Sheldon Cooper, the protagonist of the American sitcom 'The Big Bang Theory,' is a famous railfan. He insists on taking the train even if it takes several times longer than a flight. Railfans are drawn to railways for all sorts of reasons. From the classic hobby of railway photography to studying train routes, collecting models and memorabilia, exploring lines, and even distinguishing engine sounds, a diverse community of enthusiasts comes together.
"The current Saemaeul-ho is not a real Saemaeul-ho"
There are so many different types of railfans. Among them, we met a teenager who collects old railway items and an adult who can identify engine sounds at the Korea Railroad Museum in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, on July 31. They are both active members of the Naver Cafe 'Nrail.' Jeong Han-gyeol, 15 (nickname 'A Common Railfan'), is a second-year student at Hagi Middle School in Daejeon, and Choi Hyeon-il, 31, is a researcher at the Patent Trend Team of the Korea Institute of Patent Information. They are an 8-year and a 21-year veteran railfan, respectively. With 27,416 members (as of August 8), Nrrail is the largest community of railfans in Korea.
Perhaps it takes one to know one. When the two met, sparks flew. As Hyeon-il showed a train photo on his smartphone, saying, "You know this one, it's a common train these days," Han-gyeol would reply, "But North Korea still has third-class trains," and their quick-fire banter continued. When Hyeon-il declared, "The current Saemaeul-ho is not a real Saemaeul-ho," Han-gyeol enthusiastically agreed, "Exactly!"
Han-gyeol has been traveling to small, whistle-stop stations all over the country to take pictures. Two years ago, he started collecting railway memorabilia. It all began with building a Lego model of a train, and soon he was scouring online and offline second-hand markets for collectibles. A photo of Han-gyeol's attic shows it's filled with his railway collection. He posts photos to his Instagram and the Nrrail cafe. When a station is closed, it sometimes becomes private property, and he has contacted landowners to acquire railway-related items. He has also visited scrapyards to look for things. Through these efforts, he has collected items like token cases, message pouches, box locks, seat guide plates, hand signal flags, and station nameplates.
Treasure No. 1 is the sign from the vanished Pandae Station
Han-gyeol's love for railways doesn't stop there. He also creates drawings based on the photos he takes at small stations. His goal is to become a railway designer. You could say he dreams of a life where his hobby becomes his profession. When asked about his number one treasure, from a large collection of destination boards he brought, he pointed to a nameplate from Pandae Station, made around the 1970s. Pandae Station is a defunct station name; it has been renamed Samsan Station, located in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province. "Because it was made so long ago, it has features you can't see today. You can even find an advertisement at the bottom." Even Hyeon-il, the 21-year veteran railfan, exclaimed when he saw the various items Han-gyeol brought to the museum, "Wow, I've never seen anyone collect things like this." It just goes to show how diverse the fields of railfanning are.
Hyeon-il also shared his railway anecdotes with Han-gyeol. Around 2012, when the last PP-type Saemaeul-ho was in operation, Hyeon-il decided to "see the end of the Saemaeul-ho," gave up (?) on his exam studies, and went to see the train at Gupo Station in Busan. The old Saemaeul-ho had streamlined diesel locomotives at both ends, pushing from the back and pulling from the front, hence the name PP (Push-Pull) type. It was retired after its final run on January 5, 2013, due to slow initial acceleration and weakness on inclines.
He also participated in a citizen motorman experience on the Busan subway. The joy of stopping the train at the terminal station was indescribable. Since then, he has taken trains and photographed them whenever he had the chance to see rare models. During one of these journeys, he even received a KTX captain's work cap.
Hyeon-il showed a photo he took from his rooftop. It was a landscape packed with the dense railway tracks near Noryangjin. "I chose this apartment specifically so I could always see subways and trains. Other people say it's noisy, but for me, it's the best because I can watch the trains." Perhaps from watching them for so long, Hyeon-il says, "Each locomotive uses a different engine, and I can distinguish them just by listening to their sound." He explains that each engine has a different natural frequency.
The two railfans had something in common. During the interview in the railroad museum's lounge, they both turned their heads every time a train passed by, as if they had railway antennae. "That's a 7500-series locomotive," Hyeon-il noted. When asked how they identify trains, they said they get information from the cafe, and if it's not there, they search online. They used to use a railway search site called NXLogis, but they lamented that it has recently become difficult to find information on things like test runs. Seeing special trains requires patience.
"I went to Sintanjin Station in Daejeon to see a 'gapjong-hoesong' (a rolling stock transfer, where one train pulls another for reasons such as scrapping, test runs, or retirement). It's a kind of railway delivery service. The train was taking so long to arrive that I was getting tired when I heard a loud roar. It was just an ordinary Mugunghwa-ho train. But right behind it, a rare 'Ecorail' train passed by," said Han-gyeol.
True Railfans Respect the Rules
Both railfans stress the importance of maintaining proper boundaries when enjoying their hobby. Accidents can happen within stations, and when collecting items, one must not take them illegally. "It was a rural station, not even a closed one. I saw someone trying to take a station nameplate, so I had to stop them. I worry that people like that give railfanning a bad name," said Han-gyeol.
Some people think that 'if you buy a platform ticket, you can take photos anywhere in the station,' but if a safety accident occurs, the station staff is held responsible. That's why Han-gyeol wishes people would get permission from the stationmaster before taking photos. Hyeon-il nods in agreement. They also add that railfans have played positive roles, such as reporting issues regarding train routes to railway staff.
There are some downsides, too. Recently, small stations have been disappearing one by one. Many types of trains are also vanishing, making them miss the retired old trains. While developments in railway engineering, like the KTX, have brought convenience to people, railfans who enjoy the aesthetics of slowness feel sad about the disappearing history of the railway.
Why do they love railways so much? When asked what got them into the hobby, Hyeon-il says, "My heart pounds when I see a giant metal structure pulling heavy things with immense power." Han-gyeol adds, "I fell in love with the grandeur and retro feel of the trains."
To them, the charm of railways is that they are part of 'daily life.' They find it fascinating to watch the history of trains evolve. They also mentioned the dynamic and unpredictable nature of trains as a major appeal. There's a special joy in spotting an occasional freight train or a rare locomotive among the usual ones.
When asked for tips on taking good railway photos, Han-gyeol said, "The angle looking down on a train from above is really beautiful. It's even more beautiful when it snows." He says the way the railway blends into the landscape with the changing seasons is superb. Loving railways means you also get to travel to small stations all over the country, which they say is killing two birds with one stone. The railway, an old engineering marvel that began with the steam engine, has a quiet charm. It might be nice to immerse yourself in it, too.
Q. Are there any prerequisites for railfanning?
It's great to have a railway station nearby, a car, and a camera, but the most important thing is a love for railways. On the other hand, there are things to be cautious about: safety and getting prior permission.
Q. Where do you get information about railways?
We use the Naver Cafe Nrrail, internet searches, Wikipedia, and so on. There are also YouTube channels we refer to: the specialized railway channel 'Railism' and 'Public Transport Video Workshop,' where you can find public transit information. On Railism, you can preview and get ideas for good compositions and locations for railway photography. On Public Transport Video Workshop, we get information about new line openings.
Q. For a beginner, what would you say is the appeal of railfanning?
Its biggest charm is that railways are a part of our daily lives. Conversely, the unpredictable nature of trains is also a great appeal. There's the joy you feel when you spot a rare train. There's also the thrill of acquiring a rare item.
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