Western Railroad Discussion > The Stowaway

I had to reflect a bit upon what I do as a train is passing. I generally stay well aware of the train. I don’t want something falling over on me without seeing it before it wrecks my day. I have seen lashings from lumber loads flailing along the side of a centerbeam, so I generally stay well away from the gauge. That said, sometimes I might quickly chimp my still shots. Other times I’ll glance at the viewfinder of my video camera to ensure things are still working correctly. So, I’m not entirely surprised at some of the things I see after I get home and start processing videos.

I’ve seen a bobcat crossing the tracks in front of a train. I’ve seen open doors on containers that I hadn’t noticed in person. I’ve seen loose lashings along a car that surprised me they hadn’t set off a high-wide or dragging equipment detector.

So in today’s edition of things I didn’t notice, there was a stowaway on the westbound ZG2LT. (“Today’s Edition” actually happened on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.) The sun was still rather high and made for garish lighting as I recorded this train a little after 2:30 pm. It was a westbound, however, which is relatively rare in the afternoon on Donner Pass these days, so it got me trackside for 20 minutes to record its passing. It wasn’t until after I exported the edited video and watched it that I realized there was someone riding on top of one of the green EMP double stack containers. I was about 20 yards behind my video camera, so while he tried to evade being seen by me, the camera recorded him as he passed.

Photo and Video: UP 8606 led the 5x1x0 westbound ZG2LT on Tuesday, July 7, 2026 as it crossed Castle Creek and approached the Soda Springs grade crossing. If you watch the video, at the 1:30 point, keep an eye on the container entering the frame at the far right. There is a rider on top of the stacks. When he notices me, at ~1:51, he ducks out of sight onto the top of the container. I’m sure he had a fine view of the west slope of the Sierra Nevada on the run down to Roseville, but being on a westbound through Tunnel 41 behind 5 locomotives probably took a year off his life.

Cheers,
Sean

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Thanks Sean for the video. The UP sure runs colorful trains.  Saw the Rider, on top of the Double Stack. Some of those guys have their own Youtube channels. I've followed a few of them but won't list them here. At least 3 of them have met early demises, while pursuing this dangerous lifestyle. It's still trespasing on the Rails.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/05/26 08:34 by OldPorter.

Apparently there still are hobos.

I've seen some of their channels on YouTube, and I was aware that some of them are no longer around. A couple of these guys are/were pretty colorful folks that were trying to embrace the hobo lifestyle, reach back in history to explore forgotten places, see wide open spaces, etc. All that said, getting hit by or falling from a moving train can wreck your day in a hurry.

OldPorter Wrote:
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> Thanks Sean for the video. The UP sure runs
> colorful trains.  Saw the Rider, on top of the
> Double Stack. Some of those guys have their own
> Youtube channels. I've followed a few of them but
> won't list them here. At least 3 of them have met
> early demises, while pursuing this dangerous
> lifestyle. It's still trespasing on the Rails.

sf1010 Wrote:
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> Apparently there still are hobos.

Actually more than likely thrill seekers. Trainhopping is no longer the hobo's way of transportation, now Youtubers and influencers risk Carbon Dioxide poisoning and getting their limbs cut off for a video. I will say though it does look like fun and I bet the feeling is liberating especially somewhere scenic like Donner Pass. 

Yeah, I'd put the YouTube ones in the thrill seeker category. I'd imagine there are still some true hobos around out there, moving from place to place, looking for work, keeping a low profile to evade an arrest warrant, etc. I think if you want to understand what 21st Century hoboing is like, you have to look to Mexico. Desperate people doing it out of necessity.

BrandonRC Wrote:
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> sf1010 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Apparently there still are hobos.
>
> Actually more than likely thrill seekers.
> Trainhopping is no longer the hobo's way of
> transportation, now Youtubers and influencers risk
> Carbon Dioxide poisoning and getting their limbs
> cut off for a video. I will say though it does
> look like fun and I bet the feeling is liberating
> especially somewhere scenic like Donner Pass. 

About a year ago, I fell 8 feet off of a ladder and busted my scalp open. I had to go to surgery for over an hour so the Neurosurgeon could close my scalp and bought a night in the Step down Unit to make sure I didn't have a subdural hematoma. I lost 600 cc worth of blood. So with all that in mind, THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL I'm climbing up 2 stories and "surf" a double stack so I can get on YouTube. It only takes one slip, one little bit of slack action and BOOM, you're a turkey vulture breakfast. What is seriously WRONG with people?? 

As stated, some have died prematurely from their actions. A hefty price to pay to play.

BrandonRC Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> sf1010 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Apparently there still are hobos.
>
> Actually more than likely thrill seekers.
> Trainhopping is no longer the hobo's way of
> transportation, now Youtubers and influencers risk
> Carbon Dioxide poisoning and getting their limbs
> cut off for a video. I will say though it does
> look like fun and I bet the feeling is liberating
> especially somewhere scenic like Donner Pass. 

It's not Carbon Dioxide that is the problem, it's the Carbon Monoxide from the diesel exhaust that will kill you.

gandydancer4 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> About a year ago, I fell 8 feet off of a ladder
> and busted my scalp open. I had to go to surgery
> for over an hour so the Neurosurgeon could close
> my scalp and bought a night in the Step down Unit
> to make sure I didn't have a subdural hematoma. I
> lost 600 cc worth of blood. So with all that in
> mind, THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL I'm climbing up 2
> stories and "surf" a double stack so I can get on
> YouTube. It only takes one slip, one little bit of
> slack action and BOOM, you're a turkey vulture
> breakfast. What is seriously WRONG with people?? 

Yowza! I'm glad you're back from that ok.

About three weeks ago I spotted a 'stowaway' riding on top of a loaded LPG tank car (top tank platform) outbound on our local G&W regional.  Five units, 60-some cars, 40-cars back or so.
Guy was riding in an open flannel shirt, a T-shirt, sunglasses, shorts and flip-flops.   And waving to people at the crossing......standing!

40mph track speed through the forest, a couple highway overpasses coming up, and the real kicker of 30 miles of deep forest running to the end point with possible low tree branches.   I.e. this is an idiot of Darwin grade.  Oh, and getting dark.

I have the dispatcher number in my phone, I called it in for a police intercept about 15 miles up.  After the dispatcher realized I knew what I was seeing, I overheard the 911 call as appropriate for intercept.  And in my case, riding a hazmat car of all things.  And we are not cleared for doublestacks around here!

 I've lived around here most of my life and NEVER seen anything that stupid before.   Any self-respecting bum gets down, nobody rides high . That guy on the UP containers is betting his life on export container clearances against a 'guaranteed' 22'6" envelope - bridges, tunnels, who knows what.

I'm assuming it is YouTube driving this stuff, but as railfans all I can say is get that number off your local crossings, keep it handy, know your location, and call it in when you see this stuff happening.   It's the next best thing to attempted suicide.

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/05/26 13:38 by randgust.

broken_link wrote:

 > ... I generally stay well away from the gauge. That said, sometimes I might quickly chimp my still shots. 

What does "chimp" mean?

>
> What does "chimp" mean?

In this context acting like a group of chimpanzees expressing themselves in a humorous, to us, way, perhaps looking in a mirror or at a video. It's a known phrase in photography and appears to originate in British and Australian humor for rapidly looking at photographs on a cell phone or digital camera. Often lots of laughter and changing photos rapidly, grand expressions similar to a group of chimpanzees on a good day.

Also hearing the preferred phrase for people hopping a train is ' Trainriders '. Sometimes known for being younger professionals looking for a thrill, living in proper hotels and restaurants on a credit card with little or no baggage. Often wearing full overalls, heavy boots, gloves and an oversized belt to strap in with. 'TrainRiders' sometimes shows up on FB pages or other modern electronic media even YouTube.

hth.

Pretty much along the lines of what TCnR said.

From the wiki:
"Chimping is a colloquial term used in digital photography to describe the habit of checking every photo on the camera display (LCD) immediately after capture.

Some photographers use the term in a derogatory sense to describe the actions of amateur photographers, but the act of reviewing images on-camera is not necessarily frowned upon by professional or experienced photographers."

Because I'm such a sophisticated individual and shooting mirrorless, I'll look at the image through the viewfinder instead of the rear LCD. An enlightened chimp. After all, it's bright outside, you know.

To be fair, it is a way to quickly identify if there were problems with focus, exposure, etc., that might relate to an incorrect setting with the camera. Unlike the film days where you might find a whole day of shooting was ruined due to incorrect settings, with digital it might just be a handful of shots that you lose.

johnsweetser Wrote:
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> broken_link wrote:
>
>  > ... I generally stay well away from the gauge.
> That said, sometimes I might quickly chimp my
> still shots. 
>
> What does "chimp" mean?

There's a Wikipedia for everything.

Also found a Video game for Train riders and Subway riders.

My kids used to enjoy playing Subway Surfer on my mother-in-laws phone when they were younger. They knew it was a bad idea to actually try to ride on top of moving subways or trains, however, and unlike the game they know they only have one life.

TCnR Wrote:
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> There's a Wikipedia for everything.
>
> Also found a Video game for Train riders and
> Subway riders.

Dancer is a YouTube hobo who climbs on top of trains and the locos as well. The Yard Buzzards are a homeless couple who travel across the country and are pretty knowledgeable and keep low mostly. Good watches for sure along with George and his Jumping off the cliff channel. 

Laurence Wrote:
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> Dancer is a YouTube hobo who climbs on top of
> trains and the locos as well. The Yard Buzzards
> are a homeless couple who travel across the
> country and are pretty knowledgeable and keep low
> mostly. Good watches for sure along with George
> and his Jumping off the cliff channel. 

Or don't watch them so you won't support their illegal activities. The more views their videos get the more they get from You Tube.

I have to admit that I went through a phase where I got into Stobe the Hobo's and RanOutOnARail's videos. They sang to my wanderlust.

PHall Wrote:
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> Or don't watch them so you won't support their
> illegal activities. The more views their videos
> get the more they get from You Tube.

I can't help but think that with the sun beating down on those container roofs all day long that it would be pretty uncomfortable up there.