Full of foaming-at-the-mouth trainspotters, quite a few of which I
suspect are frequenters of that awful District Dave's Forum.

Finally somebody said it!
When I came to Ealing Common the first thing I saw on the platform was
a significant number of typical trainspotters - you know,
freaks'n'geeks in anoraks. It was rather sad proof of stereotypes...

And before you reply, I want to explain - I'm not really into judging
people around me, the only thing that is really worrying for me is how
much I myself fit into this crowd. Overweight anorak with receding
hair line, making photographs of everything - it really got me
thinking...

OK, I can say to myself that I'm not really a trainspotter. I mean, I
can appreciate nice wooden interior of the train, but the real goal of
my participation was to have a glimpse at the running tunnels* - not
for the "technical" aspect, just to see creepy darkness, you know. I
spent about an hour in the driver's cab looking around, which was
fantastic! (if anyone from event organizers will read this - THANK YOU
SO MUCH!)

But still - it is scary to realize such things about myself!


The actual tour was rather nice though.

Indeed!

On Mon, 17 Sep 2007 15:02:51 -0700, alex_t
wrote:

OK, I can say to myself that I'm not really a trainspotter. I mean, I
can appreciate nice wooden interior of the train, but the real goal of
my participation was to have a glimpse at the running tunnels* - not
for the "technical" aspect, just to see creepy darkness, you know. I
spent about an hour in the driver's cab looking around, which was
fantastic! (if anyone from event organizers will read this - THANK YOU
SO MUCH!)

Oh the running tunnels are fun. Now what bits have I done in the cab -
all the Victoria line including to the depot, Northern Line - Edgware -
Kennington via Charing Cross and the City branch, Picc Line - Earls Ct -
Acton Town (I still have the bumps on my head from the track quality and
this was over 15 years ago), Met Line - Amersham - Baker St, District
Line Richmond Branch, Circle Line - HSK - St James Park, Jubilee Line -
Stratford - Waterloo including the crossover. Don't think I've done
any of the Central Line, Bakerloo Line or East London Line.

But still - it is scary to realize such things about myself!

Look you post to this group which means you are a train, bus, tube and
tram loony. There are also special sub variants of ticketing and
cycling loony.

You do realise that you can never leave this group and that you are
marked for life as a loony don't you?

--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

On Mon, 17 Sep 2007, Paul Corfield wrote:

On Mon, 17 Sep 2007 15:02:51 -0700, alex_t
wrote:

OK, I can say to myself that I'm not really a trainspotter. [...] But
still - it is scary to realize such things about myself!

Look you post to this group which means you are a train, bus, tube and
tram loony.

I resent that implication - i am *not* a bus loony!

There are also special sub variants of ticketing and cycling loony.

We also have specialist freight, boat, map (divided into geographic and
diagrammatic), aerial photo, road and subterranea loonies.

tom

--
All we need now is a little energon and a lotta luck

Oh the running tunnels are fun. Now what bits have I done in the cab -
all the Victoria line including to the depot, Northern Line - Edgware -
Kennington via Charing Cross and the City branch, Picc Line - Earls Ct -
Acton Town (I still have the bumps on my head from the track quality and
this was over 15 years ago), Met Line - Amersham - Baker St, District
Line Richmond Branch, Circle Line - HSK - St James Park, Jubilee Line -
Stratford - Waterloo including the crossover. Don't think I've done
any of the Central Line, Bakerloo Line or East London Line.

What can I say... LUCKY!
I'm totally jealous now :-|


Look you post to this group which means you are a train, bus, tube and
tram loony. There are also special sub variants of ticketing and
cycling loony.

I'm just a tube tunnel loony, thank you very much!


You do realise that you can never leave this group and that you are
marked for life as a loony don't you?

He-he, I don't care much about the loony label - I'm mostly concerned
about the looks ;-)

In message . com,
alex_t writes

Oh the running tunnels are fun. Now what bits have I done in the cab -
all the Victoria line including to the depot, Northern Line - Edgware -
Kennington via Charing Cross and the City branch, Picc Line - Earls Ct -
Acton Town (I still have the bumps on my head from the track quality and
this was over 15 years ago), Met Line - Amersham - Baker St, District
Line Richmond Branch, Circle Line - HSK - St James Park, Jubilee Line -
Stratford - Waterloo including the crossover. Don't think I've done
any of the Central Line, Bakerloo Line or East London Line.

What can I say... LUCKY!
I'm totally jealous now :-|

If Mr C. cared to dust off his cab pass, he could no doubt add to that
list too!

Look you post to this group which means you are a train, bus, tube and
tram loony. There are also special sub variants of ticketing and
cycling loony.

I'm just a tube tunnel loony, thank you very much!

The novelty wears off after a bit, but I can see what you mean.
--
Steve Fitzgerald has now left the building.
You will find him in London's Docklands, E16, UK
(please use the reply to address for email)

alex_t wrote:

OK, I can say to myself that I'm not really a trainspotter. I mean, I
can appreciate nice wooden interior of the train, but the real goal of
my participation was to have a glimpse at the running tunnels* - not
for the "technical" aspect, just to see creepy darkness, you know. I
spent about an hour in the driver's cab looking around, which was
fantastic! (if anyone from event organizers will read this - THANK YOU
SO MUCH!)

But still - it is scary to realize such things about myself!

It's okay, you're just a trackbasher. Them trainspotters are the weird
ones...

John Rowland wrote:
alex_t wrote:
OK, I can say to myself that I'm not really a trainspotter. I mean, I
can appreciate nice wooden interior of the train, but the real goal of
my participation was to have a glimpse at the running tunnels*
[snip]

But still - it is scary to realize such things about myself!

It's okay, you're just a trackbasher. Them trainspotters are the weird
ones...

Having watched at least one person follow their folder of specially
printed LU track diagrams in preference to looking out of the window I
may have to disagree!

Still, each to their own.

Or is there yet another designation for such folk?

"Alex Ingram" wrote in message
.. .
John Rowland wrote:
alex_t wrote:
OK, I can say to myself that I'm not really a trainspotter. I mean, I
can appreciate nice wooden interior of the train, but the real goal of
my participation was to have a glimpse at the running tunnels*
[snip]

But still - it is scary to realize such things about myself!

It's okay, you're just a trackbasher. Them trainspotters are the weird
ones...

Having watched at least one person follow their folder of specially
printed LU track diagrams in preference to looking out of the window I may
have to disagree!


He was probably the man from the ministry making sure no-one saw the secret
tunnels...

Paul S

On Tue, 18 Sep 2007, Alex Ingram wrote:

John Rowland wrote:
alex_t wrote:
OK, I can say to myself that I'm not really a trainspotter. I mean, I
can appreciate nice wooden interior of the train, but the real goal of
my participation was to have a glimpse at the running tunnels*
[snip]

But still - it is scary to realize such things about myself!

It's okay, you're just a trackbasher. Them trainspotters are the weird
ones...

Having watched at least one person follow their folder of specially printed
LU track diagrams in preference to looking out of the window I may have to
disagree!

My instant reaction to that was, "ooh, i want those".

I mean, when you're in an unlit tunnel, how much does looking out of the
window tell you? A good map is like a pair of X-ray specs!

Or is there yet another designation for such folk?

I don't know a specific term, but they come under the map loony
(diagrammatic) classification. Mapspotters? Map nerds? You know, despite
being one, i don't know what it's called.

Whatever, for my bloods, here's a map of Springfield, from the Simpsons:

http://www.mapofspringfield.com/spring_map.png

tom

--
All we need now is a little energon and a lotta luck

In article ,
Alex Ingram wrote:
John Rowland wrote:

It's okay, you're just a trackbasher. Them trainspotters are the weird
ones...

Having watched at least one person follow their folder of specially
printed LU track diagrams in preference to looking out of the window I
may have to disagree!

Still, each to their own.

Or is there yet another designation for such folk?

There's a phenomenon known as microgricing, which is like track bashing
but involves individual crossovers and platforms - preferably keeping
track of the direction you were travelling and scoring it both ways or
(for bays) for both arrival and departure

Myself I still have a 1984 Baker. I might think about getting a new one
if I still went out track-bashing, but there would be too many closed
lines to ink in !

Nick
--
Serendipity: http://www.leverton.org/blosxom (last update 9th Sep 2007)

"The Internet, an ersatz counterfeit of real life"
-- Janet Street-Porter, BBC2, 19th March 1996