Re: Derivation of Gunzel

["Ted Gay" <tedgay@bigpond.com>]

"BEE EFF" <mcreely@pnc.com.au> wrote in message
3A918F52.1722AEFE@pnc.com.au">news:3A918F52.1722AEFE@pnc.com.au...
> Bill, & Group,
>
> Even though the term "Gunzel" may have been originally used to describe a
> somewhat fanatical railway enthusiast(being polite),I think now you will
find it
> is a generic term that has been applied to all rail enthusiasts(whether
they are
> a dickhead or not).
>
> I am not 100% sure but did hear in the past that the term originated in
the UK,
> sorry to disappoint the guys from Vic. who might like to claim ownership.
>

No no no,  the term originated at the Sydney Tramway Museum,  in reference
to Victorian fans.  The pommie term is an 'Anorak'.  On account of the
weather, when 'gunzeling' you need to be wearing an anorak!  :-)

Ted

> It is unfortunate that there are a few over enthusiastic GUNZELS who stuff
it for
> the rest by letting common sense go out the window, just to get that "one
great
> shot".
>
> Yes you do strike idiots, but in most cases the ones I have struck are
courteous
> and genuinely interested in the day to day running of trains.  I actually
had a
> near miss(with a tractor, lineside at Cootamundra) a few years ago and the
> GUNZELS in the toyota 4wd who had chased us from Goulburn(nearly
200kms)taking
> photos, actually pulled up to render assistance and check if everyone was
> OK(train crew included- and not a camera in sight). So there is an example
where
> those blokes let commonsense prevail.
>
> So as with everywhere(employment included) you will strike dickheads
everywhere
> that ruin it for the majority.
>
> Regards BEE EFF
>
> WBrueckman wrote:
>
> > Thanks for posting the information on the derivation of the gunzel term.
When
> > I was in Australia last October for the Paralympics, I heard the term
for the
> > first time and had a hard time figuring out what it meant.
> >
> > We have the same sort of idiots here in the U.S.  No special term for
them
> > except to lump the idiots in with all railfans.  I've seen idiots climb
to the
> > top of boxcars to get pictures not knowing that they are close to the
10,000
> > volt overhead catenary wire.  And I've seen idiots standing with their
feet in
> > the middle of remote-controlled power switches not knowing their foot
could be
> > crushed by a flick of a switch of a dispatcher 700 miles away.
> >
> > Bill Brueckmann
> > Summerfield, North Carolina
>