The enthusiasms of the rail fan, like a taste for olives, are not readily communicated to the uninitiated.

This station is mostly visited by rail fans for rail fanning since it has a big railway yard.

The livery that resulted was nicknamed "Cato blue" by rail fans.

To outsiders, the world of the true subway buff, or rail fan, as many like to be called, has never been easy to understand.

But while the lure of those subjects is somewhat apparent, it is not as easy to figure out what motivates the dedicated rail fan.

Over the years, that kind of ardor has given rise to a list of less-than-flattering nicknames for rail fans.

Then there are the rail fans, nearly always loners, who love trains so much that they feel compelled to take them.

The structure's unique design and bright color made it popular not only with rail fans but tourists as well.

The country has its own rail fans, too, even if the passing of the steam era on the Jitong railway has received little notice.

A rail fan, he says, marvels at the paint scheme of the engine, imagines photographing it against a setting gumdrop sun.