I’m an X-ray certified stainless pipe welder and have been for nearly 18 years. I’m 36. I’ve worked chemical plants, power plants, nuclear plants, refineries, food and beverage plants and everything in between. I’ve worked every corner of this county and have felt the sharp teeth hiding under our Red, white and blue. This country is beautiful, but it is also a very deep and dark place. I don’t fly or drive to my jobs, I hitch, take a bus if I can afford it at the time or whatever means I have. I make good money, so I only work about 5 months of shutdowns collectively every year, if that. I’ll stay somewhere around the job. Most have woods around I can camp in. Work 12hrs, retreat to the woods. 7 days a week if you don’t know what a shutdown is. All this time I watch the trains go by. I’ve met many on the road that have tried to get me to hop with em but I never did it. Now I’m studying rail routes, locomotive units, car types, and everything else I can. I’m 100% sober and in decent shape, and have thought of doing this since before I could drive. Time to take the plunge. But would never dream I could get what I’m looking for from anyone on the internet. I can feel the pride and respect of tradition that you omit, it’s addictive. Probably not what you want to hear, but I’ll be out there soon. Seen all the pavement, now it’s time for rails.
If you’re clever and you’ve got balls, you’ll figure it out. You’re already used to heat, hard work, and living outside. That’s much of the life, really.
When I was much younger, I was repairing a fireplace and needed a piece of sheet metal cut to a specific size, so I went down to the local metal shop and placed my order. While I was waiting for my piece to be sheared, I was watching the guys work out on the shop floor and thought how cool it would be to know how to weld. So when I was paying for the work, I asked the guy helping me how one learns how to weld. He said "By first learning how to clean, I need a shop bit*h. You interested?" In fact I was, it took the better part of six months, just getting to know the guys, before they would let me strike my first arc. And that's how I learned how to weld.
This is a common annoyance with veterans of any craft or lifestyle. A newbie that wants all the info before actually physically doing the "thing" he is setting out to try to do. Hopping one train for example yourself is a hell of alot more better info than asking thousands of questions or reading books about it.
I think another thing that you have covered very well and so did Slap and Blackjack is that you need to be a good hiker, backpacker and outdoorsman to be able to ride freight trains. You have to able to learn to sleep outside in the hot and cold, learn to be resourceful and stealthy. Learn to move quickly with a heavy pack. So lots of freight riding is similar to primitive backpacking and camping.
rode my first few trains down south from philadelphia to georgia a couple weeks ago, i learned so much about train & yard patterns just from diving in head first & just doing it. If you’re not willing to go out & try & teach yourself you shouldn’t be asking such questions.
I have seen another rider Slap and BlackJack answer the question EXACTLY like you did. Hobo Shoestring said it took him years of screwing up and getting on the wrong train and learning where they go over 10-15 years.
I think some people are just curious. I will never hop a freight train but the idea intrigues me and I enjoy watching videos about the subject. Hard to fathom that someone would get on a train not knowing where it’s going. Especially for someone that’s never just roamed around without cause.
It’s understandable one one level. But it’s pretty obviously a question with a long answer. People just drop a big ol’ question like that and then essentially walk away. And I believe in a certain amount of gatekeeping, because this isn’t just a pastime, but a culture. Too many people on the rails with no sense of how their actions impact the rest of us, and the thing I’ll be doing with some regularity for the rest of my life is more difficult than it needs to be. So a few people can be tourists. I’ll be making a video about gatekeeping soon, since it’s an important topic in this situation and others.
This is not to sound whiny or be entitled in any way. I really understood your point in this video and i respect it. As someone who has never rode a train before but wants to, i have done extensive amounts of research. Pretty much searched the internet for any piece of information that i could find. But as you say, there is only so much information to be found, the rest lies in experience. The reason that i think most "noobs" like myself ask these types of questions, is because this is a dangerous activity. Of course most are aware of that, but throwing yourself into something very dangerous without knowing as much as possible, just because thats the way to learn, is probably not very appealing. Also being from europe doesnt really help. We dont have a large community here, and its very hard to find and talk to experienced hoppers.
I get it. And Europe is very different. The US has a culture of train riders. It’s possible here to find someone in real life to show you the ropes. What I encounter often, though, is people who want to get all the hard earned knowledge of others and skip the part where you participate in the existing culture at all. It’s extremely selfish. When I started doing this, I wasn’t like a lot of the other riders because I’m dead sober. There was a VERY small set of straight edge or otherwise sober riders, and I didn’t find them until some time later. The new breed of RUclips risk-taking riders, to my mind, is no different than the oogles of 10-20 years ago, in terms of the basic nihilism and selfishness. A goal of this channel has been to counteract that.
I'm not interested in riding trains. I love reading and seeing videos about the culture. I was little girl while watching "Emperor of the North". I was hooked! I've always wondered how you know which train to catch if you wanted to go to a certain place. There are those of us out there generally interested in your knowledge. Anyway, new subscriber here!
It takes a unique person to ride the rails. Shoestring did for over 30 years and learned by his mistakes. One thing he did say is a person has to deal with boredom and patience waiting on a train. I truly think a person asking that is looking for the easy way to do it and not wanting really to learn the experience. It is a hard life but sometimes the so far and few stretches may render a reward. It is a sad lonely life and your right it is illegal.
If you’ve got friends around the country, are on a mission, or are just really good at being alone, it’s not sad and lonely any more than life in general is. I read a lot, at home or on the road. Usually if I’m traveling it’s to see people I’ve known for a long time or to accomplish some other task. Last time I rode freight it was to see a friend and make some swords with him. And I believe the ability to be alone for stretches of time is fundamental for people to really know themselves. Escape into discomfort.
Has production for your brass necklaces stopped indefinitely or is it just on haitus? Been thinking about picking one up. Great to see you making videos again.
I’ve got a number of them in inventory right now and was going to list them tomorrow, but updated the listing just now instead. Thanks for the interest. I’ll have more inventory for other items soon.
@@PitchBlackForge Excellent! Do you combine shipping to Canada? I'm wondering if it might be better to wait a while until more of your stuff is in stock if that's the case. I've also been looking at your D20 tool, a stash bracelet and a key keeper.
Hmmmmmmm. The term "jabroni" was used so I am wondering if you are a wrestling fan? If so did you ever get to visit the Pro Wrestling hall of fame in Wichita Falls, Tx? New sub and I am digging your content. Take care!
I grew up watching wrestling in the 80s at my cousin’s house. So I just have fond memories of that. Mostly I like the old promos. I never went to a live pro wrestling event, unfortunately.
@@PitchBlackForge 80's Wrestling was the best----especially for the promos. I hope you get a chance to check out a live event sometime. It is a ton of fun!
I’ve been asked “how did you do that” when showing an axe I made. The answer was “carefully.” People either love that or hate it. Wheat from the chaff.
@@PitchBlackForge If so called mentors cannot share their information inside the internet you're essentially asking for future tradesmen to somehow be lucky enough to be born in a town with a large unground community or get lucky enough to meet someone who is willing to *maybe* let you inside this secret world. huh?
@@MR.JohnSourDoeI love how people who don’t do a thing want to dictate to those who do, how it should be done. You’ve got it backwards. Now go back to being an anonymous non-contributor .
Absolutely. I’ve got a small piece of his (some scrap steel with paint marker letters) from a friend who knows him. Some Tex Goth and Lamps stuff as well through another friend in the moniker scene.
"The barrier to entry is EFFORT" is a lesson that many people need to learn.
I’m an X-ray certified stainless pipe welder and have been for nearly 18 years. I’m 36. I’ve worked chemical plants, power plants, nuclear plants, refineries, food and beverage plants and everything in between. I’ve worked every corner of this county and have felt the sharp teeth hiding under our Red, white and blue. This country is beautiful, but it is also a very deep and dark place. I don’t fly or drive to my jobs, I hitch, take a bus if I can afford it at the time or whatever means I have. I make good money, so I only work about 5 months of shutdowns collectively every year, if that. I’ll stay somewhere around the job. Most have woods around I can camp in. Work 12hrs, retreat to the woods. 7 days a week if you don’t know what a shutdown is. All this time I watch the trains go by. I’ve met many on the road that have tried to get me to hop with em but I never did it. Now I’m studying rail routes, locomotive units, car types, and everything else I can. I’m 100% sober and in decent shape, and have thought of doing this since before I could drive. Time to take the plunge. But would never dream I could get what I’m looking for from anyone on the internet. I can feel the pride and respect of tradition that you omit, it’s addictive. Probably not what you want to hear, but I’ll be out there soon. Seen all the pavement, now it’s time for rails.
If you’re clever and you’ve got balls, you’ll figure it out. You’re already used to heat, hard work, and living outside. That’s much of the life, really.
When I was much younger, I was repairing a fireplace and needed a piece of sheet metal cut to a specific size, so I went down to the local metal shop and placed my order. While I was waiting for my piece to be sheared, I was watching the guys work out on the shop floor and thought how cool it would be to know how to weld. So when I was paying for the work, I asked the guy helping me how one learns how to weld. He said "By first learning how to clean, I need a shop bit*h. You interested?" In fact I was, it took the better part of six months, just getting to know the guys, before they would let me strike my first arc. And that's how I learned how to weld.
THIS IS THE WAY
I like the honesty and unfiltered and honest comments, 100% correct in what you said.
This is a common annoyance with veterans of any craft or lifestyle. A newbie that wants all the info before actually physically doing the "thing" he is setting out to try to do. Hopping one train for example yourself is a hell of alot more better info than asking thousands of questions or reading books about it.
I think another thing that you have covered very well and so did Slap and Blackjack is that you need to be a good hiker, backpacker and outdoorsman to be able to ride freight trains. You have to able to learn to sleep outside in the hot and cold, learn to be resourceful and stealthy. Learn to move quickly with a heavy pack. So lots of freight riding is similar to primitive backpacking and camping.
rode my first few trains down south from philadelphia to georgia a couple weeks ago, i learned so much about train & yard patterns just from diving in head first & just doing it. If you’re not willing to go out & try & teach yourself you shouldn’t be asking such questions.
I have seen another rider Slap and BlackJack answer the question EXACTLY like you did. Hobo Shoestring said it took him years of screwing up and getting on the wrong train and learning where they go over 10-15 years.
RIP Hobo Shoestring.
I think some people are just curious. I will never hop a freight train but the idea intrigues me and I enjoy watching videos about the subject. Hard to fathom that someone would get on a train not knowing where it’s going. Especially for someone that’s never just roamed around without cause.
It’s understandable one one level. But it’s pretty obviously a question with a long answer. People just drop a big ol’ question like that and then essentially walk away. And I believe in a certain amount of gatekeeping, because this isn’t just a pastime, but a culture. Too many people on the rails with no sense of how their actions impact the rest of us, and the thing I’ll be doing with some regularity for the rest of my life is more difficult than it needs to be. So a few people can be tourists. I’ll be making a video about gatekeeping soon, since it’s an important topic in this situation and others.
This is not to sound whiny or be entitled in any way. I really understood your point in this video and i respect it.
As someone who has never rode a train before but wants to, i have done extensive amounts of research. Pretty much searched the internet for any piece of information that i could find. But as you say, there is only so much information to be found, the rest lies in experience. The reason that i think most "noobs" like myself ask these types of questions, is because this is a dangerous activity. Of course most are aware of that, but throwing yourself into something very dangerous without knowing as much as possible, just because thats the way to learn, is probably not very appealing.
Also being from europe doesnt really help. We dont have a large community here, and its very hard to find and talk to experienced hoppers.
I get it. And Europe is very different. The US has a culture of train riders. It’s possible here to find someone in real life to show you the ropes. What I encounter often, though, is people who want to get all the hard earned knowledge of others and skip the part where you participate in the existing culture at all. It’s extremely selfish.
When I started doing this, I wasn’t like a lot of the other riders because I’m dead sober. There was a VERY small set of straight edge or otherwise sober riders, and I didn’t find them until some time later. The new breed of RUclips risk-taking riders, to my mind, is no different than the oogles of 10-20 years ago, in terms of the basic nihilism and selfishness. A goal of this channel has been to counteract that.
I'm not interested in riding trains. I love reading and seeing videos about the culture. I was little girl while watching "Emperor of the North". I was hooked!
I've always wondered how you know which train to catch if you wanted to go to a certain place.
There are those of us out there generally interested in your knowledge.
Anyway, new subscriber here!
100% ! BTW - Great to see you posting again. Best wishes.
I've been riding for thirteen years I won't ever give out to much info I don't ever want to feel responsible for getting someone killed
Solid.
It takes a unique person to ride the rails. Shoestring did for over 30 years and learned by his mistakes. One thing he did say is a person has to deal with boredom and patience waiting on a train. I truly think a person asking that is looking for the easy way to do it and not wanting really to learn the experience. It is a hard life but sometimes the so far and few stretches may render a reward. It is a sad lonely life and your right it is illegal.
If you’ve got friends around the country, are on a mission, or are just really good at being alone, it’s not sad and lonely any more than life in general is. I read a lot, at home or on the road. Usually if I’m traveling it’s to see people I’ve known for a long time or to accomplish some other task. Last time I rode freight it was to see a friend and make some swords with him. And I believe the ability to be alone for stretches of time is fundamental for people to really know themselves. Escape into discomfort.
Well said..
I could write an essay about now but one word...
This!
There are three phases in learning anything:
Know it. Do it Accept it.
Bro 10 years riding here, and I got to say I don't even tell people I ride trains anymore because I get tired of them asking that in other questions
Yeah it’s mostly people who will never ride anyway. I often answer with “augury.” It just confuses them further.
fair enough...
I see tubby all over Va I haven’t seen a train without them on it in a year or two
We call it bull nettle. Like a jellyfish sting, piss on it.
Has production for your brass necklaces stopped indefinitely or is it just on haitus? Been thinking about picking one up. Great to see you making videos again.
I’ve got a number of them in inventory right now and was going to list them tomorrow, but updated the listing just now instead. Thanks for the interest. I’ll have more inventory for other items soon.
@@PitchBlackForge Excellent! Do you combine shipping to Canada? I'm wondering if it might be better to wait a while until more of your stuff is in stock if that's the case. I've also been looking at your D20 tool, a stash bracelet and a key keeper.
Key keepers and stash bracelets will be in production again starting this weekend. And shipping is always combined at least partially.
@@PitchBlackForge Wonderful. Thanks a ton bud.
*points in direction tracks are laid ... "That way..." lol
No LBT pack? I bought one after your review.
I carry that one most of the time. It’s got a ton of stuff in it for work. Books . Tools. This one’s tiny, definitely just good for a short walk.
Love this channel
U real as fuck for this onw
Long story short= you have to hop on the wrong trains.
Cool spot
How did you acquire a Wichita Falls Texas shirt?
A buddy of mine is a trainer at Wichita Falls Athletic Club. He sent me the shirt when I was following their lifting protocol.
Hmmmmmmm. The term "jabroni" was used so I am wondering if you are a wrestling fan? If so did you ever get to visit the Pro Wrestling hall of fame in Wichita Falls, Tx? New sub and I am digging your content. Take care!
I grew up watching wrestling in the 80s at my cousin’s house. So I just have fond memories of that. Mostly I like the old promos. I never went to a live pro wrestling event, unfortunately.
@@PitchBlackForge 80's Wrestling was the best----especially for the promos. I hope you get a chance to check out a live event sometime. It is a ton of fun!
It depends if you want sarcasm or the long form answer ... you pick 👀
I’ve been asked “how did you do that” when showing an axe I made. The answer was “carefully.” People either love that or hate it. Wheat from the chaff.
So far the cars ida picked only went 5 miles then locked in a yard.
I’ve definitely been on that train. Seagirt Marine Terminal, port of Baltimore, many years ago. Total nightmare.
Dude sounds like neurosurgeons I know.
I’m just glad these neurosurgeons are Iron Sheik Fans.
So the answer is … get a mentor
Essentially. That’s how it used to be done, and I think it’s still best.
@@PitchBlackForge If so called mentors cannot share their information inside the internet you're essentially asking for future tradesmen to somehow be lucky enough to be born in a town with a large unground community or get lucky enough to meet someone who is willing to *maybe* let you inside this secret world. huh?
@@MR.JohnSourDoeI love how people who don’t do a thing want to dictate to those who do, how it should be done. You’ve got it backwards. Now go back to being an anonymous non-contributor .
Ich is the freight king. He’s not all city, he’s all continent. 😂 gotta love a full car bleed.
Absolutely. I’ve got a small piece of his (some scrap steel with paint marker letters) from a friend who knows him. Some Tex Goth and Lamps stuff as well through another friend in the moniker scene.