Francis Bourgeois, train legend

[The Mollusk]

This guy is the epitome of weird internet hype for me - in a positive, wholesome way, I should add.

He got big on Instagram and TikTok posting videos of himself trainspotting with a 360 degree cam strapped to his head making his face look fucking mental with seemingly no irony at all, whooping and cheering enthusiastically as legendary models of trains drove past and sounded the horns for him - "the tones" as they're called in the scene. He is now absolute massive. 1.6 million Instagram followers, hanging out with Rosalia and Thierry Henry, sponsored by Gucci and riding round their shop on his micro scooter trying on the garms. This peaked for me the other week when I saw a viral video of him scooting out on stage with Sam Fender at Wembley, doing a fucking tail whip before leaping off and crowd surfing. Incredible scenes, just bonkers.

At some point in recent months he revealed that he used to be extremely uncomfortable in his own skin with strong identity issues, used to dress in tracksuits and tried to fit in with like minded people before deciding to stop being ashamed of just loving trainspotting and embracing it fully. I think despite the fact that the a lot of it is quite bonkers, overall it is a very sweet story. From his mannerisms in his videos he seems to display traits of autism or some other place on the spectrum so it's lovely to see him having a great time doing what he loves so much.

Just looking at a Spotify playlist he curated and there's some solid names on there. Autechre, Fuck Buttons, Animal Collective. I'll say it again: legend.

[Cuellar]

Fuck this guy.

He pisses about looking at trains with silly names and has somehow managed to meet Rosalía out of it.

It's not on.

[Butchers Blind]

Looks like a lost Gallagher sibling.

[Bernice]

Yeah he's great.

[thugler]

Another quirky instagram rich kid, literally called bourgeois. Bit on the nose

[The Mollusk]

Fuck this guy.

He pisses about looking at trains with silly names and has somehow managed to meet Rosalía out of it.

It's not on.

wounded mate

[Neomod]

Looks like his dad.

[idunnosomename]

Never heard of the cunt

[chutnut]

Everyone was going mad when he got spotted at a warehouse project night a while ago
That's all I know about him tbh

[Twonty Gostelow]

Almost started a thread about him last year but I was scared you lot would rip up my platform ticket and throw my sandwiches on the tracks.
Inevitably he went on This Morning to be patronised by Holly and Pip within hours of going viral but I've not seen him on Graham Norton yet, thank you Gordon!

[bgmnts]

What does he do?

[The Mollusk]

What does he do?

Clenches his hands awkwardly and goes FWAHAHAHA! when a train goes past and honks the horn. Also as I said upthread he wears swag garms and listens to Autechre. Don't think I need to say legend again but I will.

[Sebastian Cobb]

He does seem pretty wholesome and is a net good, however this camera view makes me feel quite uncomfortable:

[gilbertharding]

Yeah - maybe sponsored by North Face and Gucci, but put me down as Tim Dunn for life.

[RickyHamster]

Creepy fucker spunking his load at the sight of the Flying Scotsman.

Cancelled within the year.

[danwho9]

Wannabe Tom Scott.

[The Dog]

Pretty sure I will be quantum leaping back to my own time any second now.

Think I'll just sit here and wait.

[danwho9]

Fuck Francis Bourgeois isn't even his real name.

Day ruined.

[bgmnts]

Clenches his hands awkwardly and goes FWAHAHAHA! when a train goes past and honks the horn. Also as I said upthread he wears swag garms and listens to Autechre. Don't think I need to say legend again but I will.

And that's made him a fortune? That's amazing.

Why did he wear tracksuits? Seems an odd little fellow.

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

This is exactly the sort of person that gives trainspotters a bad name. Where are his fucking sandwiches? Or thermos flask?

[Zero Gravitas]

Creepy fucker spunking his load at the sight of the Flying Scotsman.

Cancelled within the year.

He makes me want to blindfold myself and not share my weak lemon drink.

[Cuellar]

It's good because he went to spot a train called - get this - 'Dick Mabutt'

Which sounds rude. Ignore that this is a person that's probably never used the word 'butt' in his life, ignore that.

[sovietrussia]

Damon Albarn meets Bob Grant.

[The Mollusk]

this is a person that's probably never used the word 'butt' in his life, ignore that.

Well he's British so why would he

[Zetetic]

Would it better to fall off your chair and under a train as a child, rather than grow old and unloved?

That's not really for me to say.

[purlieu]

If this was some middle aged bloke in an anorak doing trainspotting videos, nobody would care. But he's young and does a laugh so he's a legend.

Really, I do think he's great, his train videos are genuinely joyous and although I stopped following him when his Instagram just turned into footage of him riding a scooter to some Gucci event or something, fair fucks, I'd probably have done the same if I was him. But I think a lot of the attention is on the fact that he's not a 'conventional' trainspotter. I bet a lot of people who follow his social media would still sneer at the old blokes you normally see on the ends of platforms.

Also I've been trainspotting for years and nobody thinks I'm cool because of it. :'(

[Sebastian Cobb]

If this was some middle aged bloke in an anorak doing trainspotting videos, nobody would care.

I dunno, Jago Hazzard's youtube videos on the underground and london train stations (and sometimes failed social planning ideas like Thamesmead and some of the estates) is quite good.

[Psybro]

There was the suggestion he may be a character.  I'm not sure.  Doing short form stuff on Insta and TikTok would make it easier to do it to such a high quality, but if he's now having to do it every time he goes out in public then it's amazing work.

[Cuellar]

Well he's British so why would he

Exactly. Exactly.

Is 'Dick Mabutt' funny to a British person? Not really because we don't say 'butt'. We get it, but it's not funny.

This guy's made a career off it! The name 'Dick Mabutt'! Is that good? No one could possibly say it was good.

His name's not even Francis Bourgeois!

[Goldentony]

Fuck Buttons

bin him, cant be trusted