What did riding the rails mean?

What did riding the rails mean?

phrase. Someone who rides the rails travels by train, especially over a long period of time and without buying a ticket.

Who rode the rails in the Great Depression?

Riding the Rails during the Great Depression. Many people forced off the farm heard about work hundreds of miles away or even half a continent away. Often the only way they could get there was by hopping on freight trains, illegally. More than two million men and perhaps 8,000 women became hoboes.

Were there trains during the Great Depression?

Railroads during the Great Depression proved to endure much turmoil. American railroads entered into the 1930s with much uncertainty, as the genesis of the automobile was drastically cutting into their profits. In an attempt to increase profit, railroads increased their shipping tariffs on the freight they transported.

What was a hobo jungle?

The hobo jungle was a place to rest and repair while on the road outside of the city. Some were more permanent than others, but all shared the element of refuge, an out-of-the-way place where the hobo could eat, sleep, read a newspaper and wash himself before heading out again.

What were the reasons that teens left home during the Depression?

Some left home because they felt they were a burden to their families; some fled homes shattered by the shame of unemployment and poverty; some left because it seemed a great adventure. Whether with the blessings of parents or as runaways, they hit the road and went in search of a better life.

How fast did trains go in 1930?

However, these are just rail speed records. The maximum speed in revenue operation was much more modest but nevertheless important. In the 1930s, the top and the average speeds between two cities using steam, electric or diesel power were 180 km/h and 135 km/h respectively.

What was the transportation in the 1930s?

in the 1930’s the automobile was not a very popular way of transportation due to the great depression. although many people did drive their cars around during the depression many people took the bus instead. the newest car in the 1930’s was the hemp car built by Henry Ford.

Why were the railroads important during the Civil War?

Railroads provided fresh supplies of arms, men, equipment, horses, and medical supplies on a direct route to where armies were camped. Railroads were visible symbols of industry and modernity during the Civil War.

Where did 100000 Americans move to in order to escape the depression?

TIL 100,000 Americans moved to the Soviet Union during The Great Depression.

How many people rode the rails during the Great Depression?

This practice was referred to as ‘riding the rails’ and while present before the onset of the Great Depression, it became much more common during the height of the recession. Some estimates put the total number of migrants who rode the rails at over two million.

How did people migrate during the Great Depression?

One of the most famous ways in which people migrated during the timeframe of the Great Depression was by ‘riding the rails’ on trains. This issue will be discussed more below. Migration was a central component of life for many struggling working-class people in the United States during the Great Depression.

How did the depression affect the steam railroad?

Other small railroads made ends meet with federal mail contract subsidies. The Depression magnified the effects of competition from other modes of travel. For the first 50 years of its existence, the steam railroad enjoyed an unchallenged position as the principal form of public transportation.

What was the story of riding the rails?

Riding the Rails presents the poignant and little-known story of teen hobos during the 1930s, a time of desperation and bitter hardship. These young itinerant Americans were all searching for a better life; what they found was a mixture of freedom, camaraderie, misery, and loneliness.