Train
Riding
during the Depression Years
Rail
Riding, Freight hopping or
Train
Hopping
was
the act of surreptitiously boarding and riding a railroad freight car.
In the United
States,
this became a common means of transportation following
the American
Civil War as
the railroads began pushing westward,
especially among migrant
workers who
became known as "hobos".
It continued to be widely used by those unable to afford
other transportation, especially during times of widespread economic
dislocation such as the Great
Depression.
Persons of all ages could be found
among the hobo train riders - even young children.
You
can find various documentaries on line about the Rail Riding
Teenagers on videos like this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0umqV-DlQ8c
Below are various reported cases of Rail-riding by members of the Yancey Family
Irvin Yancey (1922-2007)
Irvin
Yancy left his family and set out on his own
about the age of 8. By the age of twelve or so he
was traveling the country by train as a hobo.
His autobiography is appropriately entitled
"Yancey the Youngest Hobo"
if
you wish to order a copy of Irvin Yanceys book click
here
A portion of his experiences riding the coal trains follows: