Thinking of riding the rails, like in the movies

I am sad and just sick of the hustle and bustle. I want to just run and catch a trail and kind of stow away like the hobos did in those western movies. I envision long country type rides in hay filled open cars. I even have a harmonica. Anyone ever done this? I would love to hear your story

2 Cycle said:

I am sad and just sick of the hustle and bustle. I want to just run and catch a trail and kind of stow away like the hobos did in those western movies. I envision long country type rides in hay filled open cars. I even have a harmonica. Anyone ever done this? I would love to hear your story

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Calling @Aimless Ryan ! Have you seen some of his youtube vids on his cross America adventures!?

I have never been a stow away or hobo...but at 19 years old I backpacked Europe for about 4 weeks. Started in Amsterdam, then through Belgium and France to get to England. Then back through France to Spain and eventually ended my trip in Germany. I took the train everywhere so I saw plenty of the long rolling hills and beautiful countryside throughout Spain. The trains were often heavily packed in the northern countries but in Spain as we traveled South the trains got lighter. Some people would get really trashed before or on the train ride too. Saw a guy or two lose their dinner from not being able to handle their alcohol. Thats when you move trains.

Next weekend I am taking a train ride that I am pretty familiar with. Since I was 15 or 16 I have taken train rides every 1-5 years from DC's Union Station all the way to the middle of VT or the other way around. It's 12 hours roughly and it goes through a lot of cool countryside as well as through the rural areas of Philly, NY and a couple other northern states. You see a lot of graffiti as well as open fields and empty countryside. It takes me 12 hours to drive from my house to my VT destination, however by train I have 1-2 hour drive to Union Station and 3 hour drive through VT so almost 17 hours total travel time compared to 12 but I prefer it. Long drives used to be easy but now I get narcoleptic attacks while driving long diatances so its not idea. I also like being able to stand up and walk around when I want and go to the bathroom when I want without wasting time to stop. And theres even a snack bar. I remember when I was young we would go to the engineer car at the back of the train (this train always has one on both ends). It would be empty and had a window you could open. It was great for smoking on the train. I imagine vaping on a train will be even better!

When I was 7 I packed up my backpack with snacks and matches and such, even my robo cap-gun. My best friend and I ran away to the rail. We unpacked our stuff and started a lil campfire by the tracks. We were only there for 30-45 minutes and no train ever came, so we went back home. I guess we were bored or scared? Good luck!

If you are in the US, it ain't gonna happen, Sorry kid, those days are over.

I grew up riding the rails. Mostly the Eastern US. There were some dangers involved in those days but some simple precautions would keep you out of trouble most of the time.

However, today, they monitor the cars with cameras and crack heads are everywhere trying to kill you for the 10 cents in your pocket.

Like everything else in the world (and, certainly this country) the simplicity is gone. What you want to do is a distant fantasy in the 21st century.

I hitched from New York to Cali when I was 17 and that was a much better way to go if you have any social skills at all. Instead of fending for yourself on the rails, you stayed with friendly giving people much of the time.

I doubt hitching is a reality any longer either. Some perv will pick you up and twiddle your diddle.

It's a fucked up world and you were born too late. LOL

Today, it is simply called "going off grid". You can try that but.... damn, good luck. LOL

Go to a rail yard and watch industrial transportation at work, then head over to the closest transient shelter and spend the night. Then you will have a better idea if this really rocks your boat.

We used to ride them into town and back home! They were iron ore pellet trains so they could be really hot from fresh made pellets, it wasn’t the safest trying to jump on while they’re moving and sometimes you would get to the edge of our little “village” and the train would go away from town so you’d hop off and walk back home. It was always a gamble if it was gunna go the right way.

Railroads have always been a big part of my life, until I moved to a metro area. I almost went to work for the railroad. Guess I’d rather play with electricity instead.

@2 Cycle cool thread, be safe if you hop on the rail!

@nosmoking cool story! I’ve never been on a passenger train, just mine trains. Maybe I’ll try the city train or the north shore scenery train thing soon. Interesting stuff.

I would think there are safer ways to get that similar "leave it all behind" feeling for a while. You could section hike the Appalachian trial a short distance, or go to a some week-long folk festival where you can bum around in dirty clothes, get high with artsie fartsie people and then go home when you've gotten your fill. I'm not knocking it, actually it sounds kind of fun if you have the time.

Wow what a thread and sure hits home for me. I grew up in Rockford, Illinois in the late fifties and ran away a couple times as a youngin'. The first time me an my best friend hopped into an open boxcar as the train slowly started out. It was summer and a warm summer night as we both appreciated the ride. We didn't get far as the train stopped in Rochellle, Illinois less than 40 miles away. We were kinda standing around off the train around 7 in the morning. Sheriff pulls up and questions us then takes us to a small jail cell to wait for our parents. One thing I really remember is almost getting my leg cut off by some sort of railroad equipment or sign as I ran and climbed aboard the freight train.

A couple years later we hopped another freight train in the summer and it was a fine slow summer ride thru the countryside. After awhile we came into a stop out in the boonies and there were railroad cops checking boxcars. Apparently someone had reported us sitting in the doorway of the open boxcar. So all of a sudden we were confronted by a railroad cop and asked to come down from the doorway. Well the other door on the otherside was open as well and we both turned around and jumped out the otherside. We ran into a tree lined creek area. It was also thick with brush and scrub. As soon as I got into the creek I hugged the back and behind some trees and was completely silent. Soon I found that there were leeches around me. I stayed still for awhile. We were afraid as right after we took off a shot was fired but the cop never could find us and left after awhile. Eventually we made it to one of my buddie's relatives near "Palisades Park" near the Mississippi River. Ahhh those were the days of us "Young Whipper-Snappers". Later.

My brother in law book a US train trip from coast to coast and back all by himself. Its not quite the same but he always says how much he loved it and felt like he was in a different time/place imagining what it was like in the frontier days of westward expansion. He just loved getting to the midwest/west and stopping at little train-stop towns though the mountains/dessert. Also said the scenery was amazing - you just have to be not in a hurry.

I got something for you!


https://www.reddit.com/r/stims/comments/7mw1d2

How about traveling on cargo ships as either a paying passenger or a stowaway.

Just be sure to avoid the ships passing by Somalia.

Doesn't this look like fun?

Well here's a couple movies to watch that definitely pertain to this subject and they are all very good movies. Scarecrow, The Flim-Flam Man and my favorite, Emporer Of The North(With Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin. Then there's Boxcar Bertha and Bound For Glory. I think all of these can be found on iTunes. Sayonara.

When I read the thread title I thought you meant you want to do coke.

No, not coke. I drink Pepsi