gunzels

Noun

gunzel (plural gunzels)

1. (Australia) A railway or tram enthusiast; particularly (formerly derogatory) one who is overly enthusiastic or foolish.
   • 'There're people who have an intellectual impairment,' he said, 'and studying trains seems a natural thing for them to gravitate to. And then there're people who have more of a hobby-style interest in it.' […] He feels gunzels are misunderstood by the outside world …2008, Mark Dapin, “Trainspotting”, in Strange Country: Travels in a Very Different Australia, Sydney, N.S.W.: Pan Macmillan Australia, →ISBN, book 4 (From Melbourne to Sydney), page 293

   Synonyms:

   ferroequinologist, foamer, railfan, trainspotter, siderodromophile

2. (Australia, broadly) An enthusiast or geek with a specific interest.
   • I ask him about Australian trainspotters. 'Do such people exist?' / 'We call them train gunzels. A gunzel is a person who is really stuck on one thing. In Sydney you get guys on the platforms. This carriage here is the CDF924 – that's the number for Matilda's Restaurant. The guys on the platform...2016, Tom Chesshyre, Ticket to Ride: Around the World on 49 Unusual Train Journeys, Chichester, West Sussex: Summersdale Publishers, →ISBN

See all 3 meanings of gunzel