If you think railfans are weird...

[espeefoamer]

check out football fans.Have you ever seen foamers on a fantrip with thier faces painted with the UP wings, or the NH logo? Have you seen a line of fans at a photo runby, in sub-zero weather with S-A-N-T-A F-E spelled across thier bare chests? I don't think so. I have seen football fans pulling such antics on TV.They must be stranger then we are.

[vsmith]

One Word...

Trekkies!

Are your best friends cardboard cutouts of the crew of a fictional TV starship?

[JoeKoh]

Stranger? nah just had more beer!!!
stay safe
Joe

[locomutt]

Railfans are a much higher caliber of people. We don't need all that other stuff[:D]

[Anonymous]

Body painting is an essential practice to the hardcore football fan.

[locomutt]

Taking pictures,and remembering colors is very essential to railfans.
We are very hardcore also,not stupid. WE don't take our clothes off for that.[:D]

[Anonymous]

Yeah, but there's only a few of the painted guys. At the games I go to, there's 98,000-100,000 people there and only nine of them are painted, tops.

[Anonymous]

I've painted my face and/or stomach on several occasions for football games, and no, I hadn't even had any beer![:p] Nothing but team spirit!

Imagine how many rainfans you'd have to line up to spell out Norfolk Southern though... fifteen would be hard to round up from some of the, uh, comments I've heard about NS on the forums.[:D]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by radivil

Yeah, but there's only a few of the painted guys. At the games I go to, there's 98,000-100,000 people there and only nine of them are painted, tops.

So in other words there are railfans out there that pain their faces, there are just very, very few of them. [:p]

[tree68]

There have got to be some body builders among us, though. How else could they manage to wear/carry those vests with buttons from every railroad that ever turned a wheel (and probably some that didn't...)??? Not to mention the hats similarly adorned.

[MP57313]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tree68
some body builders among us

I think Gov. Aahnuld is a bit of a railfan, though I doubt you'll see him in a button-covered vest.

Years ago I tried to explain railfanning to the guy at the hobby store where I bought Trains and other magazines. I compared waiting lineside, with a camera, to fishing. He didn't buy it.

[BNSFNUT]

I have not seen any painted railfans but I have seen several railfans with their cars, vans and trucks painted in their favorite railroad's colors.
Hmm that Dodge van painted up in DL&W paint looks very nice.[:)]

[locomutt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tree68

There have got to be some body builders among us, though. How else could they manage to wear/carry those vests with buttons from every railroad that ever turned a wheel (and probably some that didn't...)??? Not to mention the hats similarly adorned.

UMMMMMMMMMM,think they could stand up to turnout gear,SCBA,etc?
OOPS, "Operation Life Saver" just got them.[:)]

[ericsp]

Also, if railfans did the same thing as football fans, we would watch hours of former engineers and conductors commenting on why a railroad is run a particular way and why they switched an industry a particular way and hear a buch of railfans call in to complain about the railroad or compliment it. Actually, that sounds like this forum.

[jeaton]

ERFN, Cable Channel 279.

[Overmod]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSFNUT

I have not seen any painted railfans but I have seen several railfans with their cars, vans and trucks painted in their favorite railroad's colors.

Proud of my Tuscan red Suburban with Dulux gold striping... [8D]

Somebody in New Jersey, back in the late '70s, owned one of the convertible Mark Vs, painted Brunswick green. Don't remember the vanity plate exactly, but it had something to do either with railroading in general or with the PRR. Didn't see it long enough to know whether it had 5 pinstripes... but wish I knew who drove it, or where it is today!

[miniwyo]

Well I guess I am doomed. If I ever go to a Denver Broncos game I am so painting my face, that, and I like to fish.



My dream trip is going to Salt Lake City, taking a trin from Salt Lake to Denver, Going to a Broncos game and flying back to Rock Springs.

[cherokee woman]

We railroad fans are a sofisticated lot. WE don't need anything but ourselves and
our cameras to go railfanning! Besides, if any of us painted our faces, and bared
our chests to go railfanning, WE'D be arrested for indecent exposure!! (especially
in the winter time.)

[angel]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSFNUT

I have not seen any painted railfans

Hmm..you obvilously haven't seen me after a painting session [:p]

[Junctionfan]

I suppose we railfans could do the wave everytime a train went through. We would look rediculous but no more that other folk do at an NFL or NBA game.

[Anonymous]

Football is a sport, railfanning is a hobby, both are pastimes, does this mean anything? does this go anywhere? what about Star Wars? What if we started playing with action figures? or miniature representations of our favorite, er hmmmm? At least we don't quietly mimic coupling sounds to ourselves, or crew conversations while operating our toy, er, model trains !!! .......... Or, do we?.............

[UPTRAIN]

Go to the Galesburg RR days, I had a BNSF logo temporary tatoo on my arm, lol!

[tree68]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jruppert

Football is a sport, railfanning is a hobby, both are pastimes, does this mean anything? does this go anywhere? what about Star Wars? What if we started playing with action figures? or miniature representations of our favorite, er hmmmm? At least we don't quietly mimic coupling sounds to ourselves, or crew conversations while operating our toy, er, model trains !!! .......... Or, do we?.............

Actually I'd consider watching football a hobby...

I've got some Form D's made up for my model RR... Which I'll usually run by my self. I hate it when I screw up the readback...

[Anonymous]

Thats an interesting question. I have encountered quite of few railfans in my adventures and I have definately seen some in which I would choose to head the other direction when making an encounter. I'm sure we all have met those as well as others in the spectrum. For the most part though I think it is a treat to meet railfans and to share our many interests. The only ones I really choose to ignore are the ones who are obnoxious and those who are disrespectful when they just show up and get in your photo when you have been sitting at your location for about an hour to get that special picture. I'm sure all of us photographers have had that experience more than once.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tree68

Actually I'd consider watching football a hobby...

I'm always very impressed by the people that have all sorts of stats about dozens of teams memorized. I have enough trouble keeping track of the three teams I follow let alone all their opponents.

[railman]

I don't believe I've heard "beam me up, conductor" yet....

[jeaton]

...how about the person who just paid 200 mil for the MILWAUKEE BREWERS?

Jay

[Anonymous]

us railfans are much more refined

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cherokee woman

We railroad fans are a sofisticated lot. WE don't need anything but ourselves and
our cameras to go railfanning! Besides, if any of us painted our faces, and bared
our chests to go railfanning, WE'D be arrested for indecent exposure!! (especially
in the winter time.)

[angel]

I was thinking the same thing CW. We are more cerebral while sports fans are more physical and vocal. Some of us are both - just so we don't mix them up or the above will happen....

[:o)]