The river flows...

Fla.Mallard · 02-27-2021, 07:43 PM

As kid we lived one block from 4 sets of tracks .. 2 for the "streamliners" and 2 for the freight trains. On the other side was a large forest preserve. We would regularly cross the tracks to bowhunt in the forest preserve. It was illegal, of course, but we didn't know it.

I had a part beagle who would go everywhere with me. When a slow-moving freight blocked our way, we simply grabbed a ladder, crossed the boxcar to the other side, climbed down and jumped off. My dog didn't like being left behind so she would wait until 4 wheels went by, jump in under the train and wait for another long break in wheels and then jump out on the other side. She never came close to getting run over.

In the summer we would hop a freight and take it to a public swimming pool about 4 miles away. A neighbor boy wanted to go with us one day so we gave him a crash course in getting on and getting off safely. When he got off, he just jumped instead of hanging on the ladder and getting his legs moving in a running motion before letting go. He stumbled and fell when he jumped and his lower body rolled under the train. Luckily, he rolled back out and down the grade before the next set of wheels cut him in half.

My friend and I were so scared that we grabbed him and beat the living snot out of him for not following directions. All we could think of was how much trouble we would be in if he had been killed.

We never even spoke to him again.

02-27-2021, 07:43 PM	#27
Fla.Mallard User Join Date: Jun 2020 Posts: 99 Thanks: 244 Thanked 95 Times in 37 Posts	As kid we lived one block from 4 sets of tracks .. 2 for the "streamliners" and 2 for the freight trains. On the other side was a large forest preserve. We would regularly cross the tracks to bowhunt in the forest preserve. It was illegal, of course, but we didn't know it. I had a part beagle who would go everywhere with me. When a slow-moving freight blocked our way, we simply grabbed a ladder, crossed the boxcar to the other side, climbed down and jumped off. My dog didn't like being left behind so she would wait until 4 wheels went by, jump in under the train and wait for another long break in wheels and then jump out on the other side. She never came close to getting run over. In the summer we would hop a freight and take it to a public swimming pool about 4 miles away. A neighbor boy wanted to go with us one day so we gave him a crash course in getting on and getting off safely. When he got off, he just jumped instead of hanging on the ladder and getting his legs moving in a running motion before letting go. He stumbled and fell when he jumped and his lower body rolled under the train. Luckily, he rolled back out and down the grade before the next set of wheels cut him in half. My friend and I were so scared that we grabbed him and beat the living snot out of him for not following directions. All we could think of was how much trouble we would be in if he had been killed. We never even spoke to him again.