In the film, a boy falls on the track and loses his leg to an oncoming train. You need to read hopping freight trains in america by duffy littlejohn. This is especially so if one is doing this while intoxicated, overtired or in bad physical shape. He should have concentrated a lot more on the very real dangers and hazards of trainhoppingnot the trains or the rails themselves, but the sketchy ass thugs, convicts, drug addicts and criminals out riding trains, as well as the dangerousasfuck people who live in the areas around where most train yards are, and where most trains terminate. Rob hoffman in 2003, mike brodie, aged 18, left home to hop freight trains across the usa. The hobo and his history, kenneth allsop explains that before the crash, the railroads had ignored the men hitching free rides on freight trains, figuring the manpower going to timber or mining companies would only help their cargo grow. Wayne iversons hobo sapien surpasses other hobo books with an incomparable blending of death defying escapades. He was unshaven and carrying a box of crushed miller lite cans. Trainhopping is an activity infused with history and mystique, immortalized in literature and song steinbeck, london, kerouac, guthrie, ellington, etc. Its very specific, including a catalog of all the common types of rolling stock train cars, etc, which to prefer and which to avoid. Generation of young people hopping americas trains photos. Littlejohns book is an ideal gateway into the world of freight hopping. Quintana and i congratulated ourselves before we had even crossed the seattle city limit. It suggests some ways the hard times of the 1930s affected young people and left their mark on them as adults.
The unromantic, deadly truth of life on americas railway lines. The most comprehensive instruction on freight hopping by far. Duffy littlejohn books biography and list of works. Mario tama getty images file hopping trains gives you this really fierce sense of. Freight train hopping america full documentary 2018. Theres a reason hopping freights is illegal, but it was an amazing way to see this country. Cresswell, tim, tramp in america, reaktion books ltd. Hopping freight trains with the dirty kids by rena silverman mar. Nobody wants to buy a book about how fucked up trainhopping can be and it can be very fucked up so he took this its the last great american adventure, its like an extreme sport line. Jul 12, 2017 the trainhopping, nazifighting literary hero youve never heard of beyond the void he wrote books of poetry, won a chestful of medals, helped inspire pulp fiction and loved a good bathroom. I went down to dolton to scope out the freight yard, bought gloves and earplugs, and basically did as much planning as possible for a trip devoid of such luxuries as timetables, tickets, or legality. Nothing sounded better to me than jousting, battle reenactments and blacksmithing in the blue mountains to the west of sydney, so i. Theres a new generation of young people hopping americas trains photos.
In the united states, this became a common means of transportation following the american civil war as the railroads began pushing westward. Train hopping is a practice in which people board trains, typically freight trains, by stealth in order to hitch a free ride to the trains destination. Tyler gottlob, a veteran train hopper, began riding trains as a teenager in sacramento, california. Jun 21, 2014 a father passes the rules of the rails to his son writer ted conover once spent a year riding freight trains. Novelist duffy recounted his first experience hopping a freight train with veteran hoboes beargrease. This 18yearold hopped trains for 5 years and caught it.
Freighthopping is the act of surreptitiously boarding and riding a railroad freight car or trainhopping when referring to an unspecified kind of train. The unromantic, deadly truth of life spent freight train hopping america s railway lines. Hopping freight trains in america half price books marketplace. Train hopping, which became a common means of travel during the westward expansion of postcivil war america, is now a culture of its own, ruled by the allure of freedom and the transient lifestyle folk icon woody guthrie romanticized during the depression era.
Hopping freight trains in america 1993 edition open library. But even the recreational train hoppers have their own code there are books and. Its a good book, filled with very good information, however, littlejohn sugarcoats it way too much. Gottlob, who was associated with train hopping gang blood bound railroad, has seen firsthand the dangers associated with the culture. Originally from the state of maine in the usa, ani continues to travel with one eye on the platform. I even used the knowledge i gained from this book to travel by freight in mexico. A web site freight train riders of america is based on american f.
While some of books in the bibliography are currently out of print, it is still a useful resource for people interesting in learning more background history about freight. Hopping freight trains in america book by duffy littlejohn. Hopping freights became so common that in 1933 warner brothers studio at the time run by nebraska darryl f. Duffy littlejohn information for riding the rails, from 100 rules of the road to common misconceptions.
Freight train hopping a form of travel that is equal parts illegal and romantic is thought of by most to be a dead means of transport that belonged exclusively to the early part of the 20th century. Freight trains wait on railroad tracks with the city skyline in the distance on may 15, 2015 in new orleans. The freight train riders of america ftra is a supposed group of americans who move about by freight hopping catching out in railroad cars, particularly in the northwestern united states and southwestern canada, and have sometimes been linked to crimes and train derailments. Amand is truly a modern day hobo, hopping freight trains, stealing rides on passenger trains, and hitchhiking all over this earth. Buy hopping freight trains in america by littlejohn, duffy isbn. In the united states, this became a common means of transportation following the american civil war as the railroads began pushing westward, especially among migrant workers who became known. I bought duffy littlejohns book, hopping freight trains in america, and read it through in two days.
Jun, 2017 a young traveler from russia named illya bondarev trainhopping across the usa on freight trains. On digihitch they arent allowed to post howto information on train hopping but just post a message saying you are a first timer and you would like some info and plenty of people will message you. Duffy littlejohn is the author of books such as hopping freight trains in america. Squat the planet is the worlds largest social network for misfit travelers. Train hopping 101 covers freight train hopping safety, tips, tricks and information on freight train hopping around america. Buy a cheap copy of hopping freight trains in america book by duffy littlejohn.
Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. There were a lot of tricks to hopping a train safely. Hopping freight trains in america by duffy littlejohn. Hopping freight trains in america book daniel boone. Sociologist nels anderson wrote about them in his groundbreaking 1923 book the. How to hop a freight train freighttrain travel hobo. Freight train hopping tao and zen by wayne iverson, sunset limited. There is also a book by duffy littlejohn called hopping freight trains in america that is basically a howto from a very knowledgeable person. Hopping freight trains with the dirty kids the new york times. Hopping freight trains in america by duffy littlejohn, 1993, sand river press edition, in. Hopping freight trains in america 1993 edition open. It has been around for about as long as trains have, with documented instances of people hopping trains to get home after the conclusion of the civil war in the united states, suggesting that. Hopping freight trains in america has 1 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace.
Jul 31, 2010 hopping freight trains in america by duffy littlejohn, 1993, sand river press edition, in english. In the united states, this became a common means of transportation following the american civil war as the railroads began pushing westward, especially among migrant workers who became known as hobos. Children of the great depression this essay provides historical perspective on the social, political, and economic circumstances of the great depression. Train hopping, sometimes referred to as freight hopping, is against the. The unromantic, deadly truth of life spent freight train hopping americas railway lines. I met a man outside of our cafe in south deerfield named rapid t. Dec 19, 2012 but why would people risk their lives hitching a ride on a freight train today. Duffy littlejohn has a very clear and concise writing style, and the book makes for an easy readwhether reading from front to. Brodie paul schiektbw books mike brodie began trainhopping in. This book provides a thorough breakdown of what a person needs to do to hop a freight train and minimize the risk of harm in the process.
I found it when i was living in a dirty punk house in portland in a pile of books left behind. Same with mike brodies aka polaroid kidd photographs. It is otherwise every easy to get seriously injured. At the height of the great depression, more than a quarter million teenagers were living on the road in america, many crisscrossing the country by illegally hopping freight trains. Hopping freight trains in america book, 1993 get this from a library.
While some of books in the bibliography are currently out of print, it is still a useful resource for people interesting in learning more background history about freight hopping. Hopping freight trains in america is it actually that. I rode freight trains a lot a few years ago and might again if i ever have free time. How to hop a freight train freighttrain travel hobo ask. Its a little bit of train hopping how to, a little bit of history of hobo culture, a little bit of the thrill of riding freight trains, a little bit of safety, a little bit of i found it when i was living in a dirty punk house in portland in a pile of books left behind by someone who probably hadnt lived there for many years. Hopping freight trains with the dirty kids the new york. Not that im against train hopping i have a copy of the book signed by the author, but just make sure you are very smart and safe about it if you are going to do it or do like me and make friends with local train crew and have them sneak you aboard to ride along with them safe in the cab. Broad daylight, we hopped a southbound train and mr. During the depression, though, railroads cracked down on rail riders. Includes both early and current maps, photos, and illustrations, and plenty of advice for the explorer planning his or her own journey of discovery. The best strategies for jumping on a train, from 1900s. Ive read and researched a lot about freight hopping, and i found his book to be far and away the best. While the glory days of freight trains have long passed in america, there remains a loyal contingent of hobos and wannabes. Homeless hobos, immigrant workers, mostly from south america.
Hobo living freight train hopping in america freighthopping. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Hopping trains in australia it was late summer in the southern hemisphere and i had been traveling in australia for only two weeks when a friend told me about ironfest. Besides the conductor and some hoboes, you dont see any signs of life for.
Duffy also provides a list of almost 50 books and periodicals for the serious rail fan. Hopping freight trains in america by duffy littlejohn goodreads. Modern day train hoppers uploaded by adam sine youtube. For shorty and her whitehaired hobo friends, hopping trains is one of the last great traveling adventures. He tells you what sort of clothing is best dark, and wear gloves, why its easier to hop a freight in rural areas than in cities, why its hard to find a train on sundays. To prepare, they carried a copy of the howto manual, hopping freight trains in america, a cult classic for train enthusiasts and wouldbe hobos.
The trainhopping, nazifighting literary hero youve never. A basic guide to railroad crewchange points and jumping freight trains in north america, by paul g. Dusty was heading south through central america, hopping freight trains for transportation and ended up here because thats just. Mike brodies new work, a period of juvenile prosperity is a glimpse into the roughly 10 years brodie spent hopping freight trains beginning in 2002, brodie covered 50,000 miles and 46. Its commonly referred to as the bible on the subject, author duffy littlejohn said. Mar 14, 2003 but riding the rails is dangerous, they said. Without sounding like captain obvious here, lets be clear, train hopping could get you killed or dismembered. You are made of soft, breakable stuff, while railroad equipment is made of very hard, very heavy stuff. Four people were arrested in the slaying of 19yearold john paul alpert, whose body was found by a fisherman may 15, 20, on the banks of dry creek, near the roseville railyards. Train hopping, sometimes referred to as freight hopping, is against the law in all us states. If you jump on the train or jump off you are risking your life.
Be the first to ask a question about hopping freight trains in america. Hopping freights is not only dangerous, its illegal, littlejohn says, but he loves the adventurousness of it and the startling view of the country it gives. Whether he is hopping freight trains, searching for secret cities, or just dealing with the daily problems, of food, money, and romance, the author keeps the reader spellbound. Zanuck produced a film called wild boys of the road to try to scare young people away from riding the rails. Join our community of doityourself nomads and learn how to explore the world. Rapid t rides the rails on freight trains as a hobo around the eastern us. Mar 08, 2016 hopping freight trains with the dirty kids by rena silverman mar.
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