Freight Train Riders of America facts for kids
The Freight Train Riders of America (FTRA) is a group of people who travel across America by riding on freight trains. This way of traveling is sometimes called "catching out." Members of the FTRA mostly travel in the northwestern United States and southwestern Canada. They are known for their unique way of life, moving from place to place on trains.
What is the FTRA?
The FTRA is sometimes thought to have started in 1984. Some stories say it was founded by a group of Vietnam War veterans in a bar in Montana. Members of the FTRA describe themselves as a loose group of people. They share a similar lifestyle of traveling by train. They aim to support each other as they move around the country.
How They Travel
FTRA members are often found along the BNSF Railway's Hi-Line. This long train route goes all the way from Chicago to Seattle. Along this route, members often sleep in places like train yards, under bridges, or inside empty boxcars. This allows them to stay close to the trains they ride.
Related Groups
There is another group that came from the FTRA. It is called the Blood Bound Railroad Gang. Members of this group can be told apart by the red bandanas they wear. This is different from the FTRA, whose members often wear black bandanas.
Current Status
In 2011, a spokesperson for the BNSF railway, Gus Melonas, said that the FTRA and similar ways of riding trains had mostly disappeared. This means that fewer people are traveling this way now.
