RIP Hobo Shoestring ❤

Shoestring, your in my prayers. 100k + people wouldn't know what to do without you in our lives.

Obeying the 'gut feeling'...the sign of an experienced and wise traveler.

I came across your videos last weekend and have been hooked since the first one. I've been watching all your videos all week now... I just love what you do. My grandmother told me about train hobo's when I was a child, she had a hobo symbol on the back of her garage, the meaning was that her place was a place to get a good home-cooked meal and to get washed up a bit. She never let them come into the house but she fed them and let them use her garden hose... There was a short line railroad that hooked up with the then Santa Fe railroad in Wichita, Ks... Hoboing has always been a fascination for me. You've been an inspiration and just a plethora of railroad knowledge. I live in Argonia, Kansas now, there is a BNSF two-track high-speed main railway just 4 blocks from me, man they go through here fast...I can hear them coming from miles off, seems I can almost feel them first before their horns go off... A lot on IM's, mixed freight, and grain trains. There is also a huge, I mean big grain elevator about 10-12 miles East of me that is always full of grain hoppers getting filled up there... There's a small grain elevator about 15 miles West of me in Danville, Ks Enough of my rambling, so, Keep on keeping on them rails, Hobo Shoestring. May have safe travels.

Shoe, you're like a fine wine: you're getting better and better with age. Stay healthy and happy brother. Thanks for the the great vid.

Came upon this one today and it's one I hadn't seen before. Brought back some lovely memories of you Mark. Miss your cheerful bits of information and your love of discovering new things. Rest in peace my friend, God Bless.

I've been dealing with insomnia due to chronic pain any pills that made me sleep was never real sleep. It made me so drowsy and still felt like I never slept at all. Now I'm confined to a wheelchair most times due to 2 failed spinal fuisions. Thank you KING Shoestring for showing me the country in a way I will never safe trips my freind.

I remember when I was a young kid i wanted to put a dime on the tracks, someone told me that it could derail the train and for some reason I always believed it, I guess Shoestring has set me straight.

I learn so much from watching. I learned that even Shoestring the great Hobo has to “take a break” from his work. Pace yourself brother we need for you to keep us entertained.

I’m subscribed and watch because my Grandpa was a brakeman for SP$S. I was so excited to see you in Wishram in one video. I do enjoy all the explanations of how the trains pick up and drop off cars. I remember the sounds of the engine as they switched cars in Wishram. I appreciate your extensive knowledge of all things train related

Thank you Shoestring this made a great Saturday even better.

You’re looking a lot healthier. Keep taking care of yourself, you’re doing well from what you show.

When the hazmat placard has the number 1987, it's ethanol. Really flammable stuff!

Hello Mark! Everything about Riding the High Iron is a Thrill for you. Smart to toss the Meds. 👍

Glad you got the automatic switch in operation. That was really cool to see!

Im happy youtube suggested me your vids Mr. Shoestring. I like when u are recording on the move from cadillacs but your stories from past and hints about planting or making camps are also welcome. We never know if/when world we know gonna end and that stuff could be really handy.

I really enjoy you Shoestring talking about the workings of the railroad, and watching your adventures.

It pays to listen to that funny feeling it has saved me many times.

Very good to see you back to videoing...can't wait to see your ride out! Glad your appointments went okay... Now then... I haven't seen your glasses in the last couple of videos , where are they? Have fun be safe glad to see you out...keep on and God bless!.. in about another 2-3 weeks I can go back to driving... Thank God for cataract surgery... It's truly amazing thing when you haven't been able to see good for the last two or three years and then boom.. you can!! Wear your glasses when you can....

Another video. You've made my day even better man. I love all the updates and adventures.

Hope you do an unboxing video for your 100k subscriber award when you get it. It's no small feat for our favorite KZfaq hobo! Happy to have this video to watch today and hope you're happy traveling Mark!

Those covered gons actually have steel coils in them. That’s why they’re covered. One of the covers said “commercial metals company” on it.

Great video Shoestring! I love hearing how those trains operate with the switching and all! Awesome to see how that switch moves! Thanks for sharing!

Love perusing the the gondolas the box cars and the grainer's for a perfect ride, waiting is a good theory. Good experience and knowledge makes the call. Good detective work.

Pick and choose. With no schedule you can afford to wait for the right ride. Comfort and safety for the experienced rider. Thanks, String.

Thanks for the AMAZING video. I've watched every video that is available on KZfaq of yours. Stay safe out there. Your in my daily prayers bud.🙏🇺🇸🙏🇺🇸

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

Keep doing what you’re doing brother. Stay safe!!

Pleased your appointments went ok. Congratulations for award. Great to see you back out again, I sense your spirits are lifted and you are happy. Stick with those gut feelings ànd take care. Bob in UK

All the best to you shoestring, i like the videos and the stories, the railroad tech talk , the tank car with the steel protection plates ,i never saw or notice on them before, as a model railroader i see somthing new and interesting on your channel .Take care keep checking in with your doctors as a fan i want you be happy and healthy.

Mr. Shoestring chosing his ride. 🎶"You gotta to know when to hold up, know when to fold up, know when to walk away, know when to run."🎶 😁🚂 Safe travels luv! 🛤

Melatonin is a drug free sleep aid. I take one 5 MG 30 minutes before laying down You can find it in the vitamin section at the grocery store. Hope you can get some rest Buddy. Glad you are back on the rails! God Bless!

#Shoestring Loved the track switch first time seeing in person move. Congratulations on your youtube award. Great job!

Many of us who love trains and train yards but don't care for Freezing Winds (N.D), Snowstorms (ILL) Baking Hot (MO.) Mosquitos (AL.) and Rain everywhere AND love our warm beds. Thanks for Shoestring and his videos.

Pill pushing Dr. Glad you tossed them in the trash!

Great video Shoestring. Those covered gondolas probably have coils of steel in them, I’ve seen them placed in gons before or if you see covered gons it could have what they call ‘dirty dirt’, contaminated soil being sent to be treated somewhere. Thanks for posting 👍🏼😎🇺🇸

Good to see you Shoestring! I look forward following along on your trip. Be safe and be well, sir! You’re in my home state! I do miss Ol’ Virginny’

Congrats on the 100k. I'd love to meet you (and buy you lunch) at "Pigs Eye" (St. Paul) sometime. There are 2000+ year old "Indigenous Peoples" mounds just up the bluff from there. Kind of interesting to walk around there. Spooky place.

Doctor, I have trouble sleeping. Doctor: Here's a horse tranq. And a compound fracture in my leg. Same doctor: Here's a splint made of 2x4's and a couple aspirin.

Safe travels, my friend. You mentioned heading to PA....my home state! Would be awesome to meet up with you, but I have no idea when or if you'd make a stop, in my town.

Another new classic,thanks for the switch demo,in the movies somebody gets there foot stuck when a train comes.funny that's the movies

Shoestring, Those plates on the tank cars are called "head shields" They are to keep the coupler from piercing the end of the tank cars during a derailment as you said,🚂

Hey been watching your videos for about three months now and have subscribed to your channel love all the videos Well shoestring you got some rest at least I think it’s so cool listening to your stories and all the different trains and I think it’s neat watching you waiting for a train

"...Two feet and yer tongue" xD

You need a pair of good noise canceling headphones or commercial grade earplugs to stuff in your ears while moving then leave them out at night..I don't blame your ears thoes freight trains are DAMN LOUD

Safe travels brother.

Really nice seeing you out and about. Send video and Stay Safe

I find your videos very interesting Shoestring. It's a world that is fascinating to me and I get to see it a bit through you. Thanks. And good advice... always trust your gut.

Glad you finally caught out. You can tell that your spirits are up and you are enjoying the ride. Thanks for taking us along. Be safe brother!!

A pair of Stealth buzzards! As soon as I seen your video I was on it. Glad you give us videos, Thank YOU so much.

I’m disabled for 15 years. Back injury. Take 2 tramadol 50. Pills Everyday for 2 years . Only for pain not sleeping. No side effects. Thank you for your video.😊

I was actually prescribed trazadone once before to help me sleep as well. I know exactly what you're talking about, when you mentioned how you felt in the morning. It's like a brain fog and you just feel like your brain is getting a "fuzzy" reception, where you feel like you're just not able to focus on anything. Wasn't a fan of that either, didn't take it after that first time. It would definitely be a bad idea for you to take it while you're out riding. Could put you in a bad spot.

Shoestring is Bob Ross of railroad.

Brother, once again, you show us all that there is a lot of time spent, just making sure to make the correct decisions. It shows your knowledge and experience but most of all your patience to allow a ride to just go on. You once said in a previous video that we never get the chance to see the time spent waiting between rides. If you have an opportunity, maybe you can sit and explain to us how this has changed over the 30+ years you have been riding. Explain what it was like to sit back 30 years ago and now with the age of cell phones and instant data. Be safe out there brother and as always - in my best drill SGT voice - Drink Water!!!!!!!!!!

I'm glad you dumped the drugs, you don't need that in your system. I hope you caught a great ride out. Fab to see you back ' in the wild'.

So glad ur up and trying to get on the road again!! Today I saw a good sized freight train in the Bronx,a first I never saw here,sitting on the Amtrak track?! Well stay warm,you'll catch ur train,enjoy and godspeed!

Trazedone will kick your as”. My VA gave me that. I took one pill & twelve hours later I finally woke up. Safe travels my fellow Veteran.

Hey Shoestring, I use a broken half of a Tylenol 500 mg. PM and it works better than counting boxcars and 1 whole one if I cut the grass or wrestle a tire rotation, and while we're at it try those tan Breath-Right strips too. The Breath-Right strips get you more O'2 for the sleepy brain. Super happy to see you video'n, Thank's buddy!

Good to see u riding the rails and thanks for the tour of the railroad 🚂🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚂🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃☕🍩👍

The leaves will be changing soon , warning that cold is on the way. Remember to turn your boots upside-down, I just beat myself up when they fill up with snow while I slept. I loved the no pressure freedom too. I got older and fragile. Getting old isn't for the squeamish is it. Long may you run my friend. In a Cadillac grainer.. comfort and joy, Shoestring. 👍❤✌

thanks for your videos. They help me relax.

Great Video! Love the rock being crushed and the electric switch. Hey where you heading in Pennsylvania?? If your near Altoona or Johnstown look me up! Get some rest Shoestring! Cant wait to find out where your heading? B Safe. Shoestring Nation#1...

Well ya almost caught a ride Shoestring. Get some good sleep. Take care and have a good one. 👍👍👍❤️🙏

Loved seeing the switch actually move.

Melatonin makes me dream all kinds of crazy and scary stuff! Why is that' or am I the only one that it does it to man it's scary!!!

I'm on the same line but I'm going south. Watching this video just couple miles from where you were. 😄

You mean there is no whistles on that tail end, nice , I know-they are air horns, but they call them train whistles W on a stick coming up to the crossings at the regulated area , and at that spot is where they blow the whistle , loll right good job, thanks BigAl California.praise Jesus grace Christ amen 🙏

I work for RCX drive in Georgia for CSX. Love working with these railroad crew's. Worked PTI before RCX took over.

That southbound is NS 201 (Allentown, PA - Memphis, TN). The general manifest freight cars from 15T (Allentown - Memphis - Irondale, AL) and 16T are now combined with 201 and 202 as part of Norfolk Southern's precision scheduled railroading.

I used to house train hoppers when I could. I miss those days a bit. Wish I could help on that level again. I would cook what I had, let anyone use my shower and even wash their clothes and shit. Just where I live,the train is industrial aka 7 cars max. Mostly from the small rail built for industrial purposes. Nothing like the long lines that could actually track ground. No one knows this rail is a thing and it doesn't go past 18 miles.

When I see that Graffiti, and my house needs Painting .The fancier the better Tag My House!

Look forward to seeing the progress of this ride!

Awesome video ! Glad see on rail travels .

Mark shoestring has 30 years of total rail road info, once in a lifetime I love to travel around watching the U.S.A. some of the most fascinating awesome places in our country wow thank you Mark Railroad shoestring Ride On Brother 🚆🚊🚆🚉🚆

Nice video shoestring.. love your shots on the trains..

Hey shoestring I'm from Kingsport and I've got sleep problems to so I had to have a sleep study done, been going to do this for 30 Year's but finally did and it showed I have moderately to sever sleep apnea, I stop breathing 38 times a hour for a few seconds for some unknown reason and so many people have it and can get help like I did, I hated the machine at first but after I got 6 to 8 hours of sleep man I felt like a teenager again love you man and I know you may need this I'm 62 now.

4:12 Amen, hobo. You can always put on enough clothing to stay warm but you can get in a lot of trouble if you shed too much to try to stay cool.

I have been watching your channel for a short time. It's like your a fine friend I'm just starting to get to know. Fantastic views from around our great country. All that you show and do for every experience, should be a value rather than a person willing to write out useless tickets and fines. They really should be giving you monetary for being an advertising spokesperson. I will always continue to watch. Have done so fo r hours at a time. Best wishes and good health. Be safe and rewarded at least from the higher power of life around us. Respectfully true . Stevo.

Always enjoy watching you Shoe , thanks my friend 👍👌

You'll sleep fine on the train. Friend of mine takes 1 over the counter Benadryl at night. Really helps her sleep. Don't know if that's anything you can tolerate...

😎 That trazadone can put a hitch in your giddyup for sure … travel safe my friend & enjoy this beautiful weather…

Glad your back out there. Stay safe.

Great video Shoestring. Very interesting info. I'm glad you got that switch change as I had ever seen that happen before. Happy riding and stay safe!! Cheers

I've been watching your videos for 2 week's I have to say I in joy 😊

Shoestring- your life is what the movie Easy Rider is about only your story is a true-life story that details, step by step, the pursuit of happiness, following your heart and above all freedom and the bravery required to enjoy such freedom. Thank you, Mr. Shoestring! You're a credit to every man, woman or child who calls themselves "free". Take care of yourself, my friend. You have more friends than you'll ever know about. And thank you for being you and for keeping America the home of the free because of the brave. I've been told I have an ancestor that was both a gandy dancer and a hobo and watching your videos "ignites" something in my soul or my DNA (not sure which) but I can't quell this uprising. Nor would I want to. The next time you find yourself near Boston you have a fried clam lunch coming your way.

Congrats on the 100K Subs man! Ill get there in a month or so!

The train had to clear the signal for the dispatcher to throw the switch.

Like Loretta said, Happy Rails friend!

Congratulations on 100k.

Done with the doc and on the move!!!

I made the top 10 lol, glad all is done for now. Glad your back enjoying yourself Shoestring, happy rails to you!

Congratulation on 100K, Shoestring! Cheers! Whipple

much love, Shoestring. safe travels, from alamosa, Colorado

Love ya buddy!! Glad to see you are out doing your thing!!

Very cool, I have never seen an automatic switch operate before. Thank you

Melatonin 10 mg over the counter for sleep it's a supplement, Doctors will give you what ever makes them the most$$$$$,you did the right thing by throwing that garbage away,it will only result in hindering your train catching ability, not a risk I would want to take!✌🚂

12:08 "You could ride up in there on that gondola" I am not sure if NS uses the same design on all their MOW Tie gondolas, but I have climbed up on a few of those, and despite looking like having an enclosed cozy porch like a Cadillac grainer, they all had Completely open floors. Be careful shoestring! Good luck on your trip!

WOW, crushed that stone to salt.

I have trouble sleeping too. Unisom works well for me. Doesn't make my head foggy and you can find it anywhere for reasonably cheap

That BBQ tanker train was full of Acetone (1090), Ethanol (1987), and Liquified Petroleum Gas (1075). Best to wait that one out.