Some people like it when a train gets to the crossing before they do. To them, the smell of diesel fumes is perfume – and there is no such thing as living “too close to the tracks.”

 

“Some people” are called, “railfans.” Train crews sometimes call them something else.

 

RailFans, a 42-minute documentary, profiles train lovers and the amazing things they do for love of the Iron Horse. Meet a man who bought a house because it was next to a busy track. Ride with a “foamer” who videotapes a steam engine as he drives a crowded highway (“I do it all the time at 80 mph.”)

 

It’s a loving look into the emotional pull of steel wheels on steel rails, the bonding between fathers and sons and how modern times are changing the hobby. RailFans takes you to hotspots like Cajon Pass and Tehachapi, California; Rochelle, Illinois and Sand Patch, Pennsylvania to see “Trainspotters” – and lots of trains – in action. With comments from Kevin Keefe of Trains Magazine, the show includes trains from three centuries and around the world.

 

“Railfans have been around almost as long as trains themselves,” says producer Steve Holmes, a lifelong rail enthusiast. “I am convinced that five minutes after the maiden run of the Iron Horse, some guy was out there drawing it. This was before photography. In fact, trains and photography grew up together. Early photographers helped develop the Western railroads by showing the tourism potential along the newly laid routes.”

 

The program traces developments in American society through their impact on train watchers. Everything from labor-saving devices to heightened concerns about liability and security is mirrored in railfanning. Holmes points out a recent, tragic example.

 

“September 11 had more of an effect on this hobby than on almost any other. Right afterward, railroads were pointed out as potential terrorist targets. Anyone not authorized to be around tracks or yards was suddenly looked upon with suspicion. It spawned a fierce but fascinating debate on the Internet about rights versus responsibilities. It is quite a civics lesson. Some said, ‘These are tough times. Lay low for awhile. If you are out railfanning and the cops approach, cooperate with them.’” Others said, ‘We are not the problem here. We are not the terrorists. As long as we’re on public property, we have the right to take pictures.’”

 

The show covers the spectrum of railfanning (from casual to "foamers"), the development of the hobby and the sometimes-shaky relationship between railfans and railroaders. “The relationship between railroads and their ‘cheerleaders’ is a weird one. A lot of guys spend ten to twelve hours on a train or working around them, and when their shift is over, what do they do to unwind? They go out and watch trains! But often, they have to keep it quiet around other railroaders, some of whom just don’t like railfans. I don’t know of any other business in which you’re criticized for loving what you do.”

 

RailFans is a co-production of Steve Holmes Productions of Iowa City, Iowa and Metro Studios of Hiawatha, Iowa. Kirk Hayden served as Director of Photography. His work has appeared on all major networks. The last collaboration of Holmes and Hayden, The New Ball Game, a tribute to baseball’s minor leagues, has appeared on PBS stations across America. That documentary, co-produced by Holmes and Iowa Public Television, won a CINE Golden Eagle, one of the most prestigious awards in broadcasting and video.

 

 

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© Steve Holmes Productions & Metro Studios 2004