Hopping freight trains with the dirty kids the new york. About 10 years later, he doesnt hop trains and doesnt really photograph, either. Freight train hopping tao and zen by wayne iverson, sunset limited. Freighthopping in southeast georgia international freight hopping mature freight hopper seeks clue about meaning of life lets talk about freight hopping. Iverson has some good stories and philosophies to share, but he could have added much more of his truly unusual sense of humor to give the most enjoymet to the reader. Hobo sapien is a series of freight train parables born out of the authors twelveplus years riding freight trains, combined with lessons learned in. Freight train cars are not designed for human riders.
Freight hopping is a common phenomenon in many regions of russia, for example, in very far regions some passenger trains have a special freight flatcar for stowaways, and train conductors allow people to travel on these cars for free. Freight train hopping a form of travel that is equal parts illegal and romantic is thought of by most to be a dead means of transport that belonged exclusively to the early part of the 20th century. In 2003, mike brodie, aged 18, left home to hop freight trains across the usa. Railway renegades despite the real perils, trainhopping. If you are new to being homeless, i suggest starting out with hitchhiking, and later learning train hopping on the road from other train hoppers. Train hopping 101 freight train hopping brian cray. Train hopping is a lifestyle for homeless travelers. The train moves in a rainbow blur through tunnels, past cities, through day and through night, until it passes completely from view. Train hopping experiences, freight trains hopper or surfers, books, follow these train hoppers as they share their experiences while traveling by freight trains and hitching through our nations cities.
The stories about the freight train hopping were interesting, but there were just too many to enjoy to the fullest. Nothing can prepare you for hopping your first freight train. Nonfiction readers buy books to learn something, for reference, or to be entertained. Train hopping experiences, freight trains hoppers, hitchhiking. Hopping freight trains in america paperback 1 jul 1993. This 18yearold hopped trains for 5 years and caught it. Sprinting at full speed, i reached up for a handhold on the ladder at the end of the car, and at the last moment leaped to grab it with both hands and swing up, assuming all the while that james was doing the same thing on the next ladder. He has friends who have hopped freight trains in europe. Shuka kalantarikqed mike brodie has earned the nickname polaroid kidd by winning prestigious photography awards for his pictures documenting the lives of freight train hoppers across the united states. A hobo is primarily a worker, a field hand, who rides freight trains from one poor. Modern day train hoppers uploaded by adam sine youtube. Theres a green car carrying cattle, a purple boxcar with dry goods, and at the very front of the train, with churning wheels and a chimney smoking, is the mighty black steam engine. Elusive graffiti artist swampy captures the clandestine. If i wrote a book about this, i would have definitely put a section on hump yards, and even repair yards for that matter.
I even used the knowledge i gained from this book to travel by freight in mexico. Duffy littlejohn has a very clear and concise writing style, and the book makes for an easy readwhether reading from front to back or just. Trains, punks, pictures and books you maybe shouldnt read. Train hopping, or the act of getting on freight trains without permission and riding them from depot to depot, is illegal and dangerous.
Hopping freight trains with the dirty kids by rena silverman mar. I also read a few other chapters that were designed more for greenhorns or learning how to hop, and everything he said is absolutely accurate. How to hop a freight train freighttrain travel hobo. This calecott honor book features bright colors and bold shapes. Train hopping, hippies, book, stories from viet nam vets. The incident is recounted in his 1908 book the autobiography of a supertramp. Not only is this 354 page book the best introduction to catching out in print, its also great hilarious reading with many entertaining stories see excerpt below. But their slow freight trains go as fast as our fastest passenger trains. Explores the ontheground confusion and chaos of the vietnam war and its effects on a generation, and those who served. Freight hopping definition, the act of illegally and surreptitiously boarding and riding in or on a car of a freight train.
Trains go 90 miles an hour here, say, an amtrak train hauling freight goes about 10 or 20 miles per hour. I even made a documentary filmmaker order and read it before i let him on a train with me. He was traveling north of his native california when he ran into a trainhopping friend in portland, oregon, who suggested they hitch a. Freight train hopping in the usa whats the best way to catch out. Video pittsburg kansas to joplin missouri freight train hopping listen to stories about a man hopping trains in the glory days of the vagabond my first experience hopping freight trains.
There is a lot of resources out there including videos and forums do your research talk to legit peeps at a hop out near u like dude said and use common sense eh dont need another kid gettin chopped to pieces cause he didnt know what he was doing it makes it worse on everyone and also trust absolutely no one always keep an eye behind u even if u think theyre cool ur liable to get the shit. Hey all, im new here and new to freight hopping in general. Davies lost the lower part of his right leg after jumping a train at renfrew, ontario. I make youtube videos for fun, and lead people on mountain adventures for money and fun. I felt that my youtube intro video needed to be updated, so thats what ive done. After months of freighthopping around the west, i settled down to write a book. Train hopping 101 covers freight train hopping safety, tips, tricks and information on freight train hopping around america.
While i totally agree that hopping a train in todays society is absolutely horrifying and very dangerous, i do think there was a time in our country when decent people who were down on their luck were forced to hop the train. He showed me how yards work, how to identify different units, the. Hobo sapien is a series of freight train parables born out of the authors twelveplus years riding freight trains, combined with lessons learned in his sevenyear stint as a selfrealization fellowship monk, plus the added bonus of fascinating railroad history. Hopping freight trains in america by duffy littlejohn goodreads. Hippies, viet nam veteran, train hopping stories, testimonies, 1970s book featuring the adventures of space and hobo by ken birks. I think you could make a good movie or book with the train freight hopping experience at the core of it.
Hobo sapien is a collection of short stories about wayne iversons adventures catching out, or hopping freight trains. You need to read hopping freight trains in america by duffy littlejohn. Mike brodie is famous for his photos documenting his life train hopping across the united states. The academic who hopped a freight train to live and learn. Each chapter is filled with adventure, humor, many with railroad history and each ends with a morale that in many cases is really a deep spiritual truth. Almost all of the content or info i see online is regarding freight hopping in the usacanada. I ran alongside the moving freight train on a level platform.
He recently interviewed for a position as a mechanic with a railroad company. A quasilegal, fatherson mission to trainhop through the changing american west. Red caboose at the back, orange tank car, green cattle car, purple box car, black tender and a black steam engine. Mike brodiepaul schiektbw books mike brodie began trainhopping in 2002 at the age of 17 when he left.
We crouched in the bushes for thirtyeight hours before we finally caught a train. He was traveling north of his native california when he ran into a trainhopping friend in portland, oregon. I had hopped freight trains a lot, from this city, my hometown, thirtysome. For example, in most cases you are not allowed to get into a freight train. Duffy littlejohn has a very clear and concise writing style, and the book makes for an easy readwhether reading from front to back or just periodically paging through. Mike brodies new work, a period of juvenile prosperity is a glimpse into the roughly 10 years brodie spent hopping freight trains beginning in 2002, brodie covered 50,000 miles and 46. From the adventures of space and hobo book by ken birks. In simple, powerful words and vibrant illustrations, donald crews evokes the rolling wheels of that childhood favorite. The first time swampy hopped a freight train, he was 18. The portion of the book where dally tells jonny and pony boy to hop the 3. Id love to give it a go but i dont have the money to travel. I remember as a child hanging out by the tracks that went under the bridges through our town and seeing the freight train riders hopping on and off before the terminal so they did not get in trouble.
Its very specific, including a catalog of all the common types of rolling stock train cars, etc, which to prefer and which to avoid. This book provides a thorough breakdown of what a person needs to do to hop a freight train and minimize the risk of harm in the process. My fears of being caught by a railroad bull, falling asleep and. The picture show when he was 17, mike brodie hopped a train with a polaroid camera and a. Originally from the state of maine in the usa, ani continues to travel with one eye on the platform. Popular trains and hobos books goodreads share book. Amand is truly a modern day hobo, hopping freight trains, stealing rides on passenger trains, and hitchhiking all over this earth.
The penalty is whatever it is for trespassing and theft in your state. The book that recounts that experience, rolling nowhere, was. Furthermore, train hopping is not a weekend sport for thrillseekers. Buy a cheap copy of hopping freight trains in america book by duffy littlejohn. Hopping freight trains in america book by duffy littlejohn. The academic who hopped a freight train to live and learn with drifters. If you jump on the train or jump off you are risking your life. Hopping a freight train in the us is extremely dangerous. So, i was wondering is anyone doing it in the uk or europe. Ive read and researched a lot about freight hopping, and i found his book to be far and away the best. Finally i met a guy in the trainyard that had been hopping freight for 56 years.
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