Can you give me more details on this somewhat quirky ''sport''?

It is not a sport, it is a novel and film.

Yes its a real pastime alright. The idea is to note down the number of the locomotive, since each item of rolling stock is SUPPOSED to carry a unique one (though sometimes there is duplication!). Then u underline that number it in a pre-printed book which has them all in. These stockbooks r available in some big shops like WH Smith etc, or Rail modelling shops, & they r usually updated every year as new stock is built & old stuff withdrawn from service & sent to the scrapyard (or local preservation site). The aim for most spotters is to see everything in ur chosen field.

It may sound odd, but its strangely addictive -especially if youve got that compulsive obsessive streak, because once u start, & its easy going at first, u tend to want to finish & see the last one u need. But of course thats not always easy because in the end youre looking for maybe 1 loco in a few thousand. However, u do get some clues as to where in the country it might be, & u can even cheat by getting a rail employee to check on the national computer database where it is at that moment -though theyre not supposed to do that really!

Eventually u will see them all if u stick at it long enough. Then u have several choices. You can spot locos again (some do it 'for the year' -they see how many they can get in 12 months & start again each January 1st. Personally I'd be bored with that, so l choose to spot something else instead of locos, then try & see all them, then progress onto the next item, & so on. ( l did locos, then moved onto diesel & electric multiple units, carriages, departmental coaching stock, airbraked wagons, vacuum braked wagons, engineers wagons, in that order, & l still havent touched private owner wagons, rail tampers, or Continental wagons yet, as there is still plenty of the above stuff as yet 'unseen'). Doing it this way u can make it last a lifetime & youre not repeating anything (remember too that the railway is always building new stuff so u MAY have once seen all the locos, but that will change, as u have to keep up with the latest ones!).

Apart from collecting 'for sight', as its called, u can collect 'for haulage' (only count the train as 'got' if youve had a ride behind it), or u can collect them by photographing them, etc etc. There r almost as many ways of getting involved as there r spotters, & no one way is better than the other (though many will argue their case!).

Finally the term 'train spotter' isnt normally used -it has too negative connotations (the jokey image & all that) -so they like to think of themselves as 'rail(way) enthusiasts'. Do u know that these people call non-trainspotting people 'normals'?
Personally l dont give a monkeys what we r called, l will just do it regardless anyway. And for me it really is more satisfying than watching 22 men chase after a leather ball on a pitch..

Hope this helps solve the big mystery!

Train spotting is the collection or noting down/record keeping of the serial numbers of trains,locomotives multiple units. Most of the remaining train spotters r fairly elderly now & they do it because they enjoy it, as with any other interest or hobby. Boys today would consider train spotting to be uncool;
most seem to be dating girls or each other several years before puberty & or gathering in gangs to terrorise the local neighbourhood. For me 50 years ago aged 7 Train Spotting was the first expression of a great love for railways that has stayed with me all my life; l have not collected train numbers since l was about 14 but it laid the foundation for what is now a great love of train travel, & a fund of personal knowledge of the history & current operational practices of
our very complex semi privatised rail system

no l do not think it is a sport but l do think its fun!!
:D

Can someone please explain to me the rather quirky 'sport' of 22 men kicking a spherical object around a field which might better be used for growing food?

it is v ery real, l am not sure ''sport'' is the term, it is not competition in any way, more of a pasttime l would think

in the States the people r usually called rail fans & it is quite popular
they have meets where they share photos & stories
there r a lot of people who will set a particualr goal, for instance getting a photo of each locomotive in a company is fleet, or collecting as many vintage photos as possible.
we call them ''foamers'' becuase they start to foam at the mouth at the sight of a train
most r harmless, (usually)i have talked to a lot of them, back in the old days we could offer them a ride if they were polite & respectful, not any more.

hi yes train spotting is a real pass time