Many young people romanticize a life of hopping a freight train for travelling the rails and some do go for it, believing it is better than what they left behind.
During the 1930’s, a time of desperation and bitter hardship, young people all searching for a better life took to travel by box car. What they discovered was a mixture of freedom, camaraderie, misery and loneliness; always ignoring the risks, it was mostly independence but not always good.
Part of history then was the haunts of the free thinking and free loving Bertha Thompson aka Boxcar Bertha. She was one helluva of a rugged woman’s hard-living depression-era saga of misadventures with pimps, hopheads, murderers and anarchists. She was coined “Sister of the Road” and a book and movies followed based loosely on her character.
For a variety of reasons freight hopping or the act of surreptitiously boarding and riding a railroad freight car, is still in vogue.
Then there were three teenagers in the seventies from Westmeath Township who had a planned adventure – untold until today. Their intent was only to hitchhike to Ottawa to meet chicks.
They were on old Highway 17 thumbing for a lift when they spotted a freight train slowing for the 5-mile crossing at Highway 17. The misadventure of their lives began! Without hesitation, they scaled a fence, raced down a hill and through a field until they were alongside the train and were able to enter the freight car on the fly.
One friend said, “I hope we get a ride all the way to Ottawa.” But they didn’t. The train had a different destination. Instead of Ottawa, they ended up in Smith Falls. One of them thought it was Niagara Falls but no such luck.
Realizing they had been on the wrong train, they jumped off and hopped on a different one from within the rail yard, not concerned where its destination might be. This new diversion was becoming exhilarating. This time they ended up in Toronto of all places. The rail yard was larger and more secure. Officers spotted them and gave chase. The guys raced across other sets of tracks with nimbleness and luck. They managed to escape without incident despite the imminent danger of running across the whole train yard at night with unseen inspection pits providing obstacles in their pathway.
Reverting to hitchhiking once again, they left the city for a neighbouring rural town where they bunked with friends for the night. They might have considered an easy gambit but didn’t. The temptation of box car escapades were in their blood. As one of the free spirits said, “Better to sleep in an uncomfortable bed free, than sleep in a comfortable bed unfree.” Even the ceaseless rattle and roar of the train became unnoticeable. Fears of being caught, derailing at night, running out of food and water or falling off the coupler while taking a pee, all but a blur with the beat of the train.
Day two with full bellies and renewed excitement they landed in another boxcar hoping this time that it was headed to Ottawa. They lucked out and got the cabin of the fourth engine, most comfortable so far. They just had to learn the system and routes better, this time the journey’s end was a small town called Coteau Landing on the east side of Montreal. The conductor wisely informed them that they were about to cross into the states. Change of plans.
The last jaunt was an open boxcar back to Cornwall and of course it rained. Both soaked and cold they used a laundromat to first dry their underwear. Then the rest of their clothes, while huddling in a corner in only the dry underwear hoping no one would come in. Next they negotiated at the Police Station to stay for the night. They were provided a solid breakfast in the morning. It was then decided, “No more freight cars for now,” and so they hitchhiked to Ottawa.
Within three hours they arrived there but only after three days of an amazing adventure. Thinking about it, they could have walked to Ottawa faster.
Some of us have extraordinary undertakings in our lives that are often of value to fall back on when overburdened in later years. These Westmeath Township teens had their memories, then moved on with a unique status, rather than riding the rails forever as a hobo.
Note: The facts in this are true but anonymity of persons involved is preferred.
