Train spotters

[sherrardk]

Inadvertently found ourselves at the Severn Valley Railway Gala Event today (we were going to the RAF museum). Anyway, they had lots of important steam engines pulling the trains and there were loads of people there. We went on the train and the fields were full of people photographing the engines (can understand why there were so many people as I don't suppose they get to see these trains working very often). What I didn't understand, was why quite a few of the people in the fields, nowhere near the tracks, felt the need to wear high viz jackets - is it some sort of identifier for the really ardent trainspotters? (Ps - if you get the chance I would recommend it for a visit when the steam engines are there, not the same with a diesel engine i should think.)

[stokemaveric]

me and my mates used to go trainspotting when we were kids.........

[sherrardk]

Did you wear high viz jackets even though you were 'miles' away from the track?

[stokemaveric]

we used to go all over the country sherrardk on a ''rail rover'' ticket hours of fun and we travelled everywhere didnt wear a hi viz tho..a parker maybe on occasions lol...

[bagpuss63]

Almost went to WW2 special there in August, with cousin, but wasn't well-cast members from 'Allo Allo' were supposed to go

[sherrardk]

There were loads of them (hundreds in the fields) I was really amazed - the kids thought it was brill (but they were all filthy from sticking their heads out of the windows).

[pusskin]

Ah, me and hubbie love the smell of all that smoke and smut in our eyes. cant beat steam railway with our heads hanging out the windows. lol good fun

[sherrardk]

The older men on the train were obviously in some sort of second childhood - hogging all of the windows!

[vulcan]

The problem with everybody wearing high viz jackets is they lose their impact. My next door neighbour wears his when gardening, not sure who the warning is for, perhaps he has an extra wide wheelbarrow. :-)

[sherrardk]

Hi Vulcan - my point exactly, what, or who, did they think they were in danger from?