Newbie Question: What's a 'Foamer'?

[CharlieX90]

All you guys saying what a foamer is...It must take a foamer to know what one is...

[Proto48Patrick]

The most simple description of a foamer is someone who gets so excited when they see a train, they foam at the mouth. That's it. Often they speak so fast and excitedly you can see a little foam at the corners of their mouth. Nothing a drink of water wouldn't fix.

If I worked for the railroad, I would dislike most railfans anyways since a good majority think they are above the laws and entitled to trespass for any reason. I don't care if you know the horsepower and paint tint of XXXX locomotive, get off the property so I don't have to worry about hitting your ass. The same people that "feel bad for an engineer" when they hit someone are the same guys that stand too close to equipment. That gets the crews excited too for no other reason but for some railfan to "get the shot"

[DT&I]

Ok then, sorry everyone who has more than one picture of a dash 9, you're all foamers...

[swc]

[ ="DT&I"]Ok then, sorry everyone who has more than one picture of a dash 9, you're all foamers.OVER &OVER &OVER&OVER.LOL

[DT&I]

I don't care anymore. I only like a few railfans here, the rest are all foamers to me.

[hoborich]

FOOD FIGHT

[Saturnalia]

FOOD FIGHT

Now with foam!

[BnOEngr]

There also are GERFs. Glassy Eyed RailFans.

[GreatLakesRailfan]

a foamer is ...or my favorite a plain freight car.

Bull. It's hard to build accurate models of equipment without decent photos. It's hard to build an accurate model of just about anything without reference material, hence the reason people take photos of the equipment.

[DBFanatic]

a foamer is ...or my favorite a plain freight car.

Bull. It's hard to build accurate models of equipment without decent photos. It's hard to build an accurate model of just about anything without reference material, hence the reason people take photos of the equipment.

I have to agree here, though I also might consider myself a foamer, depending on which of several definitions I use.

When I started the roadbed construction of my German-themed layout, I realized I had no good reference material on the roadbed color(s), shape, weathering, width, etc. On my next trip overseas I took dozens of pictures of just, well, track, both mainline and branch line, in stations, out in the country, heavily trafficked, mostly abandoned, etc. The result? It still looks crappy, but at least I have reference material on what it *should* have looked like!

[AARR]

The result? It still looks crappy, but at least I have reference material on what it *should* have looked like!

I am glad to see someone else whose layout fits the description of mine

[Proto48Patrick]

I have to agree here, though I also might consider myself a foamer, depending on which of several definitions I use.

When I started the roadbed construction of my German-themed layout, I realized I had no good reference material on the roadbed color(s), shape, weathering, width, etc. On my next trip overseas I took dozens of pictures of just, well, track, both mainline and branch line, in stations, out in the country, heavily trafficked, mostly abandoned, etc. The result? It still looks crappy, but at least I have reference material on what it *should* have looked like!

Is that a foamer or a modeler? I would think they are 2 different things. A foamer reminds me of my 4 year son. He gets SO excited about something that he physically cant contain himself. Now a 4 year old is one thing, but a 15+ year old?

[Gadfly]

I have to agree here, though I also might consider myself a foamer, depending on which of several definitions I use.

When I started the roadbed construction of my German-themed layout, I realized I had no good reference material on the roadbed color(s), shape, weathering, width, etc. On my next trip overseas I took dozens of pictures of just, well, track, both mainline and branch line, in stations, out in the country, heavily trafficked, mostly abandoned, etc. The result? It still looks crappy, but at least I have reference material on what it *should* have looked like!

Is that a foamer or a modeler? I would think they are 2 different things. A foamer reminds me of my 4 year son. He gets SO excited about something that he physically cant contain himself. Now a 4 year old is one thing, but a 15+ year old?

It was applied by us mostly to the overwrought, overly pushy ones that asked a passel of questions, trespassed on property or equipment , or made a nuisance of themselves. These are in the minority, but they are out there. I encountered them in my rail career, and I'm sad to say, we did make quite lot of fun of them. You know the ones....the ones who showed up religiously at our facility taking endless photos of freight drags and wearing overalls and red bandanas. They had patches of railroads covering themselves, and they had fake "railroad" pocket watches. The worst ones were the ones who tried to tell US that we were doing the job wrong when we had just received instructions from the boss! When we didn't do it their way, you'd think we violated the US Constitution, to hear them spout their "knowledge".

I once had this 15 y/o kid that annoyed me at an outlying station with endless questions, and even going so far as to FIND my house and show up there! I "shooed" him away when I'd had enough. He even "bird dogged" me aboard a steam excursion, and I, disgusted, got off at a water stop and climbed aboard one of the F7's adjacent to the steam engine to "hide" from him. He hunted for me to the end of the line!

Most aren't that bad, but there enough "loo-loos" to warrant the insult. I see a few that could only be described as strange!

GF

[cbehr91]

I don't care anymore. I only like a few railfans here, the rest are all foamers to me.

Just embrace the term, kid.

[bdconrail29]

I just gotta say this. The next time the NKP 765 leads, just go to a busy junction or town where it will pass, and this will all make sense to you, what a foamer is.

[CAT345C]

I've never once said to my engineer..."oh look a railfan!" It's always "theres a foamer".
Either way this thread is hilarious. I like trains and could be called a foamer too I've taken my fair share of pictures.

[legostudios34]

a foamer is ...or my favorite a plain freight car.

Bull. It's hard to build accurate models of equipment without decent photos. It's hard to build an accurate model of just about anything without reference material, hence the reason people take photos of the equipment.

I shoot a lot of freight car pictures, and I don't consider myself a foamer. Some for modeling reference, others because the cars are interesting, and sometimes just because I want to take freight car pictures. I shoot digital, and electrons are free.

[brysonda]

Well, not ALL electrons are free. Indeed, many are fairly strongly attracted to atoms.