A question for all the railroad men.

[Anonymous]

I met a man yesterday who told me he had just come into the Chicago area by hopping freights all the way from Seattle. I thought riding the rails was pretty much a thing of the past. Is it still a big problem for the railroads as it was during the depression?

[mudchicken]

Pop: Still a problem, just with different concerns.

- vandalism and theft of lading (Conrail boyz, taggers et. al.)
-safety: people trapped in railcars, containers, etc. (multiple fatalities, cases)
-safety: not some kid's playthings
-safety: stupid people tricks (rope & shopping cart, mower issues, JackAss stunts)
-illegal migration
-gang issues (hobos have some rather nasty, violent gangs...ask a railway cop)

[eolafan]

Not being a person employed by a railroad, just a lowly railfan, I still can't imagine riding in an unheated rail freight car all the way accross the upper US in this weather, and I also don't imagine the railroad "dicks" would take kindly to this. In all my 30 plus years of railfanning I have never seen a "hobo" on any train. Eolafan

[wcfan4ever]

I have seen "hobos'' riding an intermodel train through Rochelle this summer and last summer. They were just laying down on one of the ends of a well car as if out for a Sunday ride. Also, in my hometown of Manitowoc, WI, I have seen some kids riding the train all the way through town, but never got a chance to get off before the train got up to speed and left town.

[BaltACD]

Hobos are out there and there are active efforts to remove them for all the reasons that Scottdog enumerated.

As soon as one is spotted the nearest Local Authorities are notified of the ETA of a train containing Hobos at a specified point and their assistance is requested in apprehending and arresting the parties involved. Some times the efforts are successful and sometimes they aren't.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your answers. I'm amazed this still goes on, still, if Amtrak goes, I may have to revert to it myself.

[JoeKoh]

Pop
ill drive you myself.its far too dangerous to ride on a train.
stay safe
joe

[corwinda]

I've seen a few myself. Once spotted one in an empty boxcar on the local into Springfield OR. Bet he thought he was headed for California instead of just ten miles down the track.[:o)]

[Anonymous]

I used to work with a brakeman who used to 'bo in his youth. He'd ride til he needed some cash, then would hire out as a soda jerk for a while. Then it was off again. He'd hung around the railroad so much that when it was time to take root, he came to the RR. Of course, that was in a different country; different time. I wouldn't try that today. If they come at you, you're all alone in the middle of no where. BTW, he was a first-rate railroader [he did have the disconcerting habit of talking to the freight cars, "Well now, how did YOU get in this track?"]. Been retired for years and died in the late 80's.

[Anonymous]

Just recently on the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - Only available in Canada I think) there was a two hour special about the people who ride the rails from centeral america, through mexico into the states, and in some cases they ride the rails all the way to Canada. One fellow went from Honduras all the way to Nelson British Columbia! People trying to enter the US from Mexico by freight train is an ENORMOUS problem, the trains are litterally packed with people trying to get into the states.

The trains that runs from Mexico City into the Southern states are called the "Trains of Death" because so many people have died trying to get on. An old passenger station in one of the mexican cities was turned into a small hospital dealing with all the people that end up losing legs and arms to the train as it leaves the freight yard. Really a very sad story.

Not only are the trains themselves dangerous, but there are also gangs that consider the trains their teritory, stealing from the immigrants and injuring if not killing others.

Here's the link to the story on the CBCs website, it was a really good special...

http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/runforyourlife/index.html

[Anonymous]

I had a very enjoyable conversation in my first encounter with a hobo ( in Rock Hill, South Carolina ) . He was an affable man that was going in the wrong direction- he had been heading southbound but was wanting to go to Virginia. Being the helpful man that I am I pointed him in the right direction and recommended he ride a covered hopper ( one end has ample room for a person to lay comfortably- I have seen several of them with old mattresses left in them ). I never could be the hard-*** that the NS wanted its conductors to be. But I'm not a careless man either- I always packed a .38 snubbie when I was on duty. Most of the guys I worked with packed when on duty. If the NS had known this we'd all been fired. I can truthfully say I've never had a problem with hoboes. Let's talk about trainmasters sometime. All railroaders have good trainmaster stories to tell. Talk about lowlifes!

[CShaveRR]

We used to suggest that transient riders get off before we humped the cars. They'd walk away, and the gumshoes would get 'em.

I haven't seen any hoboes in years here...alive, that is! Two weeks ago I was arriving at work as the investigation by local and railroad police was winding down. Someone apparently got on a stack car with his bicycle somewhere out west (could have been almost anywhere the train may have stopped). They found him at Proviso, frozen to death (I didn't see him, either, thankfully). You wouldn't want to ride out in the open in the winter, with the wind chills that 70-mph operation might bring on.

[Mookie]

A few observations:

Skeets - I am glad you are still out there! The old engineer worked for the railroad until the early 80's. Used to find a lot of hobo's on the trains. Most of them just went about their business, but once in awhile, the old engineer would share his lunch with one. He always was on the lookout for someone with a story or two.

Baberuth73 - that is scary! I am not convinced that carrying any gun is safe. Texas will disagree with me, I am sure, but I just don't think I want to work with several people that I know are armed. And yes, I have handled a gun. It isn't the gun that worries me.

Also - while we are the more subdued and gentle people (yeah right) - did or do women ride the rails? Probably yes, but does anyone have any first hand experience.

[Anonymous]

Quite a few years back, I was firing a road turn. We relieved the crew on a hot west bound and took off. As the engineer was notching out, I walked through the three or four units of the consist to check everything out before we got up to speed. I walked into the third unit, and here's a young fellow sitting on a left-side seat; he's clean-cut and in slacks and a golf shirt. There's a small grip on the floor. "Who are you, and what are you doing on my engine?" He didn't stand up as he said, "Please, sir, I'm on my way home to Ohio. Can't I just ride here?" Well, I looked at him and thought about it for a bit. "Okay. But don't touch anything. And don't let that old man [the engineer] see you or he'll have a heart attack. And if any one catches you, I didn't see you." I did say something to the next crew about him; I didn't want them to think that I could miss finding a rider. As far as I know, they didn't throw him off either. {BTW, don't try this today. Like I said above, it's a different country; a different world.}

[wabash1]

One day we found a black man hiding on a engine ( it was part of a pick up we had to make) he said that he was going thru a divorce and just wanted to get away he knew where this train went and ask if he could just ride, he said he wanted no trouble just a ride. we all agreed to let him ride and also found out that this guy hadnt had anything to eat. we gave him part of are food and drinks then he slept for the next 7 hrs and let him off outside of town. where he wanted to go . he was thankful . Just his attitude and the kindness he presented was enough. if he would have been rude he never would have gotten a ride. I have found drunks on my train before and they was arrested promptly.

[Mookie]

I know the rules are pretty strict - as they should be. But a bend once in awhile warms the heart.

Mook

[cherokee woman]

I totally agree, Mookie.

With the terrorist threats all over the world these days, who's to say some wouldn't think they could pretend to be hobos getting on a freight train and try to do something totally horrible and reprehensible?