Hopping Freight Trains in America [Paperback]

Duffy Littlejohn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1993

The first complete how-to on riding the rails.See the continent from the inside. Learn how to travel safely on a shoestring. How, when and where to catch a train. By Daffy Littlejohn

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

"Hopping freights is not only dangerous, it's illegal," Littlejohn says, but he loves the adventurousness of it and the startling view of the country it gives. He tells you what sort of clothing is best (dark, and wear gloves), why it's easier to hop a freight in rural areas than in cities, why it's hard to find a train on Sundays and Mondays, how to know where you're going (try Rand McNally's Handy Railroad Atlas of the United States), and why railroad workers (except bulls and managers) are, in general, friendly to riders. He describes hobo jungles. He gives an insider's view of unions and characterizes various companies regarding their attitudes toward free rides (many of them look the other way, Littlejohn says, because riders are often migrant workers; the produce they harvest may end up as freight). Littlejohn gives a colorful history of railroads and how they affected cities--for instance, the "wrong side of the tracks" originally referred to where immigrants settled after the railyards were established. Finally, Littlejohn suggests where you can hop a freight in every state and most Canadian provinces, with some asides for certain cities. (In New Orleans, "get ready for some long bridge walks.") There is no other book on this subject. John Mort

Product Details

• Paperback: 353 pages
• Publisher: Zephyr Rhoades Pr (July 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 094462734X
• ISBN-13: 978-0944627341
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #576,103 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sage Advice from a savvy, veteran Trainhopper, October 8, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Hopping Freight Trains in America (Paperback)

When I first hopped freight trains, in 1970, there were no books to explain it or to allow one to learn the safe way to do it. Littlejohn is an entertaining writer, but most of all, his information is accurate, and his advice is sound. He approaches the subject from the viewpoint of a "sportsman," and he does gloss over some of the negatives, but the book is informative and intelligently written. I know of only one other book about trainhopping, and of the two, I find Littlejohn's book to be the more timely and superior of the two. In a way, the people that most need to read Littlejohn's book are those least likely to do so, but I would have benefitted enormously if it had been available when I was a neophyte tramp. Youngsters reading this book may get the idea that trainhopping is just one big lark. This isn't true, but at least if they follow Littlejohn's rules they will avoid getting hurt long enough to figure it out. I have ridden trains for years, and I learned a lot I didn't know. If you intend to trainhop, READ IT WITH AN EYE TO SURVIVAL. Just the list of rules in the front is worth the price of the book, if you follow them.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very practical and entertaining guide to freight hopping, June 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Hopping Freight Trains in America (Paperback)

This is a fabulous book for anybody wanting practical knowledge and a how-to guide to freight- train hopping. I bought the book for that reason, to hone my own skills. But I also got a fascinating history of the railway in North America and a lot of entertaining ancedotes. This is a great book for anyone interested in hopping trains and for students of American history.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Book for the Adventurer/Railroad Buff, September 23, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (New York) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hopping Freight Trains in America (Paperback)

For many years I have looked at freight trains and wished I could just jump on board and travel to where ever they were going. This book is a "how to" manual on just that. This is an amusing and historical book on how to get where you want to go by somewhat "illegal" means. A perfect manual for the weekend hobo. It includes everything you need to know to have a safe adventure aboard america's rail system. It even includes a bit of operational backround that is informative and just plain interesting. Duffy's written a great book and it should have its place on any rail road buffs or arm chair adventurers bookshelf. I give it four out of five stars. Nice job Duffy and Thank you!!!!!!