The strange phenomenon of railway enthusiasm

Timcito

Tip: never call a railway enthusiast a 'trainspotter'!

ESBlonde

I love the fact that the railways became the first network to allow social interaction for the masses. All those trips to the seaside and little light railways through small towns and villages enabled folks to get all over. In addition you could turn up at any station with goods and they were obliged to take it to your requested destination. Imagine taking a cow to the station and they had to get the right carriage/rolling stock along to move your cow across the country. All organised with pencil and paper, no ‘puters back in the day. 

darthed1981

ESBlonde said:

In addition you could turn up at any station with goods and they were obliged to take it to your requested destination. Imagine taking a cow to the station and they had to get the right carriage/rolling stock along to move your cow across the country. All organised with pencil and paper, no ‘puters back in the day. 

It's a system we need to go back to really - use vehicles for the last 20 miles and do the big runs on rail - would make the transition to net zero much easier.

The problem is that the network just isn't there any more - even where it IS still in place, you will find the goods yards very easily - they are almost always where you parked your car!

Cranky

No shortage of railroad enthusiasts out here in the Wild West

hollywoodrox

snowblind said:

I suspect the appeal of all the old disused tracks and stations just comes from an interest in history. Humans often gravitate to old stuff for no other reason that it is old. Just by way of an example most people would find this place more interesting than the local weatherspawns just cos its 500 years old.



Anyone with an interest in internal combustion engines can't help but get a tingle when seeing the deltic motors they used in the early diesel locomotives. Similarly a genuine 1970s 100W amp (they built 'em proper in them days). Age tends to imbue value to things for no other reason than simple longevity.

Deltics  were the main big train when I was a kid  not a big enthusiast but I like abandoned lines and old stations etc  & loved living next to railway lines and hearing a train go by in the night  or seeing the lights off the maintenance crews while in bed .

darthed1981

I'd love to live next to a railway.