4- YES, HITCHING A RIDE ON THE SIDE OF A MOVING FREIGHT WAS ONE OF MY MANY A-D-V-E-N-T-U-R-E-S!...

During high school, there were three us chums living in the same country neighborhood, and across a small valley, with the mountains about 15 miles off in the distance. That day we three decided to hitch a ride...on a lonnnnnnnng freight train outside of town that was slowly heading up a long hill grade. And here's where my tale begins!
The first freight train was moving rather slow up a long grade, heading, eventually to Ohio. As we approached the Appalachian Mts., about 1o miles from town, I had visions of winding up in Ohio, so, I jumped, with the others following. No problems, from the slow moving freight.
We could tell that another train was coming because of the green light on a tower on the other track. So, we waited, ready to catch it back to town. And it did, also moving slowly up a long grade. We each grabbed on to a railing on different boxcars. Little did we realize but that train was beginning to go down the grade....a very long grade, picking up speed as it lumbered along. We knew that the town's station would be soon coming into view. One of my chums decided to jump off first. When he did, he landed in the small rocks of the tracks, breaking his glasses. it was my turn next. I lept way out...and landed in the fine black "gravel", coming to a halt when my feet stuck in the fine black "soot".... The motion of jumping from the boxcar in connection with me moving forward MADE me go forward into the "soot"...yeah!
Our third pal was scared and didn't jump, instead going around the bend, headed for the station.. By the way, freight trains never stop at the stations. We figured he was going on to Richmond or Norfolk....hmmmm.
Maybe 15 minutes later, we saw him walking back along the tracks, headed our way. After we settled down, from the scare of riding a freight train and jumping off, we made a pact to NEVER EVER do that again...until the next adventure cropped up. For the record, the next adventure that cropped up was....climbing a very high water tower and touching the "bulb" on top. That's for another time and adventure!