What's a Foamer?

I am a new railfan so I hope you won't mind this dumb question. In reading thru many of these posts I have seen the term foamer used several times. Just what exactly is a foamer? Thanks, Karl

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_o ... minology#F

Surely you've met the kind of rabid railfan who can talk endlessly about the difference between the GP-40A and the GP-40C, including the number of rivets on its airbrake controls cover (the first has 5 per hinge and the second 7, which is the easiest way to tell the difference when they're passing you at 60MPH), who can't stop talking about trains long enough to take a full breath, or even to swallow excess saliva, so that the saliva starts to bubble out of his mouth, making it look like his mouth is foaming.

Did I mention that women never do this?

Check this link: http://members.aol.com/wzither/wzjan00.html

I have done a lot of aircraft photography and still do a bit. The foamers sound quite a bit like the guys we used to call "Rivet Counters". I stayed away from those guys at the airports and will try to do so next to the tracks. Thanks for the info.

It seems to me that alot of the guys on these forums that rant and rave about political things concerning railroads are mad foamers. They complain about things they can't control. They are pig headed into arguing about things just to make a point. Mad pigheaded foamers.

gp9fan wrote:Just what exactly is a foamer?

The most important thing is that you don't want to be one. "Foamers" are the kind of "railroad enthusiast" who cannot control their excitement at the sight of a train or train-related object. Doesn't matter what it is, either. They like ALL trains, no rhyme or reason. They have every train shirt, mug, decal, patch and pin. They are often inconsiderate of others, be it railfans on a photo line or families visiting a railroad attraction- they'll push to the front of the line to get their crappy photo and who cares about anyone else? Foamers will annoy the piss out of a railroad worker, practically humping their leg for attention and information. Foamers memorize trivial information that is of no value. Quite simply, it's a name given to those who seem to "foam at the mouth" at the mere sight or mention of a train.

In short, "foamers" give legitimate railroad enthusiasts a bad name.

The obnoxious presence of foamers is the reason why many of us take a low-key approach to railfanning.

If you've ever read Weird NJ magazine, there was an article last year about old abandoned RR tunnels, and other weird RR stuff, and the author mentioned "foamer" but never explained the term.

I wrote a letter to the editor, it was published in the May-Oct '08 issue, on page 12-13, giving my definition of a foamer.

Pete

I've heard of the term F-R-N too. F-Rail-Nut. The F stands for the same thing as it does in F.R.E.D., and it isn't Flashing.

There was a foamer who used to hang out at the Black River regularly, always had a better way to run the railroad, had all the standard foamer gear, real scary dude. He was good at showing up at the worst times, and never leaving.

Then one day I was a Walmart with my son, and who was working at the register? You guessed it. And he was chewing the ear off a poor little old lady about trains. Needless to say, we didn't go to his line to check out.

We need to make up black T-shirts that say (in big white block letters like the FBI shirts) "FRN". Then just before you're going to take a picture of the train, you turn around and show your colors. Then you take a picture of a train with a smiling engineer.

RussNelson wrote:We need to make up black T-shirts that say (in big white block letters like the FBI shirts) "FRN". Then just before you're going to take a picture of the train, you turn around and show your colors. Then you take a picture of a train with a smiling engineer.

Hah, I'd buy one! I'm a big fan of the "FRN" label. I just think it's really humorous, similar to foamer I guess but a bit more intense. I consider myself an FRN in a good way, if that's possible. I'm a pretty low-key guy so I think I avoid most of the pitfalls associated with foamerdom, so to speak.

Could "FRN" also stand for "Fan of RAILROAD.NET?"

Otto Vondrak wrote:Could "FRN" also stand for "Fan of RAILROAD.NET?"

I don't see why not!

Otto Vondrak wrote:They are often inconsiderate of others, be it railfans on a photo line or families visiting a railroad attraction- they'll push to the front of the line to get their crappy photo and who cares about anyone else?

...Foamers will annoy the piss out of a railroad worker...

In short, "foamers" give legitimate railroad enthusiasts a bad name.

Yes, yes, and yes

Thanks you for saying it Otto!

(Seen some of these guys show their true colors during photo runbys when somebody unknowingly steps out of the depot door...as the train BACKS UP for the runby...seriously I thought there was going to be a fist fight!)