Crews call enthusiasts foamers because they seem to foam at the mouth over trains: chasing locomotives by car, crowding crossings with cameras and scanning the radio channels. It is mostly affectionate but carries an edge, because foamers trespass, stand too close and sometimes know the train schedule better than the crew. Being called a foamer by a railroader is a reminder that loving trains and working them are different things.
Three foamers parked by the crossing with cameras again, give 'em a long horn so they back off the tracks.
Railroaders hang the label on each other too, whenever someone gets a little too excited about a heritage unit or a new paint scheme.
Also heard as
- railfan
- rail buff
- fan
Related terms
Old head
A veteran railroader with long seniority, respected for knowledge and sometimes resented for it.
Boomer
A railroader who drifts from railroad to railroad, hiring on wherever the work is good.
Bull
A railroad police officer, the special agent who patrols yards and trains for trespassers and thieves.