I was on a photography job in Ogden, UT yesterday and noticed a young woman sitting across the street. Obviously homeless but not the pushing a shopping cart down the street while talking to herself type.
I decided that her mandolin and dreadlocks gave her a certain look and I wanted to get some pictures of her. I walked over and said hi asked about her dog and her mandolin. She was actually very polite and used "Sir" and "Thank You" often. I asked her how she was traveling and she said on the rail. I mentioned that I took train pictures and showed her some that were still on my memory card from the previous day. That opened a conversation between us
She was heading South for the winter after spending the Summer riding across Canada on the CN and CP. She was in Ogden for a few days and was hoping to get to Provo to catch an intermodal train south to Vegas and then over to Louisiana. About that time a very popular local musician was led out from the bar next door and the manager of the bar told him that he had to listen to her sing. He ask her to play a song, and after another "Yes Sir", she went into a bluegrass song which had both the local musician and the gathering crowd listening intently. After several minutes the music stopped and those in attendance all put donations into her case.
After the group left I continued to talk and photograph her. I found out she was 19 years old and from Minnesota. She has been traveling the rails for about 2 years now. She told me how they meet with others their age and all know where to go in different areas. In our town the local WalMart was a destination since trains often stop near there and there was a "safe" area to camp nearby.
I asked her about where she rode on the train. Her preference was intermodals where the rear deck was solid and on cars carrying 53 foot containers . She did mentioned some of the cars had open "suicide" decks and she avoided them. If the weather was bad the rear engine "Pusher" (DPU) was a good place, but they avoided them due to hassles with the RR police. That bought up the next question, what happens if they got caught. She said for the most part the RRPD would make enough noise to warn them off, but when she did get caught they were either escorted off RR property or could get a trespassing ticket and 10 days in jail.
I offered to buy her a slice of pizza at the local shop and we continued to talk. I asked her about safety and she said her dog was real good about keeping an eye out while she slept. Other than that the "kids" relied on each other to cover their backs. They did organize meets from time to time where they played music in loose knit bands and just had fun meeting with other kids from the rails (Sounds like York). I asked her what she liked about riding the rails, her comment was one that I think many many here agree with, it allowed her to see many parts of America that not many see. She liked seeing all the small towns along the way and the areas that only the railroads cross.
Soon it was time for me to go and she was needed to head back to the railyard and try to catch a ride to Provo on the light rail. I wished her luck, friended her on Facebook and left for home telling her I would post her pictures soon. I did check out her FB page and she had several pictures from Canada and links to various band made up of railway kids. Overall an interesting lifestyle which I am far too old for
