.amtrak.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
In Japan, ''[[Densha Otaku#Nuisance behaviour and crime|toritetsu]]'' have been frequently criticised for their behaviour when photographing trains, including incidents of vandalism and trespassing into restricted areas to set up cameras, destruction of lineside property and plants to clear a view of the track, stealing goods to sell on to fund expensive cameras,<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 June 2022 |title=Tokyo Police arrest 24-year-old suspect dubbed the 'Lego Kid' for stealing toys |url=https://nextshark.com/tokyo-police-arrests-lego-kid/ |access-date=1 July 2022 |website=NextShark |language=en-US |archive-date=3 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221103112806/https://nextshark.com/tokyo-police-arrests-lego-kid/ |url-status=live }}</ref> theft of railway equipment, being rude towards station staff and train drivers,<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 January 2014 |title=Train enthusiasts gone wild! Are Japan's train photographers losing their social graces? |url=https://soranews24.com/2014/01/04/train-enthusiasts-gone-wild-are-japans-train-photographers-losing-their-social-graces/ |access-date=1 July 2022 |website=SoraNews24 -Japan News- |language=en-US |archive-date=7 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220907080040/https://soranews24.com/2014/01/04/train-enthusiasts-gone-wild-are-japans-train-photographers-losing-their-social-graces/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Assault|physical assault]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Auto |first=Hermes |date=28 March 2022 |title=Japan's hardcore train fans accused of going off the rails {{!}} The Straits Times |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/life/japans-hardcore-train-fans-accused-of-going-off-the-rails |access-date=1 July 2022 |website=www.straitstimes.com |language=en |archive-date=5 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705214827/https://www.straitstimes.com/life/japans-hardcore-train-fans-accused-of-going-off-the-rails |url-status=live }}</ref> and attempting to intimidate passengers and road users for inadvertently interfering with their activities.<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 August 2021 |title=Furious train otaku in Japan confront foreign bicyclist after he gets in the way of their cameras |url=https://soranews24.com/2021/08/07/furious-train-otaku-in-japan-confront-foreign-bicyclist-after-he-gets-in-the-way-of-their-cameras/ |access-date=1 July 2022 |website=SoraNews24 -Japan News- |language=en-US |archive-date=11 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811062022/https://soranews24.com/2021/08/07/furious-train-otaku-in-japan-confront-foreign-bicyclist-after-he-gets-in-the-way-of-their-cameras/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[Network Rail]], the British rail infrastructure owner and station operator, has produced guidelines for the behaviour and responsibilities of railway enthusiasts at its stations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/777.aspx |title=Railway enthusiasts |publisher=[[Network Rail]]|access-date=15 March 2012 |archive-date=30 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230011425/https://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/777.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> In May 2010, the dangers of acting carelessly in the vicinity of an active railway were highlighted after an enthusiast, standing immediately next to a double track line photographing the ''[[BR Standard Class 7 70013 Oliver Cromwell|Oliver Cromwell]]'', failed to notice a [[Bombardier Turbostar]] express train approaching at ~70&nbsp;mph (112&nbsp;km/h) on the nearer track in the other direction, and came within inches of being struck by it.<ref>{{cite news|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8683750.stm|title = Train spotter in narrow escape|access-date = 14 May 2010|date = 14 May 2010|work = [[BBC News]]|archive-date = 12 March 2012|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120312170647/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8683750.stm|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/suffolk/8682769.stm|title = Railway buff filming in Suffolk fails to see express|access-date = 14 May 2010|date = 14 May 2010|work = [[BBC News]]|archive-date = 6 May 2022|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220506160040/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/suffolk/8682769.stm|url-status = live}}</ref>
==See also==
{{Portal|Trains}}
* [[Anorak (slang)]]
* [[List of railroad-related periodicals]]
* [[Rail terminology]]
* [[Rail transport modelling]]
* [[Railway enthusiasts societies in the United Kingdom]]
* ''[[RR (film)|RR]]'' (2007 railfan film by [[James Benning (film director)|James Benning]])
* ''[[Sensible Train Spotting]]'', the world's first computer train spotting simulator
*''[[The Station Agent]]'', 2003 film starring [[Peter Dinklage]] as a railfan who inherits a train station.
* [[Train whistle]]
* [[Trainspotters in the United Kingdom]]
* ''[[Tracks Ahead]]''
===Similar hobbies===
* [[Aircraft spotting]]
* [[Bus spotting]]
* [[Car spotting]]
* [[Ship watching]]
* [[Gongoozler]]s, enthusiasts of canals in the United Kingdom
* [[Roadgeek]]
* [[Fire buff]]s, enthusiasts of firefighting and emergency services
===Glossaries===
* [[Glossary of North American railway terms]]
* [[Glossary of Australian railway terms]]
* [[Glossary of United Kingdom railway terms]]
* [[Glossary of New Zealand railway terms]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==Sources==
* {{cite book| author=Kisor, Henry| title=Zephyr: Tracking a Dream Across America| publisher=[[Adams Publishing Group]]| location=Holbrook, Massachusetts| year=1994| isbn=1-55850-477-X| url=https://archive.org/details/zephyrtrackingdr00kiso_0}}
* {{cite magazine |magazine=[[Heritage Railway]]|issue=122 |date=March–April 2009 }}{{pages needed|date=March 2016}}
==Further reading==
* {{cite book|last=Adams|first=Will|title=Trainspotting Days|publisher=Silver Link Publishing| location=Kettering|year=2006|isbn=1-85794-267-1}}
* {{cite book|last=Carter|first=Ian|title=British Railway Enthusiasm|publisher=[[Manchester University Press]]| location=Manchester|year= 2008|isbn=978-0-7190-6566-8}}
* {{cite magazine|title=Rail Enthusiast No. 1|first=Adrian|last=Gray|magazine=[[Rail (magazine)|Rail Enthusiast]]|publisher=[[Ascential|Emap]]|date=February 1986|issue=53|page=43|issn=0262-561X|oclc=49957965}}
* {{cite book|last=Harvey|first=Michael G.|title=Forget the Anorak: what trainspotting was really like|publisher=Sutton Publishing|location=Stroud|year=2004|isbn=0-7509-3402-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Harvie|first=Christopher|editor-last=Diller |editor-first=Hans-Jürgen |title=Englishness|year=1992|publisher=Carl Winter|location=Heidelberg|isbn=3-533-04536-6|pages=107–22|chapter=The English railway enthusiast}}
* {{cite book|last=Marchant|first=Ian|title=Parallel lines: or, Journeys on the Railway of Dreams|publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]]|location=London|year=2003|isbn=0-7475-6578-3|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780747565789}}
* {{cite book|last=Marsden|first=Colin J.|title=Rail Guide 2010|publisher=[[Ian Allan Publishing]]|location=Shepperton|year=2010|isbn=978-0-7110-3457-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Mathison|first=Phil|title=Shed Bashing with the Beatles|publisher=Dead Good Publications|location=Newport, Yorkshire|year=2006|isbn=0-9546937-3-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Packer|first=David|title=Well Trained|publisher=Triangle Publishing|location=Leigh|year=2003|isbn=0-9529333-8-1}}
* {{cite book|author-link=Nicholas Whittaker|last=Whittaker|first=Nicholas|title=Platform Souls: The Trainspotter as Twentieth Century Hero|publisher=Gollancz|location=London|year=1995|isbn=0-575-05981-8 }}
== External links ==
{{Wikivoyage|Travel for rail enthusiasts}}
{{Commons category|Rail transport hobbies}}
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{{Fandom}}
[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category:Observation hobbies]]
[[Category:Rail transport hobbies]]
[[Category:Railway culture]]
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