different between trainiac vs railfan

English

Etymology

Blend of train +? maniac.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t?e?ni?æk/

Noun

trainiac (plural trainiacs)

1. (informal) A railway enthusiast.
   • 2001, Kathie Weir, A Parent's Guide to Los Angeles: Friendly Advice for Touring Los Angeles with Children, Mars Publishing, Inc. (2001), ?ISBN, page 29:

     The Lomita Railroad Museum was once a regular stop on our shopping trips, a little reward for my trainiac.

   • 2006, James B. Twitchell, Where Men Hide, Columbia University Press (2006), ?ISBN, page 77:

     There are still trainiacs, for sure — approximately 300,000 hardcore train hobbyists in the United States, who spend about $500 million on their passion.

   • 2011 September 29, Chuck Lorre, Eric Kaplan & Jim Reynolds, "The Pulled Groin Extrapolation", episode 5-3 of The Big Bang Theory, 00:10:27-00:10:32:

     Sheldon Cooper: It's official. I'm an HO trainiac.
     

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:trainiac.

Synonyms

• gunzel (Australia), railbuff, railfan

English

Etymology

From rail +? fan

Noun

railfan (plural railfans)

1. (US) A railway enthusiast.

Synonyms

• ferroequinologist, gunzel (Australia), railbuff, trainiac (informal), trainspotter

Derived terms

• railfanning