Hey folks, let me briefly introduce myself. | Squat the Planet

Hey folks, let me briefly introduce myself.

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Deleted member 26393

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Howdy doo; it was a suggestion from @Matt Derrick that all new members introduce themselves so I will. I don't generally join forums or talk much because I'm a consummate lurker, but what the hell.

I've been into steam power and trains for many a year, but I can't really say I'm a foamer. I have a deep interest in any old technology and would rather pore over blueprints for offbeat steam designs like L.D. Porta and Prof. Stumpf than sit by a crossing with a tripod and get a stiffy in my old-man khaki pants when a CSX GP38-2 on its way from Mount Fuckensuck towards Shithouse Falls rolls past with a load of toilet paper. No disrespect to the railfan community, but I'm more into tech than photography.

I was under the (misplaced) illusion that train hopping was old news, and was pleasantly surprised to find out otherwise. Watched some of Hobo Stobe's videos, read a lot of posts from Huckstah and Tall Sam Jones on Reddit, found this website. I just can't stop reading it; I love to learn about the other side of society, far from where I am in my sanitized suburban world, and the pictures and the road stories and the whole life of catching out. I also really admire everybody's adhesion to the old hobo code, watching out for creepos, helping each other out, keeping an eye out for shady people.

I'll be the first to say I doubt I'll ever hop a train. I would be worse than an oogle, because an oogle at least shows up to the yard. I'm 41, I'm fat, I can't run for shit and I have that innocent "Who Me?" face that just looks guilty when committing the slightest infraction. About the boldest thing I ever did was sneak out of the house when I was 14 at like 2 in the morning and I felt like I'd just boosted the Hope Diamond when I made it back and never got caught. A holy innocent, a legend only in his own mind. I'm lamesauce. Also I have a wonderful wife and two sweet kids and a job that pays me far more than an ijit with a 2-year automotive degree should be making. So permit me, if you will, to live vicariously a little. To imagine the clatter of a switch crossing under you as the grainer you're in rolls out of the yard and you're lighting up a smoke and cracking a beer across a broad stretch of Nowhere with 300 miles to KC and not a care in the world.

So yeah, I'm not gonna be asking anybody for the CCG, lol.

But I live near the Norfolk Southern Melvindale Yard and I hear those road switchers clanging and banging at night, and I can't sleep until I hear a Nathan Airchime blowing a crossing signal. I love to hear the stories, and if I can't find any info I might ask here and there, particularly if anybody has ever caught out of Detroit, what it was like, some of your adventures. Otherwise this is probably the most wordy you'll see me.

What else? I work in environmental testing so I get to damage stuff for a living. I'm a mechanic by training, love to tinker with stuff, do most all of my own home improvements, I'm an ordained minister (mail-order), officiated a few weddings, and I'm a licensed ham so I'll probably be getting out my old Baofeng UV-5R and listening to the rail chatter more. I'm trying to get rid of a lot of crap and my hobby as of late is collecting and restoring old pressure lanterns. Once a week I do standup comedy at a local watering hole, because it's remarkably therapeutic to spend 7 minutes a week telling dick and fart jokes and getting that rush when a joke lands right. Sure beats doing weddings.

I'm glad to have found this place, and I wish you all safe travels.
 

Matt Derrick

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Great intro, but please don't bypass the 20 character minimum. It's there for a reason (to prevent lazy thread titles). ive changed the title of this thread to be more appropriate.
 
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You said briefly . . . Heh heh heh.

Welcome to StP. I am almost 60, just started riding this year. Have done 3 rides. I am short, a bit of a portly fellow. But, riding has motivated me to join a gym, watch what I am eating, and I am losing weight. If I can do it, so can you.
 
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Deleted member 26393

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You said briefly . . . Heh heh heh.

Welcome to StP. I am almost 60, just started riding this year. Have done 3 rides. I am short, a bit of a portly fellow. But, riding has motivated me to join a gym, watch what I am eating, and I am losing weight. If I can do it, so can you.
Thanks, @Faceplant! Lol, my wife has already teased me that instead of going to the Buckley Old Engine Show next year, I'll be asking to catch out for a week for my vacation instead. Hehehe. I'm not really the bravest soul, tho. Physically I could do it (I mean I could certainly climb onto a train that isn't moving), but I'd be standing there going 'Oooh, ooh, this is bad, shouldn't be doing this.' I was born a square.
 

Jimmy Beans

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Hey really nice intro, welcome to Squat the Planet. Live vicariously all you want, that's welcome here.
I gotta call bullshit on one thing though.

I'll be the first to say I doubt I'll ever hop a train. I'm 41, I'm fat, I can't run for shit

That's a resistance you're creating for yourself in your mind. I'm 44, fat and can't run for shit(hardware in my leg from a break) and I'll ride those trains still. Running is irrelevant to riding trains too. I've seen 400 pound+ dudes riding before. By no means trying to talk you into it, just saying those aren't good reasons. Just be real with yourself and chalk it up to fear. There's absolutely nothing wrong with being afraid to hop trains. You can easily die, that's kind of a big one. You have a career you could lose, do time in jail. Sucks to pay fines, nobody wants a criminal record. You don't know what you're doing. There's a ton of reasons to be afraid of it, that's absolutely ok. It ain't the weight tho.
 
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Deleted member 26393

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Hey really nice intro, welcome to Squat the Planet. Live vicariously all you want, that's welcome here.
I gotta call bullshit on one thing though.



That's a resistance you're creating for yourself in your mind. I'm 44, fat and can't run for shit(hardware in my leg from a break) and I'll ride those trains still. Running is irrelevant to riding trains too. I've seen 400 pound+ dudes riding before. By no means trying to talk you into it, just saying those aren't good reasons. Just be real with yourself and chalk it up to fear. There's absolutely nothing wrong with being afraid to hop trains. You can easily die, that's kind of a big one. You have a career you could lose, do time in jail. Sucks to pay fines, nobody wants a criminal record. You don't know what you're doing. There's a ton of reasons to be afraid of it, that's absolutely ok. It ain't the weight tho.
Ahp, true, caught me out. Yeah no it's not just the fat. It's that I've always been a Good Boy and Followed the Rules, I work a 9-5, I gotta get up in the morning, and just about every night and weekend is crammed full of activities, and yeah fear. I'm not afraid of the trains so much; I'm pretty surefooted for a big dude and as a (former) motorcyclist I don't take chances, but I'm afraid I'd get caught, afraid I'd get busted, afraid I'd run into bad hombres and get beat up or (more likely) laughed at, or I'd catch a weird train that either takes me sixteen feet and stops (okay I can handle that) or suddenly highballs it halfway to BFE and now I'm standing there in Grand Rapids at 3 am wondering how she's gonna like THAT phone call.
 

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