Does anyone ever seen any trainspotters around in the USA? Or is this just a British thing thing to do?

This is clip is from Brookwood Station in England. I'm pretty sure if you watch it then you will watch 'the good bit' a few more times. It's quality:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBBK2hjcPuA

Spotters, as in writing down numbers, isn't so common. Foamers, who just like to watch and video, are more common and aren't always visible (there are other ways...).

Pretty silly to stand on the opposite side of the station. Kind of inevitable that a train would go past on at least one of those three tracks in between, which, of course, it did. Funny though, even though I do like the odd kettle.

Yup, put me over the edge yet again. I want to go back to live in England NOW.

As far as I'm aware the American lot are even worse - buying radios so they can listen to communication between signal boxes and trains etc. and then jumping in cars and chasing the buggers everywhere.

The speed the trains around here travel, you could do it with a bicycle or on foot...

Indeed. The evidence for these activities can be found on sites such as this: RailPictures.net.

I'm glad I don't even OWN an anorak!!!!

The town I live in has apparently one of the best trainspotting places in the US. Very active line with lots of different types of trains. This one particular pedestrian bridge is often packed with people watching trains.

Sidenote: watch "The Station Agent" a really good movie about trainspotting.

Interestingly (according to How It's Made), Chicago is the place where all freight trains originating on the West Coast are sorted depending on their destinations in the East, or something to that effect. Apart from the common-as-muck Metras and the odd Amtrack, you're never too far away from some heavy goods train or another ready to make you twenty minutes late to work . Funny enough, I went all the way up to mile zero of the Alaska Highway (Dawson Creek, BC) and I still saw a corral of Wisconsin Central carriages up there ...

For me, Chicago is a way better place for plane spotting than train though, but that's my thing.

I went to Chicago and found it a good place for beer spotting.

"Oh bollocks!"

Oh dear God, I see a road trip being planned.

Makes me wonder how many class 47s there really are now (they renumbered a bunch to a different 'class' apparently ..... ).

Class 58 was always my favourite.

[/anorak_mode_off]

DMUs?

I always liked the NIR Class 80s. Most comfortable train to sleep in on the way to work in the morning, or on the way home from the pub

Plus they made a great noise. Much prefer planes, of course, but I do miss the old 80s and 450s from my morning commute into Belfast ...

You might want to check here.

And here.