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Hi to all, I have a big favour to ask!

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  #11  
Old 4th October 2010, 20:28
redudley redudley is offline  
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Location: Derby
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Hi to all

When did you start trainspotting? late 1950s

How often to you go? all the time until the end of steam

What are the essential items you always take with you? notebook and pen/pencil

How does the 'trainspotter' stereotype make you feel? Unhappy

Do you get much interest from members of the public? (pos/neg) No

What has been your best/worst experience? Riding in the cab of the Blue Pullman in 1965/never had one

What's the best/worst thing about the hobby? to have lasted me all my life/out in cold weather

How does it affect your day to day life? (if it does at all) not at all

Your favourite train model? (if there is such a thing.. sorry I'm still learning!) Castle & Kings

Has trainspotting inspired you to do anything else?/Do you have any related hobbies that have sprung from trainspotting? Building model railways and running them/Taking photographs/travel

How does your wife/partner feel about your hobby? Do they come with you? No

Are there any 'slang' words used within the trainspotting community? to many to say

How would you feel if someone were to approach you while you were at a station and ask you a question? Would it be annoying? (I am planning on interviewing people at Clapham and taking photos but I don't want to be a pest) I would love to talk to anyone about my hobby

Where are the best stations in London for spotting? no idea

Do you mind being called a 'trainspotter'? No


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  #12  
Old 5th October 2010, 16:33
Ikho Ikho is offline  
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Location: Raynes Park
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Quote:
Originally Posted by horace View Post
I think you should tread carefully using the term trainspotter.To label all railway enthusiasts as train spotters I find very insulting.To me the term trainspotter or aircraft spotter is someone who simply collects the train serial number or aircraft registration number.Nothing wrong with doing this if this is what interests you.
However to describe a railway photographer,general railway enthusiast or working volunteer at preserved railway as a trainspotter is to my mind just taking a cheapshot at rediculing someones hobby or interest.
Perhaps you may find your research would be better directed at "what interests a railway enthusiast".We are a very broad church with lots of different interest and abilities that encompasses the world of modern railways and the railway heritage movement.This industry is a very large part of the leisure/tourist industry of the UK generating significant income in this area.
Why not checkout what the railway enthusiast who have supported the A1 Steam locomotive trust have achieved see http://www.a1steam.com/ this is something all railway enthusiast are very proud off.
Apologies, I'm not here to offend or belittle the hobby. I'm just here to get a better understanding as I'm pretty clueless and thought this would be the best place to get a better insight on the people behind the hobby.
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  #13  
Old 5th October 2010, 18:56
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horace horace is offline  
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Originally Posted by Ikho View Post
Apologies, I'm not here to offend or belittle the hobby. I'm just here to get a better understanding as I'm pretty clueless and thought this would be the best place to get a better insight on the people behind the hobby.
No offence taken Ikho.Perhaps a visit to a preserved railway where you can talk to the staff/volunteers might provide some helpful research for your project.
Good Luck
Stephen
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  #14  
Old 5th October 2010, 20:54
meurglysIII meurglysIII is offline
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Hi Ikho

You could do worse than read this book, you should be able to find it on amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Forget-Anora.../dp/0750934026

IT tells you all about trainspotting from the eyes of an enthusiast in the 1950s and 1960s, and is full of anecdotes that will really get you inside the mind of a "Spotter" in those days, which were really the heyday of the hobby.
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  #15  
Old 5th October 2010, 21:04
meurglysIII meurglysIII is offline
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heres my answers by the way.

When did you start trainspotting? Mid-1970s

How often to you go?
Hardly ever now, but go to preserved railways occasionally

What are the essential items you always take with you?
I used to take loco spotting books and plain wallpaper to take rubbings of nameplates! seriously!

How does the 'trainspotter' stereotype make you feel?
angry at the intolerance of the media

Do you get much interest from members of the public? (pos/neg)
N/A

What has been your best/worst experience?
Riding behind Deltic diesels on the East Coast line in the 70s was the best, Don't really have a worst.

What's the best/worst thing about the hobby?
Difficult to say. I just loved the power and size and grace and noise.....
Worst is the poor image perpetuated by sadsacks with nothing better to do.

How does it affect your day to day life? (if it does at all)
If I pass a station or railway bridge etc I'll have a quick look if there's a train about.....

Your favourite train model? (if there is such a thing.. sorry I'm still learning!) Deltic diesel

Has trainspotting inspired you to do anything else?/Do you have any related hobbies that have sprung from trainspotting?
Model Railway in my attic.........

How does your wife/partner feel about your hobby? Do they come with you?
She is mildly interested & enjoys visiting steam railways, but that's about it.

Are there any 'slang' words used within the trainspotting community?
Yes, most engines are known by nicknames. skip, shed, grid, gronk etc.
Spotters are sometimes known as gricers

How would you feel if someone were to approach you while you were at a station and ask you a question? Would it be annoying? (I am planning on interviewing people at Clapham and taking photos but I don't want to be a pest)
N/A, I don't hang about on stations these days

Where are the best stations in London for spotting?
Don't know

Do you mind being called a 'trainspotter'?
It doesn't happen, but I think I would prefer enthusiast.

My son has just started an illustration course at Wrexham by the way. Good luck with yours! Do you have an online portfolio or website we could look at?

Al the best

Pete
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  #16  
Old 5th October 2010, 23:23
stanboy29 stanboy29 is offline  
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When did you start trainspotting? 1961

How often to you go?I go locally perhaps two or three times a week as I am still working for a living.

What are the essential items you always take with you? Pencil/paper and British Railways fleet book

How does the 'trainspotter' stereotype make you feel? I have no problems with this.

Do you get much interest from members of the public? (pos/neg) sometimes they take an interest more inquisition as to what is happening when groups of people are lining the trackside.

What has been your best/worst experience? Best experience being hauled by 92220 "Evening Star" (at that time the last steam train to be built in this country) from Dorset to South Yorks approx 1963/4. Worst watching steamers being scrapped at Barry Island

What's the best/worst thing about the hobby? Best is the thrill of seeing something out of the ordinary, worst is the cost of rail travel in this country

How does it affect your day to day life? (if it does at all) the thought of walking the dogs by the side of the East Coast Main Line makes my working day easier to cope with, and something to look forward to.

Your favourite train model? (if there is such a thing.. sorry I'm still learning!) Love the Deltics and the Merchant Navy Class Steamers.

Has trainspotting inspired you to do anything else?/Do you have any related hobbies that have sprung from trainspotting? Yes photography comes to mind.

How does your wife/partner feel about your hobby? Do they come with you? When walking the dogs my partner comes with me but takes little notice of the motive power speeding by. She does tend to take the micky when she sees me getting excited.

Are there any 'slang' words used within the trainspotting community? Yes too many to list, hoover, chopper, Brush, lecky are but a few.

How would you feel if someone were to approach you while you were at a station and ask you a question? Would it be annoying? (I am planning on interviewing people at Clapham and taking photos but I don't want to be a pest) No I would respond in a friendly helpful manner.

Where are the best stations in London for spotting? Don't know as I am up in the North East. When I did travel however, I liked Paddington and Waterloo

Do you mind being called a 'trainspotter'? Yes, the term is a rail enthusiast
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  #17  
Old 6th October 2010, 10:08
Ikho Ikho is offline  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by meurglysIII View Post
My son has just started an illustration course at Wrexham by the way. Good luck with yours! Do you have an online portfolio or website we could look at?
Thank you very much! I do indeed, though the work is quite rough still and apologies for the use of the word 'trainspotter' as I'm now learning people don't like it much!

Here is my blog

http://attemptedillustration.blogspot.com/

I hope your son's enjoying the course, illustration has really helped me build on my drawing.

And thanks to everyone, I have so much material now it's really going to help
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