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Stephenson's Rocket -

The launch in 1829 of Robert Stephenson's Rocket served as the template for most steam engines in the following 150 years. Stephenson, an English civil engineer, had designed the most advanced locomotive of its day, and Rocket turned the heads of admirers across the land.

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The first rail enthusiast -

One such fan was British actress, poet, and abolitionist Fanny Kemble (1809–1893). Rocket had been built for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway and, in 1830, Miss Kemble requested and was granted a ride on the footplate of Stephenson's locomotive.

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Footplate ride -

Her one small step is the first recorded instance of a member of the public getting a footplate ride. She later wrote, "When I closed my eyes, the sensation of flying was quite delightful, and strange beyond description."

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First detailed records -

If Fanny Kemble can claim to be the original railway enthusiast, then a gentleman by the name of Colonel James Pennyman is certainly the first to keep detailed records of trains. Pennyman, whose home was Ormesby Hall (pictured), noted in his diary descriptions of trains on the Great North of England Railway from 1841 to 1847.

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Names and numbers -

Twenty years later, a young woman whose Christian name was also Fanny, Fanny Johnson, became the first to keep records of locomotive numbers and names, written down in a journal. Just 14 years old at the time, the teenager's lists were eventually published in a Great Western Railway (GWR) magazine article published in 1935.

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World's first public railway -

The inauguration in England of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1885, the world's first public railway, heralded the age of steam. It also opened up a whole new world to locoists, the collective noun given to those who'd developed an obsession with this popular new method of transportation.

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First major rail compendium -

By 1899, locoists across Great Britain were busily recording in writing rolling stock in all four corners of the country. According to the Railway Museum, the first major compendium appears to be an alphabetical list of named engines by S. Cotterell and G.H. Wilkinson for the London & North Western Railway (LNWR).

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Trainspotting arrives -

Cotterell and Wilkinson would spend hours observing LNWR locomotives like this one, the class 2-4-0 locomotive number 1304 "Jeanie Deans," as they pulled into railway stations or train depots.

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A favorite pastime -

By the 1930s, trainspotting had become a favorite pastime in Britain for thousands of railway enthusiasts. In 1934, 'Locomotives of the Southern Railway' was published. This was one of a number of publications issued by the Big Four railway companies—London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), Great Western Railway (GWR), and Southern Railway (SR)— aimed at providing locoists and "namers" (those collecting the names of locomotives) with handy, at a glance, reference material.

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Locospotters Club -

In 1942, 20-year-old Ian Allan (1922–2015) published the first 'ABC Spotter' book, and trainspotting instantly gathered steam. In 1948, he founded the Ian Allan Locospotters Club. In its wake, a whole new generation of railway enthusiasts was born.

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Nationwide hobby -

Trainspotting became a hobby. Youngsters, many of them schoolboys, took every opportunity to visit major railway centers and junctions of Britain, noting names and numbers and undertaking forensic examination of their favorite locomotive.

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Club outings -

Hundreds of boys and adolescents swelled the club's numbers. Special trains were arranged to take members on trips to locomotive works and engine sheds.

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Out on their own -

By the 1950s, spotting's heyday, it was commonplace to see unaccompanied youngsters wandering railway stations and depots, notebook in hand, jotting down details and perhaps asking a stationmaster for an exclusive snippet of information.

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Friendly rivalry -

Trainspotting promoted a fierce but friendly rivalry between locoists. Local authorities voiced concern that school-age spotters might feel compelled to skip lessons in order to get one over their classmates.

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Nearly banned -

In fact, some authority figures were so worried that they urged a ban on the hobby, citing the potential for juvenile delinquency.

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Trainspotting hits the buffers -

When Willesden Junction in northwest London was closed to trainspotters in June 1954, councilors estimated that the move probably affected up to half a million disgruntled locoists.

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Female trainspotters -

Females rarely figure in the history of trainspotting, which is somewhat ironic given that the movement was effectively kick-started by two women. But in the 1960s, the hobby did start to attract girls, as this photograph taken at Finsbury Park illustrates.

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Bringing mom along for the ride -

Occasionally, even moms could be seen taking part in what by now was a nationwide phenomenon.

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Electrifying! -

When British Railways began electrifying part of the network, new rolling stock provided even more opportunities for trainspotters to fill up their notepads.

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'Modern Railway' -

By now trainspotters had a wealth of published material at hand, information that helped them pursue their chosen hobby. Ian Allan had founded his own publishing company, and, besides his popular ABC guides, was now producing monthly magazines, including Modern Railway.

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Railway Modeller -

Ian Allan Publishing was also responsible for producing Railway Modeller. First published in 1949, it is still Britain's most popular model railway title.

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What's the appeal? -

For many trainspotters, their passion is all in the detail. Carefully scrutinizing the ironclad outer skin and inner mechanics of a locomotive is for many akin to drooling over a rare classic car.

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Vintage glamour -

It's also about the slow-go vintage glamour associated with the age of steam. Trainspotting is a reminder of  the enduring appeal of rail travel of that era and all the experiences associated with it—the gushing of steam, the rattle of wheels on the track, the shrill whistle of an approaching engine, or distant ding-ding of an unseen freight express.

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Decline in popularity -

By the mid-1960s, trainspotting as a hobby had reached its zenith. The school children of the 1930s had grown up, and the weekend visits to station platforms and rail depots were fast becoming a thing of the past.

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Greeting the Flying Scotsman -

One May 1, 1968, the legendary Flying Scotsman thundered into Central Station in Newcastle on a non-stop run from London's King Cross station to Edinburgh. As a salute to the fans waiting, the magnificent train slowed down to give enthusiasts a better look at it. It was one of the last big locoist occasions before the advent of diesel.

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A nerdy reputation -

The end of steam-pulled carriages on British railways led many trainspotters to give up the hobby. Furthermore, trainspotting by the late 1960s was regarded as a rather nerdy pastime, suitable only for geeks with nothing better to do...

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Back on track -

But then, in the late 1970s, something odd happened. Trainspotting suddenly became cool again! Schools began organizing outings to rail yards for children as a novel way of educating kids on how to act safely around trains, railway stations, and level crossings.

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A celebration -

Meanwhile, every so often events such as the one held in 1979 at Paddington Station to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's architectural masterpiece brought back memories of when it was fashionable to be a locoist.

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New purpose -

Many ex-trainspotters who turned their backs on the hobby still harnessed a passion for all things rail. This prompted the railway preservation movement, which saw them getting involved with restoring and running trains on heritage lines over the next decades.

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Trainspotting abroad -

Trainspotting today still enjoys a loyal though select following. In the United States, locoists are known as railfans. Australians sometimes deliberately call themselves gunzels, a term from the 1960s used to describe shabbily dressed trainspotters. Meanwhile in Japan, rail enthusiasts are known as densha otaku (pictured).

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A new beginning -

In the modern era, trainspotters have access to an extraordinary amount of information courtesy of the internet. And those former locoists who chose to channel their enthusiasm into restoring decommissioned engines are responsible for breathing new life into locomotives such as The Jacobite, pictured here crossing the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct.

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Trainspotting legacy -

And, of course, rail enthusiasts across the globe have access to numerous museums housing many retired and treasured steam engines, places like the National Railway Museum in York, England, where many go to spot their their favorite train.

Sources: (National Railway Museum) (The Guardian) (Gaugemaster)

See also: The many joys of train travel

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