Originally posted by TheAntiGates Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply techguy57 Member sinceAugust 2003 From: NW Chicago 591 posts Posted by techguy57 on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 10:15 AM AG- I'd seen this documentary before but caught some of it again last night. I'm unsure myself as to the truth of the notoriety of the group but there seems to be some decent documentation as to the existence of the group. Still, the "hobo" life would lend itself to those who might be running from the law and the occurrences that are referred to in the documentary while perturbing are actually within the scope of reality. I mean Dahmer lived an in a pretty well populated area of Milwaukee and managed to keep his disgusting habits secret for quite awhile. Does it mean that every member is a criminal? Highly unlikely. It seems that the cops in Spokane got the main culprit, Robert Silveria, but it doesn't mean there can't or won't be others. Still I think there is a lot of hidden information on the topic. It definitely is interesting if nothing else. Here are some interesting links about the FTRA courtesy of Google: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freight_Train_Riders_of_America http://www.truecrimeink.com/csoon006.htm http://www.northbankfred.com/two.htmlhttp://www.mainchance.org/upward/read/october2002/train.html http://milepost1147.2.railfan.net/pages/stories/Article009.html Also, ironically there is a band that goes by the same name. A lot of people don't believe there is anything to the story, these guys are just an urban legend. I don't know for certain myself as I've never been train hopping (and never plan to) nor have I had any encounters with any FTRA members. Still I'm reminded of the line from the Usual Suspects: "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist." I'd love to hear other's thoughts on this, too. Mike techguy "Beware the lollipop of mediocrity. Lick it once and you suck forever." - Anonymous Reply CSSHEGEWISCH Member sinceMarch 2016 From: Burbank IL (near Clearing) 13,540 posts Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 10:08 AM Most of this goes back to the so-called romanticism of "riding the rails" in the past, which was never what it's made out to be. Nostalgia ain't what it used to be. The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 10:02 AM FTRA made headlines ten or so years ago when there was a surge in yuppie hoboes who were putting themselves at risk by taking their laptops and sleeping bags along for a whimsical freight train ride. Special agents and law enforcement in general warned these naive folks that there were very bad and dangerous people riding the rails now, much worse than the 'boes of folklore and cinema. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Freight Train Riders of America Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 9:20 AM I was watching a documentary on cable last night about this group, and was first and foremost fascinated by the (claimed) notoriety of a group I had never even heard of before. Many on the show were trying to give the group credit for being a "hobo mafia" of sorts, having a misty back bone of origanization sufficient that planned executions are commissioned and carried out. While others, noteably a higher up with Union Pacific's internal police seemed to think they were more along the lines of gossipy wino's with vivid imaginations and over inflated ego's. What do ya'll think about this group? Is this where the "Trainfinder22's" and the "Kissmycaboose's" come from? Or is this group really as heavy duty as the folks trying to sell their books make them out to be? Reply Edit 123 Join our Community! Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account. Login » Register » Search the Community Newsletter Sign-Up By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy More great sites from Kalmbach Media Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy
Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub
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