As a young lad (15-16) I have hopped a couple of freights I was lucky! Most are not, Yes it was dumb and I knew better. I have worked in ER and the Railroad so I know first hand the results of such actions, I wish I didn't. The word stuiped comes to mind for anyone who even thinks of hopping a train. The best you can do is lock off the cars and try to get to them before they take that leap. To glorify any such actions is compleatly reckless and criminal. In the depression bo's did it because they had to, This still goes on to this very day more than most people know. Deep Six the site.
Watash, I do not think that such a hot idea. People that contemplate such actions do not read this site, you would just be preaching to the choir. Then again there are some of us that could use the reminder. Like a railfan under the cars as we are getting ready to pull out. Luckly I saw him and stopped the train, Pulled him out and read him the riot act. The blank look on his face said it all, No clue of where he was or what he was doing just had to have that picture of the brake rigging. Very unsetteling for anyone working on the railroad.
I don't train hop; it is dangerous. However, during the early twentieth century, tens of thousands of individuals rode the rails to work. Trains may travel at faster speeds now, but most tramps caught the "side-door pullman" while it was stopped in the yard. Playing around trains and getting inside parked cars are two different things. There was an art, skill, and learned collective knowledge to hopping trains that is probably largely gone. I have another post related to this question. I'd love to hear any new or old stories about trainhopping you might have. http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=83479
I admit, I was was one of those fools as a kid a couple times. Me and a couple other guys use to ride our horses down the 4 miles to an old stone arch RR tressel, next to the PRR bridge on Mill Creek and camp some times [great fishing hole by there]. Some times there'd be a hobo or two round there also. We make a pot of stew and listen to their stories bout hoping trains and such. After a while, me and and one of the guys decide to try it and hope a west bound [stopped on a passing track]. We were off on a great ride, till we got to thinking, we had no idea where we were going or when it would stop again. As luck would have it, it stop 40 mile down the track, so we call my buddy's brother to come n get us. Cost me 2 days hay baling money, never done it again. I now live bout 2 mile west of that old tressel and I can see the tracks. Every so often I'll still see some one riding the rail and wondering where their off to, and glad it's not me inch
