I was workin on the railroad

[kc7jty]

http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/5305/img001nu.jpg

When the train starts movin, HOLLER!
Aug 2001 I believe. Western Montana.

[kc7jty]

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My "hobo buddy" Cliff. Photo taken under piggyback trailer in 1986 eastbound over lake Pend Oreille just south of Sandpoint, ID.


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Same situation 15 minutes later. On the east side of the lake now headed to Missoula, MT.

[N8YX]

You ought to write a book.

Seriously.

That bit of Americana is probably gone forever.

[W3MIV]

That bit of Americana is probably gone forever.

Why do you say it is "gone forever?"

[NQ6U]

I still see people riding freight trains pretty regularly whenever I get out of S.D. County (not much of it here because it's sort of a railroad dead-end).

[KG4CGC]

I've been wondering how all the DHS stuff has affected rail hopping.

[N8YX]

Why do you say it is "gone forever?"
In our post-911 society, the "railroad dicks" are taking an extremely dim view of hobos and other trespassers - at least on the roads which I'm familiar with.

Prior to then I would see the occasional boxcar rider on his way to who knows where. It's been several years - possibly a decade - since one has been spotted riding through town.

As an example, CSX now prohibits railfans from accessing their property. Want pictures of their operations? Better have a telephoto lens and do it from a public spot. Hell, not too long ago their engine crews would gladly give you a tour around the locomotives if the head end was stopped for an appreciable length of time.

Gone. Due to paranoia, insurance regulations, whatever...the end result is still the same.

[KA5PIU]

Hello.

A lot of it is due to the fact that video cameras are now cheap, and mounted everywhere!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GwhtcrNIBA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZecU8CPv074&

[W1GUH]

I'll say 9/11 changed everything. Some railroad dicks and cops will threaten railfans just for taking pictures from a public place. There have been several commentaries and words of advice about this in Trains magazine.

Can't wait to get home where I can see those pix!

But...isn't it "I've Been Workin' on the Railroad?" :neener:

[KA5PIU]

I'll say 9/11 changed everything. Some railroad dicks and cops will threaten railfans just for taking pictures from a public place. There have been several commentaries and words of advice about this in Trains magazine.

Can't wait to get home where I can see those pix!

But...isn't it "I've Been Workin' on the Railroad?" :neener:

Hello.

Yes, railroad cops have done this in Texas also.
But it is not just railroad cops, it is nearly all cops, both on duty as well as off.
The solution is very simple, do what the cop says and if at all possible record the incident.
Next find an attorney who will contact the legal department of the railroad in question and present your complaint, use an attorney to begin with as this will assure that a lawyer sees it before anyone else.
Make it clear that you were on public property, if need be return to the scene and take both stills and video, a quick few snapshots are all you will need, 30 seconds and you are done, someone else can do this if there are questions.
I had an incident at a government installation and my voice only recording made the difference, confronted with the evidence 2 people entered a plea of guilty.
Remember, document this, document this, document this!
The FBI may take interest, talk to your attorney first and make this clear but at no time be rude.
If the local police ask questions be sure to inform your attorney right away, that minute is the time, cops know cops.

[kc7jty]

Yep, it's a way of life that is gone with the wind. The RR employees would give you a hand up on the train and feed you something from their lunch box.
The "bulls" would often tell you when the next train was due, and sometimes ask you to sign an insurance waiver in case you got hurt on the property.

[kc7jty]

Delete

[W3WN]

I'll say 9/11 changed everything. Some railroad dicks and cops will threaten railfans just for taking pictures from a public place. There have been several commentaries and words of advice about this in Trains magazine. < snip >
It's not just railroads.

During the G-20, a rent-a-cop threatened me with arrest. Why? Because I took some pictures of the generators that were the emergency backup power source for the convention center.

Rented generators that could be rented by anyone at anytime from the company (forget who it was now, but it was printed on the sides of the things).
Parked on a public street. (And blocking one entrance to our parking lot, partly blocking the other)
With no police tape or warning signs.

She told Dave the parking attendant to tell me that I was hereby ordered to destroy those pictures, and she was going to have the FBI impound the camera and arrest me. I'm still waiting.

...meanwhile, after hearing that, my boss also went out and took some pictures...

[W3WN]

Some of my various IDs when I was on the run.

Idaho was legit.
Texas semi-legit.
Pennsylvania totally bogus.
Hennepin County (Minneapolis) to get social benefits there.
Yuma (Wolfman) when I was camping out with homeless friends.
Why were you on the run?

And trust me, the Pa ID card (aka the Non-Drivers ID for those non-drivers who need a photo ID) does not and never does look anything like THAT.

[W5GA]

It's not just railroads.

During the G-20, a rent-a-cop threatened me with arrest. Why? Because I took some pictures of the generators that were the emergency backup power source for the convention center.

Rented generators that could be rented by anyone at anytime from the company (forget who it was now, but it was printed on the sides of the things).
Parked on a public street. (And blocking one entrance to our parking lot, partly blocking the other)
With no police tape or warning signs.

She told Dave the parking attendant to tell me that I was hereby ordered to destroy those pictures, and she was going to have the FBI impound the camera and arrest me. I'm still waiting.

...meanwhile, after hearing that, my boss also went out and took some pictures...

Over the last few months, there have been many reports in the news about this. Depending on state law, it sometimes can be made to stick. In most instances, it's a lack of LEO training that's the problem. There was recently a story about a guy that got thrown in jail for audio recording a judge on invasion of privacy grounds.

[W1GUH]

I'll try to find an article from Trains with advice about this...it seemed very sound when I read it. And that rent-a-cop was well, well, well out of bounds for what he did. OTOH...he probably has a bigger weapon than you had (even if only a night stick)...and was probably ready to use it. Rent-a-cops are even more armed and dangerous than "real" cops.

[kc7jty]

Why were you on the run?
Just child support, but when I was officially declared disabled all that was straightened out.


And trust me, the Pa ID card (aka the Non-Drivers ID for those non-drivers who need a photo ID) does not and never does look anything like THAT.
I know, it was advertised at a fly by night check cashing outfit (bullet proof glass joint) around 63rd & Woodland, Philadelphia (very undesirable area) for $5 so I decided to get one.

[kc7jty]

Was watching trains from a highway overpass here in my town a few years back with an ht to monitor the RR freqs. This local cop parks his cruiser, walks up to me and wants to know if I was in control of a radio triggered bomb.
I had been watching trains there regularly for over 10 years.

[W3MIV]

You're lucky nobody matched the name and signature on the PA ID card. First thing I would have looked at. Think we'd have had a long talk.

[W3WN]

< snip > And that rent-a-cop was well, well, well out of bounds for what he did. OTOH...he probably has a bigger weapon than you had (even if only a night stick)...and was probably ready to use it. Rent-a-cops are even more armed and dangerous than "real" cops.Yeah, she was. And she had a night stick, but I don't think she was armed.

I should add that I had a word the next day with one of the other rent-a-cops from the security agency that the convention center had hired. He told me that there had been a lot of complaints about that woman. She was really throwing her weight around... and she had a lot to throw around, believe me. But their jurisdiction, as it were, ended at the edge of the sidewalk next to the CC.

She was no longer around because she started telling people they couldn't use the back entrance of our building (into our parking lot, private property outside her "jurisdiction", and that of the buildings on the other side of the alley. One had local employees for the state unemployement folks. The other? The local Social Security office. Neither outfit took too kindly to her, ah, commentary...

[W1GUH]

Bad training or fu'd persion?

[kc7jty]

You're lucky nobody matched the name and signature on the PA ID card. First thing I would have looked at. Think we'd have had a long talk.

You're not the bull Albie. I never used the bogus PA card.
I used to have loads of ID cards including old high school sweethearts but can't find 'em. Maybe the're in my stuff at my dad's house in PA?

...anyway, guess who got a new scanner?

[W3MIV]

You're not the bull Albie.

I'll have you know I got lots of bull.


...anyway, guess who got a new scanner?

Works great. Now you can share more of the earlier stuff you shot on your wanderings, bindlestiff.

[W1GUH]

On the subject of hobos, there was a Mutt and Jeff cartoon where they kinda were hobos. The were living in a shanty town in their shanty when they were all told to leave. So what they did was jumped up and town on top of their shanty until it was short enought to fit into the undercarraige framing of an old-style box car. That's where they lived on the journey to wherever they were going. Even put a hole in the floor and fished when the train went over a river. Anyone ever see that? The timeframe would be early to mid-50's.

Those old-time cartoons were so clever and imaginative!

Regular web searches have so far turned up nothing.

[KA5PIU]

Hello.

It is not just the railroads, society itself has changed.
The days of hitching a ride are over, be it a train or automobile.

[W1GUH]

Hello.

It is not just the railroads, society itself has changed.
The days of hitching a ride are over, be it a train or automobile.

Ain't that the truth!!!

Being the type that is suspicious of the government's motivation, I intrepret anything that hinders our ability to get around and meet up with people to discuss what's on our minds (and that now includes the efforts to limit free expression on the 'net) as part of "their" plan to divide, conquer, and control. I categorize TSA activites into that rubric.

[kc7jty]

Regular web searches have so far turned up nothing.
I know the genre. If you ever find it be sure to share.

[kc7jty]

Being the type that is suspicious of the government's motivation, I intrepret anything that hinders our ability to get around and meet up with people to discuss what's on our minds (and that now includes the efforts to limit free expression on the 'net) as part of "their" plan to divide, conquer, and control. I categorize TSA activites into that rubric.
They're not stupid...we are.

[W3WN]

Bad training or fu'd person?
Yes.

[kc7jty]

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Tunnel with flash.

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Sun's out.

[kc7jty]

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Westbound with helpers heading up to Mullan pass (W of Helena)
Photo shot from piggyback while on train, July '86.