Railfans / Trainspotters

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Updated Mar 04, 2023 at 08:02PM EST by Autumn Able.

Added Mar 04, 2023 at 07:50PM EST by Autumn Able.

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About

Railfans, also known as Trainspotters, are a group of people that show a high interest in trains, subways, trolleys, and other railway vehicles. Railfans show their interest in the hobby through photography and videography of passing trains, and through creating model railways at home, or in videogames.

Origin

Francis Bourgeois

Francis Bourgeois is a British content creator known for his train-spotting videos on TikTok. He began posting content on TikTok sometime in 2020 but didn't receive viral attention on the platform until February 2021. Since then, he has gained roughly 635,000 followers as of late October 2021. In his videos, the combination of close-up 360° GoPro footage of his face, his strange laugh and accent, and his devotion to train knowledge has granted him a cult following. In October 2021, his content began to circulate on other platforms more heavily, like Twitter and Instagram.

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/6950680821095288070

Norfolk Southern: What's Your Function?

Norfolk Southern: What's Your Function? is a promotional music video for Norfolk Southern railways (shown below, left). The song has been used in fan tribute videos using trainspotting footage, or by using sandbox games such as Roblox or Minecraft (example shown below, right), as well as parody videos featuring video footage of Norfolk Southern trains crashing into other vehicles or being derailed. The song is strongly speculated to have been performed by former Tally Hall member Rob Cantor,^[1] and is based on the Schoolhouse Rock! song Conjunction Junction.