Congratulations on finally getting west out of Chicago. You are right about the barge and the bridge. I imagine there's a pretty good swash of barge paint on the bridge.
Hello! Dunno if you remember me, but I'm that guy who sat with you for lunch on the California Zephyr alongside the couple from Lafayette! After you mentioned your TH-cam channel and freight hopping, I've been meaning to look it up! Glad it wasn't too hard to find!
I would think it’s gotta get so boring on those tug boats moving 2mph. Navigating those waters and through the bridge is respectable for sure. Those tugs definitely have some power. Great footage and drone work. 🚂🔥🔥
Forty one years as an engineer on those boats here... It's basically days and days of routine and boredom interspersed with a half hour of pure terror every once in a while, and then home for thirty days. :-)
Hey George, great to see you back out on the rails. Congratulations on finally catching that westbound out of Chicago. Try riding the historic Monon southbound in Indiana (CSX Monon Subdivision) through Lafayette (Purdue University) and on south through Crawfordsville into Greencastle where it connects with the double-track CSX main at CP39. That’s 1 mile from my home. From there I could give you a ride east to Avon Yard or west to the yard at Terre Haute.
I remember as a kid going to visit my cousin in Rock Falls, across the river from Sterling, and noticed the river was yellow from the chemicals pouring out of the manufacturing there. Most of the manufacturing is gone and people fish in the Rock River now. I couldn't imagine a fish living in the river then. I remember when they built the nuke plant at Dixon and my uncle said that the plant in event of a meltdown would drain the river in 10 minutes.
I worked the Upper in the late eighties/early nineties; that bridge is hard to make southbound in high water. Looks like the current got him and set him over on the bridge's shear fence. They got out OK with no damage though. Great drone work!
@@Jumpingoffthecliff, days and days of routine and boredom broken up every now and again with a few minutes of sheer terror! Think about the engineer's situation on the M/V Dali when the lights went out in the minutes before they hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Retired now, and there's little of it that I miss. The time off was great; work a month, off a month with pay. 🙂
@@Jumpingoffthecliff, days of routine and boredom, broken up every once in a while with a few minutes of sheer terror! Think about the position that the engineers on the M/V Dali were in when the lights went out in the minutes before they hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, and what the mad scramble to get things back on line again was like, and you'll get a good idea of what it can be. Retired now, and there's very little of it that I miss, it's good to be home, and I know that the only thing that will wake me up at 0330 is a thunderstorm. :-) The time off was great; work a month, and get a month off with pay!
I have crossed the Route 30 bridge many times over the river. The Corps of Engineers has declared that bridge as a navigation hazard and it is scheduled to be replaced. It is a cool looking bridge and is historic. However, it needs to go.
Good too see you back George. You need too meet up with the Yard Buzzards n do a few videos with them n take a long trip together. Believe a lot o people would agree with me.
Ahhh.. Thank you, George! We needed that one. I loved the old switcher at 9:20. It flashes by quick, but it looks like an EMD sw1200. One stack, tho... 70's model?
@@Jumpingoffthecliff kinda like fishing. If it was guaranteed fishing would be called catching. On a similar note, train riding should be called waiting
Great to see you back out George! You rolled right past my house while you were sleeping. I’m right by the tracks in DeKalb. Looking forward to watching the rest of your adventure. Thanks for taking us along.
I’m sitting in the Kingsley Inn in Ft Madison looking down into the containers car wells wondering if I’ll see you hiding from the police. So far, n George. But, the swing bridge was brushed again by a tug boat for the second time in two weeks. The bridge was stuck Open for three hours until BNSF inspected it. One train was stopped outside my window and I got to show my wife where you ride and hide. Stay safe.
Wow, how cool to be staying at the Kingsley Inn! Fort Madison is truly special. I'm afraid the swing bridges days are numbered and my guess, the BNSF will beat the U.P. and replace Fort Madison.
Hi george, a quick question. I am sure this question has been asked many times before but it's difficult to search through the comments to find it. I like your drone videos. What brand and model of drone are you using to capture the video.s? Thank you very much
I use a DJI Mini 4 Pro. I updated from a Mini 2 because I have to have remote ID out as a commercial pilot. I liked the Mini 2 and wouldn't have upgraded if not for remote ID.
Lower Mississippi runs 7-Wide and 40-45 Barges Total. “marktwaind” (Captain Kyle) TH-cam Channel Runs North of STL down to New Orleans. Amazing River Activity.👍
Coming from down south, I unfortunately know chiggers all to well;) These are definitely little ants. They remind me of fire ants from down south, but they aren't quite as potent.
Yes, and the sudden application of full power was interesting. The next day a petroleum barge of some kind, maybe LNG, had a tug added to the front to guide it through and they went very slowly past the bridge with plenty of space on both sides.
@@Jumpingoffthecliff Those types of tows have to have a "bridge assist" by law. The tow that came close to the bumper wall was way out of whack, I've never seen one that close, although the current is horrendous right there. He could have radioed ARTCO for bridge assist but with as few barges as he had, I think he just misjudged.
@@Jumpingoffthecliff The pilot of the barge starts off very close to the bank. They seem to take a strange angle maybe because the current is very strong.
@@TCRailRoad it did seem like a strange angle. I wondered if it was because they were planning to maneuver below the bridge. That seems to be an area where they consolidate barges. I think a full tow on the upper river is fifteen barges.
@Jumpingoffthecliff IIRC Clinton is always been a pain in the keister for the bargemen as you could see by the maneuvering to line up for the bridge. Guess the plan is for the swing span to be replaced with a lift span
Dude, I go to college for 4 years in a month an a half. I want to catch and a train and feel the wind before I have to go to school. Please contact me or help me with the sauce to find the correct trains and train yard. 1 day ago, and it’s in Chicago, this is perfect.
It’s not quite that simple. I would suggest finding someone in your area that rides trains, they’ll be much better equipped to help you and ideally show you the ropes first hand.
It depends, it isn't too hard depending on the type of ride, where it is in the train and how fast the train is traveling. The further back you are on a manifest the more violent the slack action. On an IM traveling at 50mph say, it's really smooth and easy to sleep.
Job? I've been more or less retired since I was 59 when I sold my airplane and my wife and I hit the road wandering the country living full time in our diesel pusher RV. I'm 67 now, and we settled down and sold the RV a couple years ago so I wander on my own occasionally to fulfill my nomadic spirit. That's how it works when you ignore folks who tell you to "get a job". I found it to be far more lucrative to start my own ventures and live life on my terms. Thanks for watching though.
Yes, I dropped a few pounds. I’m using Trulicity for my diabetes and one of the side effects is losing a few pounds. Plus I always drop a few pounds on the road, but that comes back pretty quickly when I get home;)
Wonder how old that bridge is @12:35 Wonder how many regular passengers vs. stealth passengers have ridden across it. Beautiful day! 🌞 Also that's outstanding footage of the swing bridge! 👍
This video could not have come at a better time. Time to kick back and relax. Thanks, George.
👍 😊
Brother this is the first train hopping video I have watched since the passing of shoestring. That really messed me up. You never know!!
@@jessewellens6188 he got back from seeing his doctor and they found him in the lake behind his apartment
Good catch. The barge pilot was not where he wanted to be and was sweating it I'm betting. lol Thanks for the video!
Noticed he had er throwed in reverse to get his lead barges over
Welcome back George, great video and I am looking forward to watching the rest of your hop.
Enjoyed the ride on the high iron and the footage of swing bridge on the mighty Mississippi River in action!🛤🚂
Congratulations on finally getting west out of Chicago. You are right about the barge and the bridge. I imagine there's a pretty good swash of barge paint on the bridge.
Wow! That's was soooo close 😳 loving the videos from 🏴🇬🇧
Right around 17:00 is when that tug fires up his engines, boy do they sound like classic EMD 567's!
Thanks George! I always enjoy your videos! I will be hitting the road soon! First stop LSE my favorite place!
You are a gem. Never change, George.
Beautiful photography. Cheers!
Hello! Dunno if you remember me, but I'm that guy who sat with you for lunch on the California Zephyr alongside the couple from Lafayette! After you mentioned your TH-cam channel and freight hopping, I've been meaning to look it up! Glad it wasn't too hard to find!
Glad you found it! I always enjoy the meeting folks in the fiber!
I would think it’s gotta get so boring on those tug boats moving 2mph. Navigating those waters and through the bridge is respectable for sure. Those tugs definitely have some power. Great footage and drone work. 🚂🔥🔥
Forty one years as an engineer on those boats here...
It's basically days and days of routine and boredom interspersed with a half hour of pure terror every once in a while, and then home for thirty days. :-)
Hey George, great to see you back out on the rails. Congratulations on finally catching that westbound out of Chicago. Try riding the historic Monon southbound in Indiana (CSX Monon Subdivision) through Lafayette (Purdue University) and on south through Crawfordsville into Greencastle where it connects with the double-track CSX main at CP39. That’s 1 mile from my home. From there I could give you a ride east to Avon Yard or west to the yard at Terre Haute.
Ok, it's on the list!
I remember as a kid going to visit my cousin in Rock Falls, across the river from Sterling, and noticed the river was yellow from the chemicals pouring out of the manufacturing there. Most of the manufacturing is gone and people fish in the Rock River now. I couldn't imagine a fish living in the river then. I remember when they built the nuke plant at Dixon and my uncle said that the plant in event of a meltdown would drain the river in 10 minutes.
No nuke plant in Dixon….but….upstream a way closer to Rockford in Byron….
Global 2 intermodal facility at Proviso Yard west on the UP West Line ( part of the original Overland Route ) westward across northern Illinois……
Thanks for sharing your adventures, safe travels
Amazing footage George!! now I know how the bridge operates near my ramp office where I use to work.
I worked the Upper in the late eighties/early nineties; that bridge is hard to make southbound in high water. Looks like the current got him and set him over on the bridge's shear fence. They got out OK with no damage though. Great drone work!
Wow, that must have been interesting work!
@@Jumpingoffthecliff, days and days of routine and boredom broken up every now and again with a few minutes of sheer terror! Think about the engineer's situation on the M/V Dali when the lights went out in the minutes before they hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Retired now, and there's little of it that I miss. The time off was great; work a month, off a month with pay. 🙂
@@Jumpingoffthecliff, days of routine and boredom, broken up every once in a while with a few minutes of sheer terror! Think about the position that the engineers on the M/V Dali were in when the lights went out in the minutes before they hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, and what the mad scramble to get things back on line again was like, and you'll get a good idea of what it can be.
Retired now, and there's very little of it that I miss, it's good to be home, and I know that the only thing that will wake me up at 0330 is a thunderstorm. :-)
The time off was great; work a month, and get a month off with pay!
Thanks George! Hope you’re doing okay, buddy. Sorry to hear about the cap. Beautifully shot and put together as always.
I generally lose about one a year, just enough to keep replacing them before I have to break down and wash them;)
I have crossed the Route 30 bridge many times over the river. The Corps of Engineers has declared that bridge as a navigation hazard and it is scheduled to be replaced. It is a cool looking bridge and is historic. However, it needs to go.
Good too see you back George.
You need too meet up with the Yard Buzzards n do a few videos with them n take a long trip together.
Believe a lot o people would agree with me.
Nice video. Safe travels George.
“Office building full of cubicles” is the DuPage County jail
Haha, well, there you go;)
right down the road from my house :D
Nice drone footage. Keep smiling,!
Ahhh.. Thank you, George! We needed that one. I loved the old switcher at 9:20. It flashes by quick, but it looks like an EMD sw1200. One stack, tho... 70's model?
great feeling when it all works out. stay safe
Yes, key word, when, lol. As you know first hand, that's not a given;)
@@Jumpingoffthecliff kinda like fishing. If it was guaranteed fishing would be called catching. On a similar note, train riding should be called waiting
@@mb_ haha, yes, waiting!
Shoestring would be proud of you for doing this ride and it’s good to see you again on the rails
Shoestring was a narc
I concur!
@@shawnlarock9159 why would you think that. He was a kind and good man
Great to see you back out George! You rolled right past my house while you were sleeping. I’m right by the tracks in DeKalb.
Looking forward to watching the rest of your adventure. Thanks for taking us along.
I know there is some nice catfish in Mississippi River. Coen meal, salt and hot sauce
Good one George 🚂🚃🚃👍
I’m sitting in the Kingsley Inn in Ft Madison looking down into the containers car wells wondering if I’ll see you hiding from the police. So far, n George. But, the swing bridge was brushed again by a tug boat for the second time in two weeks. The bridge was stuck
Open for three hours until BNSF inspected it. One train was stopped outside my window and I got to show my wife where you ride and hide. Stay safe.
Wow, how cool to be staying at the Kingsley Inn! Fort Madison is truly special. I'm afraid the swing bridges days are numbered and my guess, the BNSF will beat the U.P. and replace Fort Madison.
Great video and nice scenery. Just curious, if you get hurt or killed who will your family sue?
@@rickhammer2374haha, they wouldn't waste money on futility. I'm unaware of any hobo lawsuits, successful or otherwise.
Nice shots… drone footage
If your talking about Berkley by global 2 yard, the cops always get called on us, and they show up at least 3 deep
My understanding is that bridge is a pretty tricky one to get through
I watched a hazmat barge go through the next day and they attached a tow boat to the front to help guide it through. Seemed like a good idea!
Hi george, a quick question. I am sure this question has been asked many times before but it's difficult to search through the comments to find it.
I like your drone videos. What brand and model of drone are you using to capture the video.s?
Thank you very much
I use a DJI Mini 4 Pro. I updated from a Mini 2 because I have to have remote ID out as a commercial pilot. I liked the Mini 2 and wouldn't have upgraded if not for remote ID.
@@Jumpingoffthecliff Thank you. Time for me to investigate
Have you flown the drone while riding the train? I bet that would be risky.
No, I, afraid I would lose it, but it would make for some cool video!
What station was that you passed at @5:41 ?... paused the video, sign blurry.
I'm not sure, I'll see if I can figure it out.
Not this skipper’s first rodeo most know what they’re doing
I am captain that pushes those barges.
That last looks like one of those jobs of calm periods interrupted by sudden problems!
@@Jumpingoffthecliff it’s 95% boredom 5% sheer terror.
Lower Mississippi runs 7-Wide and 40-45 Barges Total. “marktwaind” (Captain Kyle) TH-cam Channel Runs North of STL down to New Orleans. Amazing River Activity.👍
Hi did anyone find out what really happened to shoestring??
I'm not sure we'll ever know exactly, but I don't think there was any evidence of foul play.
@@Jumpingoffthecliffhi just thought I’d ask. Maybe he just fell in who knows
Hey awesome video. What do you use to video edit?
I use Final Cut Pro.
Are you gonna make a train hopping video on Independence Day 🎆?
Hmmm, I doubt if I'll be riding on the Fourth, but you never know.
George...the biting ants are called chiggers.
Coming from down south, I unfortunately know chiggers all to well;) These are definitely little ants. They remind me of fire ants from down south, but they aren't quite as potent.
BTW, I hope you're doing well. I'll buy you a beer at the SE next time I see you there!
Dang! He ran that barge alil crooked past Bobbi didn't he.
Yes, and the sudden application of full power was interesting. The next day a petroleum barge of some kind, maybe LNG, had a tug added to the front to guide it through and they went very slowly past the bridge with plenty of space on both sides.
@@Jumpingoffthecliff Those types of tows have to have a "bridge assist" by law. The tow that came close to the bumper wall was way out of whack, I've never seen one that close, although the current is horrendous right there. He could have radioed ARTCO for bridge assist but with as few barges as he had, I think he just misjudged.
What day is your birthday on.
October 7th.
💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚
Beware, Karen's are everywhere.
5:58 you attended church.
Interesting as usual, however the foul language leaves adds zero and leaves a lot to be desired. Anyway, safe riding.
I prefer the authentic raw uncensored adult version. If you said it, lets hear it…
Deindustrialization of this once great country, makes me sick to my stomach….
" FEELS GOOD OUT ON A TRAIN , HAVING A
ADVENTURE. "
HATE YOU GEORGE...
SOOOOO JEALOUS..... LOL
===DRIFTER===
Hahaha, I understand;)
Just got you notification
Now shoe string is gone.will u take over,.I would love to see u in my video's....
Hi George, That barge was so close to hitting the barrier. Nice drone footage. Great to see you back out on the tracks. Cool Video.
I’m curious if that’s common to run that close to the barrier.
@@Jumpingoffthecliff The pilot of the barge starts off very close to the bank. They seem to take a strange angle maybe because the current is very strong.
@@TCRailRoad it did seem like a strange angle. I wondered if it was because they were planning to maneuver below the bridge. That seems to be an area where they consolidate barges. I think a full tow on the upper river is fifteen barges.
George i am glad you able to get back on track again have fun and take care.
@Jumpingoffthecliff IIRC Clinton is always been a pain in the keister for the bargemen as you could see by the maneuvering to line up for the bridge. Guess the plan is for the swing span to be replaced with a lift span
If you want to know where George has been,look for wayward " hats" along the tracks!😊
The crazy thing, I had my hoody on to help keep my hat contained and a big gust of wind still yanked my hat off!
Make America great Again hats 😂😂
George you are the only train jockey that I subscribe to because your videos are so well done and informative.
The guy that called the cops on you was probably jealous he wasn’t able to go anywhere 😊. Nice clip stay safe..
Definitely worth waiting for. Another bang-up job. Your camera gets great colors.
The part where you crossed the Mississippi was cool! Another great video.
Good video, George! I enjoyed your narration of what we're seeing. Be careful riding the rails-there aren't many left!
Love your videos! Its a highlight of my day when you post. I never get to see a barge up close like that. Thank you so much!
привет из России!берегите себя.
It looks like you’re no longer banned in Russia, George.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏finally a video.
Im doing hi line very soon
New subscriber. I like adventure channel's like this.
Welcome aboard!
Watching that tow get lined up and get after it was AWESOME. That boat has EMD 567s in it... exactly what older EMD locomotives had.
Welcome back on the rails. You were missed. Was the wife apprehensive about you leaving?
Not too apprehensive. She knows I'll find a quick way home when needed.
Dude, I go to college for 4 years in a month an a half. I want to catch and a train and feel the wind before I have to go to school. Please contact me or help me with the sauce to find the correct trains and train yard. 1 day ago, and it’s in Chicago, this is perfect.
It’s not quite that simple. I would suggest finding someone in your area that rides trains, they’ll be much better equipped to help you and ideally show you the ropes first hand.
How hard is it to sleep on the cars? I would think all the banging and squeaking would make it almost impossible.
It depends, it isn't too hard depending on the type of ride, where it is in the train and how fast the train is traveling. The further back you are on a manifest the more violent the slack action. On an IM traveling at 50mph say, it's really smooth and easy to sleep.
Boats have the right of way over trains. Interesting fact.
Yes, I think back in the day the fought the whole concept of bridges across the Mississippi.
Stop trespassing get a job
Job? I've been more or less retired since I was 59 when I sold my airplane and my wife and I hit the road wandering the country living full time in our diesel pusher RV. I'm 67 now, and we settled down and sold the RV a couple years ago so I wander on my own occasionally to fulfill my nomadic spirit. That's how it works when you ignore folks who tell you to "get a job". I found it to be far more lucrative to start my own ventures and live life on my terms. Thanks for watching though.
Did you lose weight?
Yes, I dropped a few pounds. I’m using Trulicity for my diabetes and one of the side effects is losing a few pounds. Plus I always drop a few pounds on the road, but that comes back pretty quickly when I get home;)
I watch barges at Coffeeville Lock and Dam here in Coffeeville, Alabama. Tombigbee River has big alligators.
🚂💨💨💨💨 Thanks for taking us along George !!stay safe & keep making those precious memories. Fabulous Video !!
Wonder how old that bridge is @12:35
Wonder how many regular passengers vs. stealth passengers have ridden across it. Beautiful day! 🌞
Also that's outstanding footage of the swing bridge! 👍
A cliffhanger!
Thanks for taking us along George. Enjoyed your drone footage of the bridge. What a classic location.
Was stopped on the highway many times back when I was employed as driver for Red Cross. Thanks to your video, I now know why.
You displayed a good George Shadow at time stamp 24:06.
Thumbs up before watching. great to see you again.
Great video George, that barge capt. Cut er pretty tight!!!
God bless you, sir, safe travels on all your adventures 🙏
Real neat I&M Switch Engine spotting at 10:26!
Thanks George on the ride out was great video
awesome video, that swing bridge was cool to see. what kind of camera do you use when you're filming on the train?
I use a Sony 4K camcorder or a GoPro or my iPhone.
Thanks George from New York
Love this, thanks for sharing!
Welcome back. Nice to see you.
Safe travels dude
WOW you sure miss you !!! Hope this year you have a couple more videos in the bag !! Hope the wife is doing well !!!!
meant to say we
How do you get back home after train hopping? Do you always train hop back or do you fly back?
If I have the time I hop back. Sometimes I cheat and take Amtrak.
Glad to see you out on the rails again I'll be patiently waiting for part 2 be safe.Here in the Ozarks
Thanks Matt!
George, you look like you’ve lost some weight. Amirite?
Yes, I'm on Trulicity for my type II diabetes and one of the side effects is dropping a few pounds which never hurts;)
Sorry about the hat. Great video of the bridge!
I really enjoyed chatting with the bridge operator, Bobbi.
Thank you, George.
You're welcome Mark!