Trainspotter

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An individual who enjoys the pastime of observing and recording train types and movements in detail
2. A person who takes interest in watching trains and noting their characteristics
3. Someone devoted to identifying and tracking trains for personal enjoyment

Etymology: Trainspotting began as a plain compound: a "train" that is watched, and a "spotter" who watches for something. The "spotter" half comes from "spot" in its older sense of catching sight of or detecting something, the same idea behind a spotter of aircraft or of talent. So the noun names someone whose hobby is noticing and noting what passes by. The word is a modern formation from these two parts, built on the everyday English nouns "train" and "spotter," with no older history behind it. Its meaning is the hobby itself: collecting details such as locomotive numbers, classes and timetabled movements. The "spotter" element carries the activity's core idea of watching closely and recording what one sees.

Synonyms: rail enthusiast, train enthusiast, rail fan, train watcher, railroad buff