For a while I felt sad about his passing, but we shouldn’t be sad. He lived his life on his terms the way he wanted and a lot of people will never have the freedom and adventure he did, I’m kinda envious of the freedom and life he had.

Godspeed Mr. Nichols, We Thank You for all you gave, And for all you have given.. R.I.P. Shoestring, You are greatly missed,, ✌

You don't need to hop a train to make a very interesting video. Honestly, you have talent!

I wasn't expecting another video, till after your surgery. Glad to see you are out and about. You are in my prayers. 🙏

I am extremely impressed by Shoestring’s instinctive camera skills.

I wanna fall off the grid and just roam the planet with this guy. Think I'm kidding?

Shoestring, I don't know how you landed in my recommendations, but I thank God you did. I've watched a few episodes and I get in a relaxed state watching your content. But did I miss something? With the knowledge you have about trains and the railroad systems, brother how are you not working with them in some capacity? I never knew it was so much to know about trains and rails, but you've ended that ignorance of mine. I'm a Vet myself and I've always said that some of the nations brightest are in the military. Thanks for what you do and how you represent us.

I think I can safely say that the entirety of Hobo Shoestring Nation is behind you 1000%, collectively has your back, and are hoping for a positive outcome, String! Watching your Six 24/7/365. 👍🙂🛣🚞

Good to see ya not sittin at home worrying and enjoying the sun mate! Bruce in Melbourne AU.

I just love how almost every second of every video is full of railroad knowledge. Another great flick.

I wish my buddy was still alive. He loved train’s more than me, which is saying something. He would absolutely love this channel.

I have no idea why KZfaq pushed your content to my feed the other day, but I’m happy I’m here. Hobo life is something very foreign to me but I’m fascinated and very supportive of you. Keep up the amazing work! Subscribed.

17:00 Stobe the Hobo is looking down with vast approval! This was a wonderful video. There really is something special about sitting by the tracks for an hour or three, just watching the trains go by. I do it myself at the platform in my hometown, but I think it might be more fun just to lay out a tarp out on the line, just sitting and letting the world turn. This was a wonderful video to watch. Cheers, Mark. May you beat cancer like a yard dog.

Its good to see a post from you Mr shoestring. You are still in my prayers sir.🙂

Watching a old friend today. Missing shoestring..July 7 2024.

Us up in Alaska wishing you the best, and a speedy return here!!

Shoestring! Happy to see you living the dream brother.

I enjoy the videos. Reminds me of my hitch-hiking days back in the the 70's. I sort of envy the freedom of the lifestyle, but I am too old at 68 to rekindle the wanderlust in me. I am glad to have a home in North Florida on the river, but do miss the traveling of my younger years. Best wishes and good luck Shoestring. Look me up in Fort White if you ever get this way.

Blessings brother. Band of brothers and sisters 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Hey Shoestring. That was a cool video. Good to see you feeling good. Still praying for you. Take care and have a good one. 👍👍👍❤️🙏

Hi shoe string this is Ron I see you getting around much much better loved to see that And it's a beautiful country beautiful train I wish I was there with you

Your videos are amazing, i live close to conway railyard in Pennsylvania, one of the largest yards on the planet. I always wondered if there was a stowaway on any of the passing trains. Thank you for keeping that curiosity alive for me! Best wishes in your travels sir.

Your pants are the best in the world. I have the same and they are unbreakable. I wish you good health and beautiful journeys on freight trains. Greetings from Poland.

Glad to see you out in the fresh air. Keep building up your health and nutrition in advance of your surgery and treatment. Have a great day Shoestring.

11:30 the bells on those gates only run while the gate is opening and closing. When it's fully open or fully closed, the bell doesn't ring. It's not only to prevent it from being annoying as hell when you're sitting there stuck at a crossing like anyone would be with this train blocking the way, but also as more at grade crossings get full signals and gates, they often rely on solar power and batteries instead of having power lines ran all the way out to every single crossing. The less things you have running, the longer everything works before the batteries die. Many crossings with newer LED lights don't flash as slowly as they appear, they're acting flashing 20+ times a second when the light is "on". This is fast enough that our brains just see the light as on, but in reality it's saving power by being off for half of the time that it appears to be on. (Some digital cameras record at just the right speed that crossings appear to be off. Jawtooth has a camera that is like this and many of his videos look like the signals are malfunctioning and dying repeatedly, but he'll tell you they're working just fine the whole time.) This also helps save on power with crossings that are grid powered reducing the costs to the railroad there as well, so while it's almost a necessity when the crossing is on solar, it's a big cost savings on the monthly electric bill.

I must say I just started watching your videos and I now have a new passion, loco motives are now my new hobby I’m learning. I have plenty to learn and trains to catch now I’m starting my journey in Edmonton Alberta Canada 🍁

Always so good to see an upload from you!

Shoestring my man , hope all goes well with your surgery . I've been on that journey myself . It will be ok , I had colorectal cancer and ended up with colostomy . Your case may be different than mine but you can make it through . Praying for you my guy . Would love to meet you and maybe hop a ride with you and hang out . Looks like a lot of fun . Good luck and let me know next time you pass through Memphis by that Elvis Presley stop I will come see you ,

Hobo Shoestring:. My grandmother who was born in 1905 used to make us take a spoonful of sulfur before we went blackberry picking. When you sweated the sulfur through your pores it made you less palatable to the chiggers. I don't know if it worked but that stuff was dry and tasted horrible and it was hard to swallow.

Several yesrs ago we would occasionally backhaul wine in our tank trucks out of California. Depending on the alcohol content we had to have 3065 placards on them.

Piney Flats is a really cool area. I like the old post office and general store there. Those are my kind of areas. I use to go just north of there to the Natural Tunnel area until they stopped running trains. Theres only one a day through the tunnel and its at night

Yeah Buddy!!!! Massachusetts loves your videos Shoestring! Stay safe!

love your videos shoestring!!! i could just watch you walking around talking take care brother!! hope your feeling a lil better

I have been binge watching your videos over the past few months. Your presentation skills have dramatically improved. Your story telling is great, I really enjoy them. Cheers

Nice, you caught a UP foreign power! 👍👍

Shoestring you have a very genuine soul and I wish you many more years of happiness and good luck! Ottawa,Canada

I always loved trains as a kid. I still have my conductors hat from when I was little. I love the videos and your work. Thank you Shoestring for teaching us all so much about trains. As well as for showing us a really rare glimpse into this realm. You're in my thoughts and prayers. If you ever come through Chicago let me know. You'd have a safe place to stay and a hot meal. Stay well Shoestring!!! Much love and respect!!!

Good to see you again! Where you belong on the rails talking about trains! Great knowledge as usual, god bless you, can’t wait to see you riding again where you belong 👏

Train and hobo knowledge is the best Mr. Shoestring. Glad to see you out. Best of wishes to the future

praying for you Shoestring, good to see you

Evening Shoestring. Sure you have rode thru Troy, OH. on a train. Saw you mentioned riding thru near New Carlisle too. Know you're happiest at train tracks and being around the trains too. Glad to see you adventure out, and enjoy doing a video about them again. There's a train passing thru in Dayton now, as it does every night. Love hearing the train wheels rolling on the tracks, and the train whistle blowing in the distance. It's a beautiful sound, and you're a beautiful soul Shoestring. You take care, and I'm keeping you in my prayers.🙏🚂

I just happened across your channel..I have watched a few videos so far. I sure hope everything goes good for you with the upcoming surgery amd everything. Much love sir.

My husband and I Love your videos and all your train knowledge.

You are very observant and seem very knowledgeable about trains.

Love what your doing. I grew up in Tunnel Hill Ga. On the tracks where the Civil War happened. I'm in Muncie now and would be honored to meet you iffin you ever pass by

Shoestring your a National Treasure!

Hope you're getting some sleep! Be glad you're not through Laramie - we got a Shoestring Slammer today. Nearly blew my socks off.

May God continue to bless you. Despite what you’re going through you not letting it keep you away from the railroad.

Rest In Peace, Shoestring. And thank you for the memories.

Another instructional video from Shoestring!!!👍👏btw: I saw that whale drawing before myself! Use bug spray to deter those nasty chiggers!!!

Just came across your KZfaq channel and started watching your videos a couple weeks ago. Good luck with your surgery and thank you for your service. Sending prayers, God bless.

Always put "Radioactive" on everything!!!

Absolutely 💯 your knowledge is amazing you can tell you have many years riding the rails and paying attention be well ny friend your a good man Mark !!@

Thank You for posting another video!!! I love hearing story's out on Railroad Hobo Shoesting!!!

How the heck do you know so much about railroads? I just found your channel a couple weeks ago but love your videos, you do a great job describing things.

Glad your out and about. Always learning something from your videos.

My day is complete now, a Shoestring video posted for me to watch tonight! Thanks shoestring

Another really interesting video Mark. You always relax me when I'm listening to your stories and all the interesting rambling you can do. informative and entertaining at the same time. Thank you, and good luck with your upcoming surgery.

Great to see you up and back at it again

Awesome video Shoestring! Great when you show and explain how things work! I've learned alot more about railroading watching your videos! Thanks for sharing!

Awesome man. Totally envy your riding skills! If there was a pantheon of riders, you'd be a shoe- in, shoe string 🏛

Wish I could do what you do but I walk with a cane so I’ll just live vicariously through you 🤣 Love from Sacramento ☮️

It's amazing how much I learned from watching. I'm so glad this popped up in my recommendation months ago. You have so much knowledge of everything. Stay safe sir

Thank you Shoestring for another great video . It's amazing how much knowledge you have about train's . Stay safe . Look forward to seeing the next one .

I think that graffiti of the whale at about 3:25 is the works of artist David Choe. He rode the rails years ago and left this mark everywhere.

Praying 🙏 for you Shoestring...Army vet's are strong brother.... keep rolling!!

Hobo Shoestring, is more than a train rider by far he is a Encyclopedia of railway information simply amazing how much he know about the operation of trains. They should let him retire from the rail road with full benefits. I have never seen anyone who knows so much about trains.👍

Hi Mark, thank you for sharing. I love 🚂 trains! 🚂.

Hello from Ames, Iowa Shoestring. They actually took those speakers down, so now you here the real horns blowing. Love hearing them a lot better. Thanks for the video.

loved those intense train sounds... & another great video!! 😎👍

Man the awesome scenery that you have got to see and enjoy......keep the content coming

Good video. Stay alert. Stay focused. Get fixed up. Get healthy. And move on. Life is good.

Good to have you back buddy

First. I'm sure glad you're back to making videos miss seeing your videos

You need to make another video and let us what happen and keep making all your videos really enjoy them and always ride safe

It’s good to see that you seem to be feeling better, I was very excited to see this new video

Just started watching you use to work for the railroad lots of knowledge

Thank you for your documentation and insight on rail riding. It was always a dream of mine to do what you are doing. Love trains, love adventure, love traveling. A Road Less Traveled

"Even though its empty............" :::shows a car in the autorack................::: We still love you Shoe. Lol. But that made me laugh. Good luck!

Praying for you tonight Shoestring, and for your medical staff. God bless & keep you.

Always good to see you out and about. 🚂

Good to see you out and about again Shoestring. You're looking brighter and talking trains and riding them so that's good! Yeah, both lines blocked! That is not a good sign usually. Mind you, the train Tour at halt like that is rare and it's nice to see what's usually flashing by, a bit more up-close and how-it-works. I heard there was a derailment few days back up in Ohio(Jaw Tooth got the clean-up on film). I dunno if it was a cracked track/blocked track in a crossing or a bad expansion with the heat now, or both! Maybe what's going on with those two trains too, waiting on clean-up!. I just hope nobody got hurt, whatever the hold order is about. Well, summer's here this side of the Atlantic(the 4-4-0) too and I hope you get good weather all the way. Keep Safe and Keep Well, Shoestring. Cheers, now! (PS. Could ya keep us posted on what has caused the halt to rail traffic there? Cheers!)

The Auto Rack you looked inside was Loaded with Vehicles. They must use a Tool to Open or Cut the Seal Off.

Great video, lots of cool information. I have to admit, though, you kept me chuckling by playing with that crossing gate... and talking about Massengill road. 😂

ChainsawN&W1218, Your probably right about one of those situations, noticed when You looked inside that auto rack car is was loaded, hoping for the best with Your surgery 😊 🇺🇸, take care Brother.

That ONE pink container is Ocean Network Express, a Japanese shipping company. They are fairly new, at least in the United States anyway. Its always good to see our friend Hobo Shoestring along the mighty high iron!

I could literally listen to you just talk about anything random and I'd listen to every word.

Ticks and Chiggers are Bad now up here in STL. My brother and wife both removed a Tick within a day or two 50 miles from each other.

Hey Shoe another great video you are in my prayers brother

Boy"Shoestring just having a Great Day 😎I love the sound of metal grinding and squeaking down the tracks love this video Thank you" Stay safe read your bible brother- we're praying for you!!!💖

Another great video Mark. Don’t forget the shameless plug for your store. Self promotion will help. I still have to buy something, but inflation is killing my budget. Take care,

So interesting Shoestring. I felt like was there. God Bless You!

This was awesome, wish it went longer!

Shoestring.... Your the best... God Bless.... You are in our Prayers...

✊ damn good seeing you shufflin around brother M !! always love catching a new video of yours …

Good evening shoestring

Just texting Shoestring to say howdy we miss ya we can't wait to see ya back out there again soon from all of us followers

I have to say shoestring is a blessing to everyone. Stay strong my friend. From Kentucky

13:42 ONE (Ocean Network Express) decided to paint all its newly launched containers in a recognizable "magenta shade". The magenta color scheme was inspired by the cherry blossom trees, one of the national symbols of Japan, where the ONE companies are located.

Looking good, sounding good Shoestring!