The older hobo asked Nichols where he wanted to go. Rarely do they ever stop in Johnson City, Nichols said of the trains. On both occasions, Nichols said he contacted authorities. And can attract punishments of either a fine or spending a few days to weeks in jail. As the railcars arrive, the bottom opens and cars drop coal several stories below onto a waiting truck. His given name is Leon Ray Livingston and he was born in 1872 and he was a lifelong wanderer. He worked on Bell helicopters and was stationed at various bases in the continental U.S. But after I got out, I went straight to the rails, Nichols said. Members; 559 In the past decade, however, they have been replaced by a new breed of drifters, who have murdered and assaulted many old-time hobos. Railroad police, known by hobos as bulls, often check trains as they stop at yards. Remembering Stobe the Hobo, Jim ( James) Stobie Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. He said many participants move on with their lives away from the railroad, while others continue the railroad lifestyle. Today, cabooses are not used by American railroads, but before the 1980s, every train ended in a caboose, usually painted red, but sometimes painted in colors which matched the engine at the front of the train. Today, most of the train hoppers that Nichols said he encounters are 20-25 years old. 'Stobe the Hobo' died that same autumn. But in recent years, the old camaraderie has given way to violence and murder. "He died doing what he loved,. The tunes lyrics are practically about Nichols life, he said, one that has taken him along the rails to every state except Hawaii. Start new topic; Recommended Posts. Mark Nichols is arrested in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, while riding Florida East Coast railway. "He'd kill just for a buck, out of pure and simple greed Silveria took from the poor and then killed them because he could, because no one cares about what happens to us. Succession of short sounds : an attempt to attract attention to the train. b : to send away : reject, dismiss. Upon recognizing him as a seasoned hobo, theyll allow him to ride, he said. However, this country has a very strict punishments for train hoppers: if you get caught, you can not only be fined for dozens or hundreds of dollars, but even jailed up to 30 days. A tramp is an individual who wanders, or travels, by foot, hitchhiking or train, to find work or beg, and a bum is a person without a home, does not work and typically begs for a living, according to the Urban Dictionary. The bull had come across Silveria in the Roseville yard, run a routine check on him and then arrested him on an outstanding warrant for probation violation. In three days, you can be on the other side of the country. Some cops have a code for such deaths: N-H-I - no humans involved. You can cancel at any time. However, its a misdemeanor in most states. Many are ex-bikers who have fallen out of Hells Angels gangs because bikes have gotten so expensive.". A hobo is a migrant worker or homeless vagrant, especially one who is impoverished. stobe the hobo death Your old quarter is worth much more today. They always have someone who cares about them somewhere. He was 33. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, 'PURPOSE IN THE PAIN' Faith, family fuels Eastside girls basketball coach Funk, VHSL HOOPS: George Wythe's Ty Campbell making his own legacy, LOCALS IN THE PROS: Mac McClung back at the G League grind, Richlands altercation under investigation, VHSL HOOPS: Ryan Horne having senior year to remember for Twin Springs, KFC is bringing back a fan favorite after a nearly 10-year hiatus, VHSL CLASS 1 BOYS: George Wythe hits 16 3s in trouncing of Twin Springs, REGION 1D: Fourth time the charm for J.I. [14][15], After two children were killed by a CSX train on a Bridge near the Erie Canal, motion-detection cameras were installed on the bridge, which sent images to a security company. Hobos have been taking free rides on America's freight trains since Civil War days - they have always been a law unto themselves. Hobo Stobe in my movie was an alcoholic. [19], Pedestrian railroad safety in the United States, United States Department of Transportation, John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, List of common carrier freight railroads in the United States, "Critics Say Railroads Should Do More To Prevent Pedestrian Deaths", "Hundreds die walking the tracks each year", "Pedestrian deaths by train remain steady", "Train Deaths Rise Amid Energy-Driven Rail Transformation", "Manslaughter charges added in death of Sarah Jones", "Sarah Jones Family V. CSX: Location Manager Charley Baxter's Big Reveal", "Fitness Model Struck and Killed by Train in California", "Beloved Rice scientist dies in bicycle-light rail accident", "Stobe the Hobo, the internet's most famous train-hopper, dead after apparent accident", "Towns, train fight over fences -- and responsibility for safety", "Google, FRA team up for safety; will add rail crossing data to maps", "Agency Taps Mapping Technology to Curb Rail Crossing Accidents", "Highway Agency Disavows Claims by Rail Safety Group", "Operation Lifesaver, Inc. awards $217,000 for rail safety public awareness campaigns in 15 states", "Rail safety group shrinks as danger grows", "DuPage railroad safety group aims to cut trespassing, suicide deaths in half", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pedestrian_railroad_safety_in_the_United_States&oldid=1087840257, On August 26, 1991, 41-year-old Mary T. Wojtyla, of, In 2014, Camera Assistant Sarah Jones was killed when she was struck by a, In 2014, 'Jersey Boys' musician John Jeffrey Ray was killed by an Amtrak train while posing for a photo in, On November 9, 2017, James Stobie, better known by his, This page was last edited on 14 May 2022, at 20:39. The hobo code tradition continues in the present day, but are now digitally enhanced since hobos now have access to cell phones and computers. I had a lunch date with a remarkable police officer called Mike Quakenbush, a hero to hobos who made him a Knight of the Hobo Order of Merit in honour of his brave and relentless pursuit of Robert Silveria. The 1870-CC quarter has a mintage of only 8,340. . "And this is the last day you've spent." [2] Between 2001 and 2011, the number of deaths involving trains and motor vehicles dropped 42% to 248. The hobos come to town and set up a hobo jungle, sell their crafts and provide free entertainment to visitors, according to the events website. Quakenbush could barely hide his anger about the fate of the dispossessed and the "double standards throughout America": "There's a great system of justice for the rich. Theres no longer any reason to drag a caboose around. Trains use air-brake systems, and in the days of the caboose it was the brakemans job to walk the length of the train and make sure that air hoses were properly connected from car to car. He wore new shoes and even his backpack was new.". Hobos frequently traveled together in groups on train cars, yet they were on their own in terms of finding work and would be left behind in situations of peril. His videos have been viewed about 1.3 million times. None are pretty, no death in the history of humanity is dignified. Lured by what the writer James Michener once described as the last "red-blooded American adventure", each year an estimated 30,000 people illegally catch out from hobo encampments dotted along the 170,000 miles of track. On the afternoon of Saturday, March 2, 1996, he got a call at home from a bull working in Roseville, one of the largest rail yards in the West. Formed by Vietnam veterans - legendary figures with names such as "Melford Lawson", "Uncle Joe", "Joshua Long-gone" and "Daniel Boone" - and now estimated to have several hundred members nationwide, today's stalwarts of this band of "welfare outlaws" are proud of their lightning-bolt tattoos and links to far-right militia and racist groups such as the Aryan Nations. Pedestrian railroad accidents are the leading cause of death on railways. Its fame for a certain crowd. How many cars get hit by trains in the US? He also said he enjoys riding trains in New England, especially in Maine. Its considered trespassing on railroad property. Pauli Murray was an inspiration to me while in college. James Stobie (October 23, 1984 - November 9, 2017 [aged 33]), better known online as hobestobe, also known as Stobe the Hobo, was an American YouTuber known for his train hopping videos. Its unknown, but the Norfolk Southern Railroad passes through the center of the city. Burton (girls) triumph in triple-header at UVa-Wise, VHSL HOOPS: Parker Bandy's emergence key for Honaker Tigers, In Tennessee, a Medicaid mix-up might land you on a most wanted list, Farmville native caught with 42 lbs of cocaine, $862K in drug money gets 17 years, Global race is on to improve EV range in the cold, Moscow reportedly threatened new parents in Ukraine: Register your newborns as Russian or else, The impact of climate change will be felt worse in these three U.S. cities, Scientists reveal hidden corridor in Great Pyramid of Giza. Where is stobe the hobo buried? Hobos also faced the threat of violence from police, potential employers, train security (affectionally called bulls), and the strangers they approached searching for food or shelter. First brought to trial in June 1997, Silveria was convicted of two murders in Oregon. "They don't understand the proud traditions of the hobo - the hard worker who built the West, kept the jungles [railside camps] clean, shared what he had with his fellow 'bos. Scenic routes such as the Billygoat are particularly popular with growing numbers of "weekend riders", especially in the summer. I snatched two hours sleep in what locals called a "shotgun shack", a cheap motel, and then I made my way to the furthest reaches of Helena yards, hoping to "catch out" before dawn on the Great Northern line: the Billygoat route. In early November last year, an Amtrak train operator found a body on the tracks outside Baltimore who authorities later identified as YouTube star James "Stobe the Hobo" Stobie. I just cant play the harmonica and guitar anymore, Nichols said. It was then he began climbing aboard freight trains for short trips, either to get around, or for the experience. Those who follow the hobo code: An ethical code was created by Tourist Union #63 during its 1889 National Hobo Convention in St. Dont take advantage of someone who is in a vulnerable situation, locals or other hobos. The hobo also sells items on eBay, like his $7 harmonica and an old hat that he said went for $156. A train geek who rigs up his Amtrak roomette with Go-Pro, GPS, maps, laptop, and walkie-talkie to follow railroad chatter, A Canadian in charming, downtown North Korea, A Russian college student who spent a year in the U.S., and now because of Ukraine, will leave her homeland, French chefs cooking, and Parisians trying to pronounce English words like "Massachusetts", Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the "Godmother of Rock & Roll," and C&W singer J.J. Cale, An amiable English chap chugging along the UK's canals on a narrowboat, Tiny-house owners many of whom seem to be young women, though an older Earth mother built a "Hobbit Hut" in Wales with a roof buried under foliage, The comings and goings of the dinky Shelter Island, N.Y., ferries, Comedians Patton Oswalt, Sarah Silverman, Ricky Gervais and Seor Wences, An Englishman who speaks Russian roam the former USSRs ragged villages and old buildings, downing moonshine with babushkas (grannies) and vodka with a widower near Chernobyl, Young Americans, maybe fans of the Brit, poke through abandoned mental hospitals, prisons, and the most unsettling shopping malls. The box-car in which Clites was found was part of a train that had pulled out of Eugene. (A super-duper-uber RV disdained by the off-the-grid warriors.). Nichols has developed a following on Facebook, Flickr and YouTube. "If he got an idea and something looked good to him, he would do it. Stobe the HoboYouTube There are other, darker, theories surrounding Stobie's death. Some 11,000 viewers, occasionally including me -- paltry compared to some YouTube superstars -- followed James Stobie and his risky, and illegal, train hopping. Then Grandinetti noticed that some transients he interviewed were wearing "colours". It was HIS decision, and his responsibility. To give myself a challenge, it just keeps me focused on one thing, even though its a bad way, a hard way of living. Only by taking to the rails would I see the fault-lines running through America's rail-yards: the class and generation divides that often lead to bloodshed as one tribe of rail-riders encounters another. Stobe was an artist. The slang term "shoestring" often describes a small amount of money which may be an inadequate amount to fund the intended purpose of its use in full. Mark Nichols nearing Heavener, Oklahoma, on KCS. Some of them are rich, some of them famous, the actor Christian Slater among them. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2012-2023 On Secret Hunt - All Rights Reserved From Spokane, I took the train again, this time buying a $150 ticket on Amtrak's Empire Builder service, and rode in a sky-lounge with glass ceilings. It's illegal to ride a freight train, and I was trespassing on railroad property. But the fact is that they just arent necessary anymore. But Nichols is looking forward to returning to the rails. When he and Hendershot were in Miami several weeks ago, a trucker with whom they had caught a ride with stole Artes' backpack. Since 1900, hobos and their supporters from around the country have gathered in Britt, Iowa, each August for the National Hobo Convention. Please subscribe to keep reading. They wanted to spend winter in Florida because it was warm. James Stobie created his now famous youtube channel Hobo Stobe on February 15th, 2012. The term originated in the Westernprobably NorthwesternUnited States around 1890. Then he leaned close to a Plexiglass window separating him from Silveria. Officials were not sure if the couple was sitting on top of the coal or were riding in an empty car and dropped onto a mound of coal, then hit or buried by another load. Ive ridden with other riders through Bristol, he said. Artes' mother said her son had a train-hopping manual, but it was stolen at some point. Stobe the Hobo died five years ago in Baltimore. [4], The railroad industry has supported educational initiatives like Operation Lifesaver. "I ran into the FTRA a few times in Helena," he grumbled. How many cars get hit by trains in the US? We moved 28 times before I graduated in 89.. Jim Stobie, aka Stobe the Hobo, or Hobestobe on Youtube, arguably the most widely known modern hobo, was fatally injured in an accident with an Amtrak train in the Baltimore area. Unlike a tramp, who works only when forced to, and a bum, who does not work at all, a hobo is a traveling worker. We moved a lot when I was a kid, being a military family, said Nichols, who was born in Freeport, Texas, but grew up in Port Arthur. Stobe the Hobo, the internet's most famous train-hopper, dead after apparent accident November 18, 2017 Administrator By Josh Katzowitz, The Daily Dot; November 17, 2017 James Stobie was the most famous train-hopping hobo on the internet. At various times he both mocked and praised those who longed to follow in his footsteps. He was an amazing artist with the way he presented his views and the background music was all played by him on piano. Surgery this summer is keeping Nichols in Johnson City. He always said how dangerous and time fonsuming it was, his last 4 months the what should i do stobie threw out there a bunch of ideas on trips, asking flr patreon or paypal donations to do a more through and planned out trip for our very eyes. The most violent of this new species belong to a gang of rogue riders calling themselves the Freight Train Riders of America (FTRA). JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. Mark Nichols lives in a small apartment near downtown Johnson City, but four static walls arent what hes used to home is on the rails. Several of the homeless men remembered Clites because of his height. He was thirty-three years old. In freezing weather, hobos had to stick out the cold, often nearly freezing to death if they couldnt find a house or barn to rest in. Stobe the Hobo shot one of his last videos here. Expect trains to move suddenly, often silently, and at any time. I just sit there and look at the walls [of his apartment]. He taught himself how to flirt with danger, and so could they. Location. The small town hosts a parade, entertainment, arts and crafts, food and the election of the King and Queen of the Hobos. Get a job. People like that are misinformed. Stobe the Hobo, YouTube's Most . rsorrell@bristolnews.com |276-645-2531 |Twitter: @RSorrellBHC | facebook.com/robertsorrelltn. Except that Stobie, aka Stobe the Hobo, made YouTube videos about his experiences, hopping trains to move around the country for the pure fun of it. During that first trip, Nichols spent $23 on canned food and a loaf of bread. Like many, he looked for ways to occupy himself. It just got in my blood and I never stopped doing it. "He wanted to get it all off his chest." 8 Nov 2017 (aged 33) Baltimore County, Maryland, USA, Crown Hill Cemetery Wheat Ridge, Jefferson County, Colorado, USA Show Map. He was from Colorado but had been in the Coast Guard in my old town, Seattle, and sometimes hung out up there. Each year on average about 500 are killed. I tell people the best way to enjoy traveling is always the safe way, says Connecticut Shorty, a former hobo queen, as crowned at the National Hobo Convention that takes place the second week of August, every year since 1900, in Britt, Iowa. When Quakenbush first laid eyes on Silveria at Placer County Jail, his appearance and demeanour were baffling. PS: That Russian-speaking Brit got arrested or detained (or something) in Kazakhstan this month for getting too close to Russias Cape Canaveral. He was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder but didn't like taking his medication. He said railroad staff often dont care when they find him aboard trains. Mark Nichols prepares to board a boxcar in the Shreveport, Louisiana, KCS Yards. Stobie died earlier this month while train-hopping, and though its unclear exactly what occurred, his fans on this Facebook memorial pageare distraught at his death. Two local characters were able to fill me in on the FTRA's history. He was from Colorado but had been in the Coast Guard in my old town, Seattle, and sometimes hung out up there. "He said that he was an amateur, a tourist in Silveria's world of the homeless. According to the US Department of Transportation, there are about 5,800 train-car crashes each year in the United States, most of which occur at railroad crossings. 983. Mark Nichols prefers to go by the name Hobo Shoestring and he is freight train hopper. The details are suitably murky given his preferred mode of transportation. The term hobo is a loose one used to define everything from happy-go-lucky train hoppers to large homeless communities (and sometimes derogatorily so). Sadly Stobe was killed in a accident in Baltimore last year where it is speculated he got hit by a high speed Amtrak train. Lyrics, Song Meanings, Videos, Full Albums & Bios: Hypnotic, Girls, Initiation (Intro), Let Go, Killer Sound, Lets Get Crazy, Suite 13, Bounce, #97, Stinky Pinky, The . A few tracks away, I spotted the junk-train due to leave within the hour. one of the hobos that sort of inspired this story (Stobe the Hobo) got killed when he was on a bridge and couldn't get out of the way of an oncoming train. I stowed my sleeping bag and a small backpack, full of water bottles and snacks, in a corner of the cavernous, metal-based box, and then I sat down and waited. However, hobo life lost its charm after the Great Depression threw the lives of working people into turmoil. Over the years, with experience, Nichols also became more accustomed to picking the right train the ones that provide more comfort, more scenery and less of a chance of getting caught. For obvious reasons, loco pilots never compromise on brake line pressure. The 48-year-old former U.S. Army helicopter mechanic is one of just a handful of modern-day railroad hobos a longtime American lifestyle that had its heyday in the Great Depression but has since. . There are about 50 updates here compiled into one long video in order from March to November. Stobe the Hobo Home Videos Playlists Community Channels About Recently uploaded Popular 15:50 Stobe The Hobo - Episode 4 - LAS VEGAS TO LARAMIE 67K views 3 years ago 16:58 Stobe The.