Pfffffffffft Posted August 15, 2006 Share Posted August 15, 2006 the engines on both ends is obviously for power (pushing and pulling)..and for breaking on both ends.. but never heard of a caboose.. the caboose was behind the engine or in front? weird. im assuming that since a line is carrying a heavy load of coal...maybe 100 cars long at TONS of weight on each car..that a lot can go wrong.. especially since coal is mined from mountians.. but if you had an engine at both ends...why would you need the caboose? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaBar2 Posted August 15, 2006 Share Posted August 15, 2006 I just got a call from Stretch. He and Burl and Stray Cat Julie were laid up in a Iowa rail yard waiting for a train. Britt went well this year, although Stretch forgot to tell me who won King & Queen of Hobos. Stretch was crumb boss and did an excellent job, according to Flatcar Frank. They're headed up to Tramp Fest, in Portage, Wisconsin. Sure wish I could go, but I gotta work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaBar2 Posted August 15, 2006 Share Posted August 15, 2006 That picture of the guy standing on the couplers should be filed under "Darwin Awards." WHAT A FUCKING IDIOT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estaked Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 hey kabar i know this has been said a many time but i wanna thank you for all the info and wisdom you have dropped in this thread. I have learned so much about yards, layups and trains... so a big thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaBar2 Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 I know that a graffitti forum is kind of an odd place for a big thread on trainhopping, but it seems like it has been a pretty good fit. I worried a little at first that I might spark off a bunch of trainhopping runaways, but that doesn't seem to have happened. I try to tell it just like it is in terms that everybody can understand. It's not a horrible life, but it is a pretty hard one. Anybody that has ever read "Rolling Nowhere" probably understands that trainhopping as a lifestyle is pretty pointless. It's fun, and I love riding freights, but every time I catch out I am sick to death of it after about three weeks. I can't wait to get back home, and I tell myself "That's it--that's my last catch-out. I'm done riding trains." But after a couple of months I start missing it again, and I get disgruntled at my job, and I start wanting to go ride some trains and "live out." It kind of gets under youtr skin. That's the most dangerous thing about riding freight trains. It's hard to quit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tango 24 Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 graffiti and a life of vagrancy are too often played up in the media. i'm a pretty down to earth guy, sure, i break the law from time to time,but like you said about trainhopping, graffiti is also a lifestyle which is pretty pointless. this might be why so many people on this forum find this fascinating and your words insightful, i know that i have taken to heart some of the things you've said. i just want to say that you've also given me a bit of hope for my future, that i can turn things around. graffiti has caused a problems in my life, evictions, fines, bashings, but it's a compulsion for me like trainhopping is for you... and thanks for all the yard tips too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolling nowhere Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 pointless? says who? whats the point of doing anything at all? is it pointless because you might become some dirty bum and not some dude sitting around with a bunch of fancy shit in a fancy house or what? i need an explanation sir. how is it pointless? ps.. why is graffiti pointless also? thats fucking ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaBar2 Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 I suppose it depends on what value you want to put on various human endeavors. Utimately, our task on earth, our reason to exist, is to reproduce ourselves, or at least to generate offspring, so that the human race survives another generation. One could look at that statement and say, "Okay, fine. Once you're fathered a kid, or birthed a kid, your job is done and you might as well kill yourself." In order for the human race to survive, each couple must produce 2.1 children (the 0.1 kid is to make up for the ones that get killed by childhood diseases, skateboard accidents, leukemia, and shit like that) that live to adulthood. Any endeavor which does not lead to the propagation of the race is basically extraneous and could be dispensed with. The Sistine Chapel, Rollerderby, ping-pong, drag racing---all a waste of effort and resources. Pointless. At least with something like hanging out in bars one could make the rationale that one is frequenting the water hole, looking for a potential mate. By wearing nice-smelling aftershave, showering daily, buying a new outfit once in a while, choosing a new shade of lipstick, getting a haircut that the opposite sex finds attractive, polishing one's shoes, etc. etc., one is engaging in the courtship ritual, which eventually might lead to actual courtship, which eventually leads to divorce court, but that's another story. Riding freight trains doesn't enhance one's status in society much that I can see. (Trust me on this one.) I didn't ride freights just for transportation. It was a full-immersion subculture dip, for me, sort of like backbacking across the Serengeti just to see what's out there. I like the fact that I know I can survive anywhere, pretty much. But it didn't make me any money. And it didn't improve my lifestyle any. It certainly didn't win me any applause from the ladies. It didn't contribute to the betterment of mankind one bit. It was an unpleasant, dirty, extremely hot and extremely cold and extremely wet and uncomfortable, hungry, gritty, exhausting experience. The thing I can't figure out is why I can't just close the book on it and go live a nice comfortable, middle-class life, complete with no sleeping in the rain, no missed meals, no ear shattering train noises, no rude railroad employees telling me to beat it and no arrests for trespassing. It's pointless, but it's still fun. I guess it's fun because I have a choice. If I was dead broke and starving and HAD to dumpster-dive for chow, and HAD to catch out to get to another town, another place, another life, it would not be fun. It would suck. Is that an adequate explanation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tango 24 Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 pointless? says who? whats the point of doing anything at all? is it pointless because you might become some dirty bum and not some dude sitting around with a bunch of fancy shit in a fancy house or what? i need an explanation sir. how is it pointless? ps.. why is graffiti pointless also? thats fucking ridiculous. i was saying that there is no point to graffiti, but i still enjoy it. it's pointless because it doesnt make us better people, sometimes worse... graffiti won't put a meal on the table or clothes on your back, unless you get comissioned work but even then that money wont last long. i think that the statement graffiti is pointless is true. why do we do it? the fame? the only we fame we can actually get is within our own limited social network, and a little attention form the boys in blue... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolling nowhere Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 maybe it hasnt made YOU a better person..or people you know. but speak for yourself. its not pointless and if you cant understand why its not..well maybe youve been wasting a lot of time doing it in the first place. i guess everything that doesnt put a meal on the table is pointless... i do the things i do because i love it..whatever it might be. graffiti is just one thing..wouldnt that be a good point? i do this because i love it.... you said you enjoy it..but its pointless..how does that work? wouldnt the fun be the point of doing it? blah blah blah. words words words. you do what you do ill do what i do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolling nowhere Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 ps. kabar some ladies like stinky gentlemen who ride trains. hahaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolling nowhere Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 but you know that already.. ps im in houston if you wanna work on that roof sometime soon im down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tango 24 Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 i see your point of fun being the reason for doint it but is fun really worth a ten thousand dollar fine, eviction and being forced to crash in abandoned buildings or on mates floors. graffiti will do it to some people...people grow out of it for the majority those who stick with it become the eventual kings i'll stick with it no matter what, im just as much in love with graffiti as anyone here, its just that things happen which make you question why you do it. that kinda stuff been happening to me recently, i didn't mean to offend anyone much love Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolling nowhere Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 owwwwwwww! jail will make you question it all. to me thats like the point of no return..if you go down and come out and keep painting then youre not going to stop until its time to stop..if its ever time to stop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaBar2 Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 Stretch was crumb boss up at Britt this year. He got interviewed by the Britt newspaper. There was a good photo too, but after screwing around for fifteen minutes trying to post it on 12 Oz. I just gave up. Subject: Hobo Days story Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 10:03:01 -0500 From: "Britt Editor" <Britt.Editor@globegazette.com> To: <stretch122hotrail@yahoo.com> Hi there, Stretch! By ANGIE JOHANNSEN BRITT - For most hobos, actually riding the rails is just a unfulfilled dream.But for one seasoned traveler who just dropped his bindle in Britt, it's been a lifelong commitment to freedom.Stretch, who doesn't easily own up to any other name, is just one of more than 50 hobos who have arrived in Britt this week for the National Hobo Convention.He has a mission this year: become the next hobo king. While he waits for the cornonation ceremony Saturday afternoon, he'll campaign quietly. He also has some work to do down in the Hobo Jungle.They call his position the "crumb boss" and it's a title he accepts with pride. It means he's the kitchen manager at the campsite. He'll organize the dishwashing, the cooking, the clean up."I've spent a lot of years on the road; helping out at gatherings is my thing," Stretch says in his easygoing manner.His willingness to help the hobos and his experience on the road may give him an edge in the king competition."I'd really like to be the king," he said. "This is my family, I'm good at organizing and the best part would be getting to see so many people."The travel to promote Britt across the country - one of a king's royal duties - will be nothing new to Stretch. He's been on the road since the age of 17 when he took his first ride in a boxcar from his home in Salem, Mass. to Albany, NY. At 39, he has now traveled the rails in 48 states.He admits the ride does get lonely sometimes, but he keeps his dog, Burlington, close by his side. The two even share the tale of being arrested for riding freight trains in New York. The charges were dismissed against Stretch, but Burlington spent two weeks in a kennel.These are the tales that make the hobo convention the event that it has become.For 106 years, the hobos have been making their way to this small rural town. By train if lucky, but mostly by car, they come to set up camp in the hobo jungle. Their close bond with the Britt residents has made the gathering one huge family reunion.More than that, it has brought Britt its own share of fame. Each year, tourists come from all over the country - and usually from somewhere overseas - to film the event.But North Iowans can take a quick car drive to Britt for the week's festivities. The event is truly one-of-a-kind and has plenty to offer for just about everyone, says reigning National Hobo Queen Half Track.She wants people to come see the convention for themselves and fall in love with Britt the way she and her family have over the years."Being in Britt is like being home," she said. "This is like the hometown I always wanted to grow up in." <> Angie Johannsen Editor Britt News-Tribune 42 Center St. W. Britt, IA 50423 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaBar2 Posted August 27, 2006 Share Posted August 27, 2006 ANGIE JOHANNSEN & SCOTT HOLLAND, Of the News-Tribune; Posted online Aug. 15 Iowegian Rick and Miss Charlotte were named 2006 Hobo King and Queen at Saturday's coronation ceremony. (News-Tribune photo by Angie Johannsen) [oas:forestcitysummit.com/britt:Middle:1] Being a hobo isn’t all fun and games, although a lot of laughter makes the ride a little smoother. Such is always the case when the hobos come to town each August to celebrate the National Hobo Convention. Sure it’s a chance to catch up with old friends, raise some money for the new hobo museum and pay tribute to those who have “caught the westbound.” The event is also much more than that, as evidenced the number of townspeople who found their way to the Hobo Jungle, night after night. “It’s been a great week,” said Britt Mayor Jim Nelson, as he made his way around the jungle Sunday, saying goodbyes. “It was a really good convention; next year I’m going to have to take vacation so I can see more of it.” The hobos agree with the mayor who welcomes them home each year. “It was a wonderful time,” said Frog. “I can’t miss Britt, I have to come here every year. It’s the place I call my second home.” One of the highlight’s of this year’s convention came Saturday afternoon in City Park. After everyone had their fill of mulligan stew, several worthy hobo king and queen candidates made their pitches to reign as the 2006 royalty. After threatening to keep running for queen until she won, Miss Charlotte, of Amory, Mississippi, finally captured the title of Hobo Queen. She edged out good friends Crash and Lady Sonshine for the title. “I was going to keep coming and keep running until I won,’’ Miss Charlotte joked in her speech. “My husband (Loco Larry) and I have been hosting a hobo get-together in Amory, so it would nice to have the title of Hobo Queen to show off.’’ Capturing the title of Hobo King was Iowegian Rick, who may have to change his hobo moniker to the comeback kid. Iowegian was hospitalized Friday night after sustaining chest pains and breathing complications at the jungle due to dehydration. “I feel a lot better today,’’ Iowegian said before the ceremony began. “Just a little nervous.’’ Iowegian won in a run-off after tying in the first round of voting with Stretch, the 2006 Crumb Boss. “I’m just going to be who I am and keep dong what I’ve been doing,’’ Iowegian said. Both Iowegian and Miss Charlotte pledged to use their crown to help build the new Hobo Museum in Britt. “It’s a wonderful place and that’s why we keep coming back every year,’’ Miss Charlotte said. “Well, that, and I wanted to be queen.’’ The crowd of hobos and tramps who made their way to Britt this year was a mixture of new faces and longtime friends and travelers. Adolph Vandertie, also known as Hobo Whittler, “Grand Duke of Hobos,” made his way to Britt after a 16-year absence. The 95 year-old has one of the most extensive hobo and tramp art collections, which can be traced back to his grandfather, who had learned the arts as a prisoner of war during the Civil War. Hobo Whittler made his way to Britt accompanied by a film crew making a documentary on his life. The crew was surprised to see that Whittler isn’t the oldest hobo still on the trail to Britt. Slo Freight Ben, Whittler’s elder by a mere few months, also made a return trip. As a three-time hobo queen and crowd favorite, she was bestowed the title of “Queen Mum” of the hobos in a ceremony Friday. “I’m so honored to be here in Britt with my friends and family,” Slo Freight said. To the crowd’s delight at the jungle, it seemed a romance might have flourished between the Duke and Queen Mum. But Slo Freight was keeping quiet. “I have a new friend in Adolph; we’re going to keep in touch,” she said with a laugh and wink. At the other side of the jungle, the tramps made their camp. Playing music and learning the hobo way, they carved their own niche in the jungle. “You look at all the road kids this year who are new,’’ 2005 Hobo Queen Half Track said. “They have such a great attitude and have embraced the hobo spirit and lifestyle.’’ [/url] Click Here to View All Ads The traveling party returns Veterans memorial honors hobos, Britt Hobo Days offers a quick trip overseas A crowned jewel for Britt County gets drug kit My Side of the Story by Angie Johannsen, News Tribune Editor Short ready to take over as G-H/WH XC coach So far, so good WH volleyball, G-H/WH cross country begin practicing Hancock Co. Speedway results: August 11th Tiger cheerleaders find individual, team success at NCA summer camp Forest City Summit 105 South Clark Street Forest City, IA 50436 Copyright © 2006 Forest City Summit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oi Vei Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 kabar, i was wondering if you could drop some knowledge on hopping freights across the canadian border. are trains stopped at the border for inspection? is there some sort of mandatory screening process that bulls, border patrol, or railway authorities must conduct? if this question is too hot a topic, please ignore it. thanks very much, it's greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolling nowhere Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 hitch a ride across and get back on a train once your in canada. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milk Grenades Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 cool, this thread is still here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolling nowhere Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 trains and stuff... you knw.. like..ride em and stuff. choochoooooooooo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolling nowhere Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 this is how its done... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
south west Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 god thats stupid... please dont start your own thread again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolling nowhere Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 i know its stupid. sarcasm son. sarcasm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaBar2 Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 Rolling Nowhere---Have you been down to the jungle lately? Last time I was there, I found the addition to the hooch that Stretch and I added on had been knocked down and was in a big pile of 4x4's, 2x4's and roofing stuff. It was in the dark (I was delivering plywood scraps) and I couldn't tell if it had been destroyed by some idiot or whether it was storm damage. The interior of the nooch was not fucked up (so far as I could tell) so I'm thinking "storm damage." Gotta work this weekend, but gimme a shout one of these days, and we'll meet and sort it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolling nowhere Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 i was gonna try to head over there tonight as a matter of fact... too bad you have to work this weekend. im taking off again tuesday. 2 weeks in houston is 2 weeks too long.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolling nowhere Posted September 16, 2006 Share Posted September 16, 2006 pretty good pile of plywood you got there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony from Brooklyn Posted September 17, 2006 Share Posted September 17, 2006 Wow. I'm new to this board and never expected anything like this here. Just read the first two pages, and I have to say, when you have nothing to do it's enjoyable because it's something I will never experience for myself. I can never live like you Kabar, I'm just a domestic animal, I love my home too much to leave. I've never liked being far from the home, and usually, all my friends chill in my house, and I like it that way. Even when I go on vacation to places far safer (and nicer looking) than Brooklyn, I always have this anxious and nervous feeling in the back of my mind, like an animal out of its skin. Someone told me it's because I'm a cancer on the zodiac. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T_R_O_N Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 Wow. I'm new to this board and never expected anything like this here. Just read the first two pages, and I have to say, when you have nothing to do it's enjoyable because it's something I will never experience for myself. I can never live like you Kabar, I'm just a domestic animal, I love my home too much to leave. I've never liked being far from the home, and usually, all my friends chill in my house, and I like it that way. Even when I go on vacation to places far safer (and nicer looking) than Brooklyn, I always have this anxious and nervous feeling in the back of my mind, like an animal out of its skin. Someone told me it's because I'm a cancer on the zodiac. or you could be a gaping pussy, but you may be right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony from Brooklyn Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 or you could be a gaping pussy, but you may be right. Are you trying to accomplish something by throwing around insults? I guess I'm supposed to get angry, post a picture of myself with a gun, and say "you can get it too niggggggguh!!"? Let's make believe I did all that and call it a night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T_R_O_N Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 Are you trying to accomplish something by throwing around insults? I guess I'm supposed to get angry, post a picture of myself with a gun, and say "you can get it too niggggggguh!!"? Let's make believe I did all that and call it a night. no i wont be expecting that but :D if you do, just saying what i think, maybe i should rephrase, maybe your a wee bit scared, but you may be right :rolleyes: . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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