Day 140
Truck trailer train
August 13th, 2010
I'm walking across America.
That's the idea, at least. I'm walking westward from New York City for nine months or so. If everything goes according to plan, I'll be in Oregon when the clock runs out. If nothing goes according to plan, maybe I'll end up in Peru or Mongolia or Pennsylvania. You can read all about the details of my trip if you're so inclined.
Email me at matt@imjustwalkin.com
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Here's my progress so far:
Is there a train trailer truck?
All we need are the tractors. Reminds me of duck…duck..duck………goose!
This is how REAL hobos go across the country
Or in MN – duck…duck…grey duck! :-)
you mean like this one http://www.hibblenradio.com/caboose.html ?
That’s one way to travel…. let the semi boxes ride the rails !!
Is anyone else having trouble w/ the big google map on top of the page?? Every time I try to click on it and move the map around to see where Matt’s been or headed it starts spinning to the right and just zooms across the page and won’t stop.
Just wondering…
MN Roxanne ~ I tried the google map and it worked for me…do the time honored fix that I always got from my computer friends in the IT Department….shut down your computer and try again. So simple and it always seemed to fix most things! Good Luck!
Roxie, what have you been sipping this afternoon? Hopefully not Bud and clamato.
**burp**……I thought that was over…..getting all sour tasting again…….Thanks bud…I did not need that.
ughhhh
Tractors Trailors and Trains…Oh My…….
definitely not Bud or clamato…. but thanks for all the tips… I’ll give them a try… (not the drinks..)
I have issues with Internet Explorer. With Google Chrome, it works..
Hmmm…I’ve always clicked in the little map to see where he actually is…never on the big one…maybe I oughta try it…but NEVER mix that with a Clamato. :)
I have always been facinated with trains. They havbe been around a long time and still are very valuable in moving not only frieght as in this picture but coal and other products.
Matt’s next trek should be as a train hobo across this vast land. Another way to see America that is different from auto travel.
I have been on the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad tour on the below list of top 10 best train trips in the USA! They are fun – http://www.americasbestonline.net/train.htm
Don,
I’ve done the Napa Valley Wine Train. Over-priced and over-rated.
I’m guessing sagebrush again? If I’m right, I’m really going to impress my botany friends!
Yes, sagebrush. Impress away. :)
Matt
I hope you do not have any ideas of putting the Mattmobile on one of those train cars and riding the wave, I mean train into Rockaway Beach,OR!
After reaching Rockaway Beach, does anyone know how many days Matt plans on taking off before he turns around and starts walking back home! :)
Matt has confirmed that he is flying home, ;-) But I bet he spends a day or two in Rockaway with family. SO wish I could be at the final destination to welcome him.
Just kidding…but I should could use another several months of this. Can you say DTs?
RIGHT? I know! What the hell with I do with my days now?? My favorite thing is grabbing a big cup of coffee each morning and visitng with Matt for an hour. ;-)
I heard from Matt last week… cause I’m going to Seattle the 1st week in Sept and wanted to be there to see him in at Rockway. He said he thought he’d be flying home around the 1st of Sept so I won’t get there in time… so bummed about that.
Oooh, sounds like a have a good shot at winning the pool. Joisy Jeff, are we allowed to share our guesstimates or are we not talking about them?
A little railroad history-
http://www.snopes.com/history/american/gauge.asp
Damn, I just realized Matt was already in Washington.
Actually, Robert, Matt’s in Oregon now!!!! such a walk star!!
ooopps , when I got my map to work looks like Matt’s still on the WA side… very close to Oregon though…
How many cars?
If you put your ear against the picture on the screen and listen to the vibrations through the rail you’ll hear somewhere between 107 and 109 cars. Because some of them are carrying more than one trailer, it’s tough to be more exact.
Oh Dad! You are too funny! I love your sense of humor.
Matt, are these the “box cars” you’ve been riding in on your way out west? lol. I’ve seen many trains like this. Rail is cheaper way to transport now with gas prices. Easier way too.
Man, two great examples of intermodal shipping in as many days. These semi trailers will ride the rails and the roads, and the doublestacks yesterday in the Columbia picture are likely coming from or headed to a container ship! Sea, rails and road. Now, if he’d just snap a picture of one of these, we’d cover just about every form of transportation that I can think of!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dhsquared/3945468/
I did try to find an HO version, cause frankly, it’s not clear that these trains aren’t O gauge. But in my heart, I know the real trains all run on three rails.
Well, ok. Not every form. But what I meant was land, sea, and air, somehow.
In some places in the prairie states there are literally miles and miles of these flatbed trailer rail cars parked. Since the economy tanked, we import less stuff from overseas and they aren’t being used as much, so they are parking them on unused sections of rail and siding.