Hoboing north from Roanoke to Hagerstown
The Norfolk Southern’s Valley line runs up from Roanoke to Hagerstown, Md., through the Jefferson and George Washington national forests
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Hoboes are disappearing like dinosaurs from Manassas to Hagerstown
Bruce came by, with plans that lifted me out of my post-injury depression. After committing sedition for a couple days,
Read moreNine Innings in Baltimore: Top of the third
(This is the continuation of the serial novel Nine Innings in Baltimore. Read the previous chapter here.) “Everything is gray …”
Read moreColorado River promises death to derailed hoboes
For three days in 2003 I had relentlessly pushed a rental car through the splendors of western Colorado, what they
Read moreSo why do I jump trains?
Three years later, I flew back to far northern California to revisit the place and the memory of those adventures.Now
Read moreTeaching a friend to jump trains from Washington to Richmond
After many years of solo riding, I was bringing along someone else for the first time — a coworker who
Read moreDaytripping and ripping my pants on the way to Santa Fe
“The Santa Fe has a reputation for speed.” That phrase from a business article rings true. The BNSF habitually attaches
Read moreTime traveling wishes and a coal car ride from San Jose to Oakland
For some time, I had been speculatively eyeing elderly pedestrians and baby strollers from my car. So for everybody’s benefit,
Read moreReflections on a 5-mile freight-hopping ride to RFK stadium
As the pig train trundled by, I cautiously touched its side. My hand came flying back toward my face. Yeah,
Read moreBack in the saddle: Watching shooting stars from flatcars
It would work out this way: my first train in 15 months would be the toughest to catch. At 1:15 a.m. a
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