Foamer ?

[Poppa_Zit]

Foamers are easily spotted.  Symptoms are foaming at the mouth when a train is spotted, social ineptness or awkwardness that's noticed by others from great distances, incessant talk about trains and nothing more, hours spent trackside waiting to watch yet another train with the same style power and consist, and taking pictures of said trains from the same locations repeatedly.

I used to work with someone that exhibited these symptoms.  All he could talk about was trains - nothing more.  To boot, he was in his mid-40's and still lived at home with mommy and daddy.  He never had been on a date with a woman in his life.  Pretty sad.

It's no wonder some railfans get tagged as "FRN's" by professional railroaders.

I have heard foamers say they consider themselves part of a fraternity....

[Anonymous]

Foamers are easily spotted.  Symptoms are foaming at the mouth when a train is spotted, social ineptness or awkwardness that's noticed by others from great distances, incessant talk about trains and nothing more, hours spent trackside waiting to watch yet another train with the same style power and consist, and taking pictures of said trains from the same locations repeatedly.

I used to work with someone that exhibited these symptoms.  All he could talk about was trains - nothing more.  To boot, he was in his mid-40's and still lived at home with mommy and daddy.  He never had been on a date with a woman in his life.  Pretty sad.

It's no wonder some railfans get tagged as "FRN's" by professional railroaders.

[American Morse]

You no longer have to suffer from the embarassment of being a foamer, thanks to this amazing new pharmaceutical breakthrough.
FOAMINEX

[MLG4812]

On a related note, see page two of this article for info on us "cheeseheads"...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/30/us/30cheese.html?_r=2&th&emc=th&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

 

That cheese looks pretty tasty Fuzzy. Pass the Ritz! I wonder if she's a Packers fan?

 

 

[fuzzybroken]

On a related note, see page two of this article for info on us "cheeseheads"...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/30/us/30cheese.html?_r=2&th&emc=th&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

[Chris30]

Fan

Of

All

Mighty

Entertaining

Railroads

Geez, I'm such a dork for figuring that one out! If anybody wants to call me a name and it makes you feel better, than go for it! And more power to you. As long as I'm enjoying what I'm doing (or working) I don't care what you call me.

CC

[fuzzybroken]

I heard that it had something to do with "foamite" which is apparently some sort of fire extinguishing foam or something?? That always seems a little farfetched, the "foaming at the mouth" idea sounds more plausible.

Far
Out
Advanced
Mentally
Incompetent
Train
Enthusiast
... is what I heard "foamite" was...

[wctransfer]

To me, i dont really care what you call me. I call myself a railfan and a foamer. Its not a big deal to me, and for those of you that get all pissed, (taking this from the post above) step back a bit. It shouldnt bother you, and I certainly dont care what im called.

Alec

[1702]

Here's a very interesting article on wikipedia with the good, the bad, and the ugly, more or less worldwide
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railfan

[TimChgo9]

 In the fire service, we call over-active fire buffs  "yahoos"  (They are my absolute pet peeve, okay, one a few)

I have played "Squad Leader" and "Advanced Squad Leader" since I was in high school, and extreme fans of the game were called "grognards"

I guess if you have a hobby, and it consumes your entire life... be it trains, games, mountain climbing, what have you, it might be time to step back a bit.

[Anonymous]

Well, I don't know about 'you people' but I'm fixin' to gunzel around my fridge fer a cold one. And that's not Yiddish fer fish or a reckless want of expired cheese-- I'm just thirsty and just possibly overly enthusiastic about it!

I always thought-    and pull-eeze take any and all of my thoughts with some sort of prescribed medication or at least a note from your mum, or a Doctor--- that the term 'Foamer' was mostly a derogatory term bestowed on railfans by railroaders. Mostly because they hate us. And we get in their way. And we annoy them. Or maybe they think we are the Man-in-the-weeds?

Off to gunzel...

[james saunders]

I always thought it was because you'd be "foaming" at the mouth..



In Australia we are called Gunzels, It started out as a derogratory term but over the years it has developed into a name accepted by Rail enthusiasts, even something that people parade around using the title.

I found this description of a Gunzel for your understanding...

(1) n. Railway enthusiast. Originally derogatory, refering to overly enthusiastic or foolish railfans (c.f. US "foamer"). Now refers to railfans in general, and the term is often used with pride. Believed to be a derivation of the American slang "gunsel", meaning a gangster or hoodlum who uses a gun, popularised in books such as The Maltese Falcon. In these books the implication was that a gunsel was somewhat foolish and reckless. The term gunzel originated from the Sydney Tramway Museum in the 1960s as a term for foolish or reckless railfans who shot at things with cameras. Usage was originally confined to south eastern states, it has since spread to the whole of Australia and parts of New Zealand. See for example www.gunzel.net. May be used to refer to a specific interest, e.g. "freight gunzel", "tram gunzel". (Note: there is an alternative meaning of the American slang gunsel, believed to be derived from the Yiddish 'ganzel', but this is not the meaning imported as gunzel.)

(2) v. Engage in railway enthusiast activities, e.g. "to gunzel around".

James.

[MLG4812]

The reason I asked this question in the first place is because of this;

http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/913074/ShowPost.aspx

That's not friendly. It's antagonistic.

If you knew how to comprehend a question you would find that I wasn't being antagonistic at all. If you want to start a fight, go back and look in the mirror and pop-a-zit.

Here we have your own brethren calling out to "all Foamers" and all that I was asking was, isn't there another name you can come up with?

 

Man...I didn't know I would create such a stink with that post. I would never purposely antagonize my fellow railroad brethren. I felt it to be a compliment illustrating the intense ferver for a hobby that we all love. I suppose it all depends upon the recipient really. For example, two people could find themselves being called a "cheese-head." One person could take it as being recognized for being a hard-core Packer's fan. The other could take it as an insult, feeling that they were being labled as having a moldy dairy product on their cranium. So here is my disclaimer..."Calling all foamers, refering to rabidly- insane railroad fanatics!"

 

 

[tree68]

Well, I've been called ,,,and oh, yes .

You probably forgot , too.  I know I've been called that!

[Anonymous]

Well, I've been called ,,,and oh, yes .

Ouch.

[BigJim]

Is it the same as calling someone interested in restoring autos a "gearhead"?

Now that's the line of thinking that I'm looking for. Even though foaming can be traced back to the steam days, foamer just doesn't relate to railroading as gearhead relates to autos. See what I mean?

[PBenham]

Well, I've been called ,,,and oh, yes .

[wjstix]

I heard that it had something to do with "foamite" which is apparently some sort of fire extinguishing foam or something?? That always seems a little farfetched, the "foaming at the mouth" idea sounds more plausible.

BTW the British equivalent is "Anoraks" which comes from a type of raincoat that UK Railfans (oops !! I meant "Railway Enthusiasts") supposedly wear while trainspotting (recording the name or number of a locomotive you have seen in a record book or notebook) .

[Anonymous]

What does the Union Pacific call us?

[chad thomas]

Roger that Mookie.

[Mookie]

Chad - get the popcorn going.  I am putting on my helmet!

Moo

 

[eolafan]

You can call me anything you want, just don't forget to call me for dinner!

[Murphy Siding]

    Maybe this is just a regional thing, but where I live, but "you guys" isn't considered *bad*.  Think of it as sort of the plains version of ya'll.  Now, if you said "you people", then you're waiving a red flag in front of a bull.

[Jjohnieray]

Having read all fourteen of these post.One Queston,What is a foamer ? Do i want to be one,or should i be one.What i really want to know is,Where does the cars on a steam powered unit[ Passenger cars] get there electric from.Thank you .

[tree68]

Is it the same as calling someone interested in restoring autos a "gearhead"? Is that derogatory?? I would assume there are nicknames for folks that engage in any hobby.

And some of them are/were derogatory.... 

[csmith9474]

Is it the same as calling someone interested in restoring autos a "gearhead"? Is that derogatory?? I would assume there are nicknames for folks that engage in any hobby.

[Poppa_Zit]

That's not friendly. It's antagonistic.

If you knew how to comprehend a question you would find that I wasn't being antagonistic at all. If you want to start a fight, go back and look in the mirror and pop-a-zit.

Here we have your own brethren calling out to "all Foamers" and all that I was asking was, isn't there another name you can come up with?

The last thing I need from anyone is a lesson in reading comprehension, thank you.

Regarding the other thread, anyone calling out to "all foamers" certainly isn't talking to me. And you did it again when you said "here we have your brethren." They are not my "brethren." And in what group are you including yourself when you say "we?"  

I also don't answer to "calling all nebbishes" or "calling all nerds."

Sorry, but when you used the term "you guys" it can only be interpreted one way -- that you are not one of "us" and in this case, it is very condescending. If you feel that's not true, assist my comprehension by explaining what else could "you guys" mean?

And I've never had to start a fight. But I've finished a few.

[tree68]

I thought I posted this, but apparently not.

On occasion, an intended insult is turned by the insultee into an accepted term.  That's how I got the nickname Tree - it was intended as a bit of an insult (I am tall), but I liked it and have used it ever since.

Like a lot of terms, foamer has degrees and varying definitions.  So you may call me a foamer and intend it as about as nasty an insult as you can conjure up, I may hear that and see it as recognition by you that I have an avid interest in trains.  Same word, two very different connotations. 

Rail Fan and Rail Buff have been doing yeoman duty to describe our kind.  They are fairly neutral...

[BigJim]

The reason I asked this question in the first place is because of this;

http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/913074/ShowPost.aspx

That's not friendly. It's antagonistic.

If you knew how to comprehend a question you would find that I wasn't being antagonistic at all. If you want to start a fight, go back and look in the mirror and pop-a-zit.

Here we have your own brethren calling out to "all Foamers" and all that I was asking was, isn't there another name you can come up with?