Why are railfans called Foamers?

True confession (as if you didn't know): I am a railfan. But don't call me a “foamer!” People who love trains come in all shapes and sizes, but “foamer” is a term they universally hate. “Foamers” is how railroad employees refer to railfans because they think we “foam” at the mouth anytime we see a train.



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It is a term often used as a derogatory way to describe railfans by people who actually work on the railroad. It is derived from the idea that railfans foam at the mouth at the sight of a train.

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A railfan, also known as a “rail enthusiast” or “train buff” in North America, is a person with a strong affinity for anything related to trains and rail travel.

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Etymology. From grice, supposed plural of grouse (on analogy to mouse/mice), likening a person who identifies railway locomotives to a sportsman who bags grouse.

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Walking or playing on railroad property is trespassing. It is illegal, very dangerous and poses a serious safety and security risk.

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The people who do Freight Hopping are known as Hobos. The rail yard security guys who you really don't want to bump into are called Bulls and seeing how far you can get via freight trains and coping with whatever the yards in which you arrive throw at you is called exciting. •

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The term hobo is a loose one used to define everything from happy-go-lucky train hoppers to large homeless communities (and sometimes derogatorily so). But in its most popular definition, itinerant workers traveling the country by train use the word to describe themselves and their unique and intentional lifestyle.

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Railfans get used to the usual patterns of trains in their area, and use scanners to listen in on railroad dispatch frequencies. But it takes knowledge and practice to decipher what you hear on the scanner.

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Railroaders see railfan's as a nuisance only when they get in the way and/or endanger themselves or others. They may not understand what you see in it, especially if they don't like the job.

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The term foamer started out as a derogatory term used by railroaders to describe a railfan. But, in the past few years within the industry, at least here where I work, it's not always used in the negative context.

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bo-ette - a female hobo.

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Trespassing on the railway is illegal and dangerous. You could be taken to court and face a £1,000 fine. For this reason, when we see someone trespassing, we have to stop all trains in the vicinity to remove trespassers, check for damage and clear blockages.

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The era of the freight train-hopping, job-seeking hobo faded into obscurity in the years following the Second World War. Many hobos from this era have since “caught the westbound,” or died. A small number of so-called hobos still hop freight trains today.

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FACT 7: TRAINS CAN SNEAK UP ON YOU You don't always hear that loud “clacking sound” anymore. This means that trains can be closer than they appear and move faster than you think.

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Walking on or beside railroad tracks is illegal. The only safe place to cross tracks is at designated public crossings with a crossbuck, flashing red lights or a gate.

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In one study conducted at the BNSF Railway Hobart Railyard in Los Angeles, the California Environmental Protection Agency estimated that residents living near a railyard experienced a higher risk of carcinogen exposure.

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