02-08-2009, 06:48 AM
Along the Line: By Don Day <printed on Feb, 07>.
Defining a railfan
There’s nothing that can get some people’s juices flowing more than seeing a half-dozen engines pulling a mile of freight cars down a track, or perhaps watching an old Baldwin engine pulling an excursion train out of the depot. These people are called “railfans” or in some parts of the world, “trainspotters.” They all have a common interest in prototypical, or full-scale railroading. Railfanning in itself is a hobby, and for most purposes, model railroading as a hobby stands by itself, but it’s hard to draw a line between them since most modelers are railfans. The converse is not always true; there are railfans that for one reason or another, do not model. You can find railfans taking pictures of everything from trains and train stations to the most miniscule piece of operating hardware they can find. Their goals are not always the same though. A true railfan might be all about taking videos of anything that moves on the rails, while another might simply be interested in old steam engines or maybe the trains of one particular road. There are those that have another objective, for instance, taking still photos of nothing but old train stations wherever they can be found and before they’re reduced to rubble by progress. The ultimate railfan can be found restoring an old museum-piece engine. For those whose interest is modeling, there may be other motives; taking pictures of anything railroad so they can go back home and duplicate what they see on their layouts. Regardless, these are close-knit groups and thanks to modern technology, they use every means to interact and share what they know. By that I mean, there is a network of railfans and modelers that are interconnected through clubs, organizations, individual contacts and by the Internet. I’d venture to say that if vintage steam engine were to be headed for the Loop tomorrow, and just one railfan knew the schedule, thanks to this network, there would be literally dozens of others there to greet it by the time it passed by.
There are spots around the globe that are considered “railfan hot spots.” It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the Tehachapi Loop is one of them. We have another here in Arizona around Winslow. We went there last summer and spent a night in the restored La Posada Hotel, built in the late 1920’s and is one of the few remaining original Harvey Houses. While in the restaurant, there were trains passing outside our window every few minutes, what a railfan’s delight. Cajon Pass, Donner Pass and the Harbor Subdivision near the Port of Los Angeles are other spots that attract railfans in California.
A Railfan will be satisfied by being able to see and record an event, but more so if they have a chance to participate. For most, their ultimate goal is to ride a train. To ride in a cab would be better than winning the lottery for a few. Taking pictures is a close second. I’m not a railfan in the true sense of the word in that I don’t go out of my way to visit a rail yard nor do I spend hours waiting for that vintage train to make its way past me just to get that once-in-a-lifetime photo. That doesn’t mean I don’t get excited when I have an opportunity to fire off a few camera clicks when I see something worthwhile, but I’m a modeler first and a railfan by default. I’m one of those that are as interested in the surroundings as much as the trains because my passion is to create a piece of life that may or may not exist elsewhere or that is ever changing. A modeler has frozen time, they’ve brought together things that never existed side-by-side but could, and they’ve brought life to things that previously existed only in their minds. I don’t know if some people would understand why someone would want to take a picture of a drainage culvert, a switchbox or a dilapidated old freight car, but a railfan would and especially a modeler. If you see someone shivering in the freezing cold near the railroad tracks with camera in hand, have pity on them for they are in all likelihood modelers or railfans and probably could use a bit of professional help. Yes, they’re a bit crazy, but they’re a patient lot and they’ll be the ones that keep railroad memories alive for future generations to appreciate.
Defining a railfan
There’s nothing that can get some people’s juices flowing more than seeing a half-dozen engines pulling a mile of freight cars down a track, or perhaps watching an old Baldwin engine pulling an excursion train out of the depot. These people are called “railfans” or in some parts of the world, “trainspotters.” They all have a common interest in prototypical, or full-scale railroading. Railfanning in itself is a hobby, and for most purposes, model railroading as a hobby stands by itself, but it’s hard to draw a line between them since most modelers are railfans. The converse is not always true; there are railfans that for one reason or another, do not model. You can find railfans taking pictures of everything from trains and train stations to the most miniscule piece of operating hardware they can find. Their goals are not always the same though. A true railfan might be all about taking videos of anything that moves on the rails, while another might simply be interested in old steam engines or maybe the trains of one particular road. There are those that have another objective, for instance, taking still photos of nothing but old train stations wherever they can be found and before they’re reduced to rubble by progress. The ultimate railfan can be found restoring an old museum-piece engine. For those whose interest is modeling, there may be other motives; taking pictures of anything railroad so they can go back home and duplicate what they see on their layouts. Regardless, these are close-knit groups and thanks to modern technology, they use every means to interact and share what they know. By that I mean, there is a network of railfans and modelers that are interconnected through clubs, organizations, individual contacts and by the Internet. I’d venture to say that if vintage steam engine were to be headed for the Loop tomorrow, and just one railfan knew the schedule, thanks to this network, there would be literally dozens of others there to greet it by the time it passed by.
There are spots around the globe that are considered “railfan hot spots.” It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the Tehachapi Loop is one of them. We have another here in Arizona around Winslow. We went there last summer and spent a night in the restored La Posada Hotel, built in the late 1920’s and is one of the few remaining original Harvey Houses. While in the restaurant, there were trains passing outside our window every few minutes, what a railfan’s delight. Cajon Pass, Donner Pass and the Harbor Subdivision near the Port of Los Angeles are other spots that attract railfans in California.
A Railfan will be satisfied by being able to see and record an event, but more so if they have a chance to participate. For most, their ultimate goal is to ride a train. To ride in a cab would be better than winning the lottery for a few. Taking pictures is a close second. I’m not a railfan in the true sense of the word in that I don’t go out of my way to visit a rail yard nor do I spend hours waiting for that vintage train to make its way past me just to get that once-in-a-lifetime photo. That doesn’t mean I don’t get excited when I have an opportunity to fire off a few camera clicks when I see something worthwhile, but I’m a modeler first and a railfan by default. I’m one of those that are as interested in the surroundings as much as the trains because my passion is to create a piece of life that may or may not exist elsewhere or that is ever changing. A modeler has frozen time, they’ve brought together things that never existed side-by-side but could, and they’ve brought life to things that previously existed only in their minds. I don’t know if some people would understand why someone would want to take a picture of a drainage culvert, a switchbox or a dilapidated old freight car, but a railfan would and especially a modeler. If you see someone shivering in the freezing cold near the railroad tracks with camera in hand, have pity on them for they are in all likelihood modelers or railfans and probably could use a bit of professional help. Yes, they’re a bit crazy, but they’re a patient lot and they’ll be the ones that keep railroad memories alive for future generations to appreciate.
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD