Ladders, grab irons and catwalks on boxcars?
I’ve been reading a little about 1930s hobo culture and I’m curious about the structure of freight cars, especially boxcars.
A lot of accounts describe how the trainhopper hitches a ride on a moving train by catching onto a rung on the ladder, or catching the grip iron, and then going up the catwalk, cf–
“I’ll never know why I reached out and grabbed the rung of the boxcar ladder. I climbed to the catwalk. I lay on my stomach and hung on for dear life, as we rumbled off into the night. I was scared stiff.”
Also:
“I learned the tricks of the road. How to grab a boxcar doing 30 miles per hour, how to walk on top of a train doing 50, what not to ride on, and never, never get friendly with anyone.”
My issue is–I don’t understand the structure of these boxcars. Where is the ladder? Is it on the long side of the boxcar? Where is the grab-iron? Where is the catwalk?
And what do these apparatuses look like?
I’m just trying to get a better mental image of how freighthopping works. I’ve looked for some boxcar pictures or diagrams online but I haven’t found any that are very clear, and I don’t know where in my town I can go to see boxcars in person.
Thanks for any help!
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Im An Accident said,
March 19, 2010 @ 10:10 am
I like turtles….
Agent said,
March 19, 2010 @ 10:27 am
http://flickr.com/photos/cat320operator/sets/72157606522014028/
Those are some images I took at a local railway museum, may help you.
Katy Perry said,
March 19, 2010 @ 10:35 am
Hey sweet
ummm lets just say go on a diet and go to the gym at least 5 times a week! c u l8r
Rango said,
March 19, 2010 @ 11:02 am
Since the 1930s freight car design has changed somewhat but generally speaking, then and now, there is a ladder on each corner of a train car, with a low step or “stirrup” hanging below the car so that a person can step into it, there should be grab irons just like the side rails of a ladder on each side of the steps, not many go to the top anymore as top walkways have mostly been eliminated.
I seriously doubt anyone could board a moving train at 30 MPH, I have known guys that could get on at 20 but even those were quite rare, 15 was about my limit LOL.
Back in those days there was a walkway along the center of all traincars except the open top ones, it was indeed possible to traverse a train walking from car to car along the walkways, I have done it and seen it done although it is strictly prohibited by railroad operating rules.
Waalee said,
March 19, 2010 @ 11:42 am
During the late 1950s and 1960s it was quite common to see “hobos” riding in the recessed area on covered hoppers. I often met them hiding there. It was safer there than in a boxcar. Its very hard to climb into a boxcar that is stopped let alone moving. When the railroads started to eliminate the walkways on top of the box cars it was a very dangerous time for Yardmen and Brakemen because it was hard to see if there was a walkway in the dark when you were jumping from car to car. One time I jumped from a boxcar to a “chip” car that was partially loaded with sawdust, boy was I surprised, all I got was a mouthfull of sawdust, I was trapped in the car and the Yard Superintendant gave me 20 demerit points.