Thanks, everyone, for all the support of me making these types of videos. It really helps me to talk about my friendship with Shoe and to share my stories. We ALL miss him so very much.
Man I really admire the friendship you and shoestring had. I’m nearly 50 and don’t have many real friends. I would love to have a connection with someone like y’all had.
I can tell it’s hard on the heart talking about our friend. Pleas keep sharing his memories with us because I miss him like crazy and was never blessed to meet him. You were a lucky man having him in your life.❤
Hobo shoestring was awesome I followed all his videos and met him walking down the tracks in Western Kentucky One day God Bless Guy from Western Kentucky 🇺🇲
Thank you Matt. I'm glad you had got to spend time with the man. He was an amazing person. I was always in awe of his knowledge of the rails. He will always be missed.
I always wondered if Shoestring ever worked for the railroad because he had so much knowledge of everything train and track related. I also thought it was pretty cool how sometimes they would let him ride in the empty engine trains and not get in trouble. I guess you call them locamotives. He was a special person for sure Matt. Just like you are a special person...
Shoestring never worked for the railroad. He rode the trains for 33 years and learned the wealth of knowledge he had about the rails and railroads during that time.
Thank you Matt for the stories about Shoestring. You and he had such a great friendship. More like brothers really. Thank you for sharing your precious memories with us all. He told me the same thing about liking the cooler weather vs the heat. Always said it was easier to travel in the cold than the heat. Totally get that because I like the cooler weather as well. This heat is miserable. I knew that there were times where he would ride on the rails and then catch a plane home. I totally understood why. When you're tired and not feeling well, the place you most want to be is home. He would tell me when he was going to catch a flight back home and it never mattered to me how he got home as long as he did and was safe. And for all of those people that said that he wasn't a true hobo, they were so wrong. When his health was good he would ride mile upon mile. Nothing stopped him. But like you said the past few years his health was starting to give him trouble and he did what was the best for him and that is what mattered the most. When you told the story of where he took the flight from Cleveland Hopkins airport back to home it brought happy tears to my eyes because you said that he looked at you before he left and had tears in his eyes. You were a true friend to him and those tears were proof that your friendship meant so very much to him. I can imagine with him having to move as many times as he did growing up, that he never really had a chance to develop many friendships. When he knew that you were a true friend I know that meant a lot to him. He always spoke kindly of you. Thank you again for sharing your memories. As long as we all remember and tell our stories of Shoestring, he will never be forgotten. He was one for the ages. A true legend. Take care and have a good rest of the week.
Matt, I haven’t been ready to watch any of his old videos but I try to watch every single one of yours, he was so genuine just like you and to me a little piece of him lives on through you your friendship with him and your stories and it’s really nice getting to know you as well
It's very nice of you to share your Shoestring stories, memories of him, I'm sure he'd appreciate it. I know that I sure do miss him He was a true Hero.❤
I thoroughly enjoyed joining Shoestring on his journeys across our country via RU-vid. My great uncle Shine was a rail rider and as children my dad shared his many stories with us. Miss the man Shoestring and thank you for sharing your story with us.
I really enjoy you sitting down and thinking about shoestring and your friendship with him and the different stories, I always look forward to it and I was pleased that you added this video tonight
😢 Im very sorry for your loss . He seemed like the most genuine, beautiful person a person could ever meet . The ripple effect of his loss will be immeasurable .
Thanks for sharing some of the Shoestring stories Matt! Keep em coming we all sure miss him a lot! I keep watching some of his older videos and am grateful of all the knowledge he shared with all of us!
These memories may be hard to relate but I love them. Maybe re-name your bar cave “Shoestring Arcade” w/beautiful neon sign? Don’t care if you run out of stories because your face looking into the distance while thinking of him speaks volumes.❤
Hi Matt, Thanks for continuing to tell us about your friendship with Shoestring. I appreciate that its difficult to do so. Shoestring was an amazing guy who brought us to places that most will never see in person. He told wonderful stories about his adventures. Even when is health was clearly effecting him he still felt the need to produce videos. Thanks again.
Watching and listening to an obviously honest man share his emotions about a friend is very heartwarming. Learning more and about Shoestring from you Matt. Please continue to share. Thank you
Just discovered Shoestring’s videos. He seemed like a good travel companion. Not an idiot and not psychotic. Not a whiner. Seemed like a good knowledgeable guy. Great videos too!
I love your scenery with the tree, tiki torches and the lights on that deck. That is a nice set up for sure. I don't think telling Shoestring had some shortcuts sometimes is a crime or sin against him. It may be a relief for some because many worried for him because we knew he had some health issues and figured he may not fair well for days on a train. I've seen people comment about his health & well being, even wanting him to stick it out a bit longer before returning to the rails. I too enjoy the cooler weather but I do not like cold. However, I hate heat. I often joke that I need three homes; mt Kentucky home, a Florida winter home, and a northern Alaska summer home lol. Between the two, give me cold over heat. I can build a fire and wrap myself in clothing to keep warm, but we are limited to how to keep cool when heat sets in. Shades, swimming, or maybe going underground... ...Speaking outside the realm of a/c technology, that is. My problem is breathing. I have to have warmer temperatures to breathe when sleeping or I get sick. Shoestring could sleep in that cold and the cold air not effect him but if I breathe cold air while sleeping, I get sick. I would need a hot tent or some type of heated shelter.
Hey Matt, thanks for these 'fire side chats' about Shoestring I definitely miss him, I watch about 1 or 2 of his videos a week that I haven't seen already. I check his channel every couple of weeks which thankfully is still up, but with no up-dates. His channel shows 204 K subscribers and over 500 hundred videos and unfortunately, I've watched more of his videos now after his passing than when he was still riding the rails. Thanks again for sharing
Hello Matt. I never commented on Shoestring's videos, but really enjoyed his content. Especially when he filmed quietly while the train was picking up speed and really started scooting along. That in itself is what made me understand the draw to trainhopping. Nothing like it! Thank you for sharing his stories. They broke the mold when they made him, truly one of a kind❤ RIP Shoestring, thank you for sharing a bit of your life with us
I know how hard it is to lose a friend, waking up and knowing that they are gone in the blink of an eye. I didn't know shoestring personally but just his videos alone and the journeys he shared makes you feel like you knew him, and the anticipation of his next video to come out wasn't soon enough. I know it's more intense for you Mark, personally knowing him and the time you spent together plus the videos. Know your friendship with shoestring was very special friendship. I'm sure that shoestring was just as excited to know that you were just a rail ride away to enjoy great company, you brought great meaning to shoestring to ride the rail with a purpose. Thank you for unselfishly sharing your video with yourself ur great memories, be blessed.
Thanks for the honesty and behind the scenes look- I sure miss seeing him no matter what he was doing! I got the sense his health wasn’t good, and wish things didn’t end the way they did, but I will watch his old videos- my fav’s were 3-4 years ago- they were awesome- especially the Alaskan trips! Maybe watching the old ones will jog your memories of some more stories❤Oh, and stay cool! 😅
Thanks for the videos and for sharing the stories. At home in Salisbury, NC when I hear the trains on the mainline passing through, I think of Shoestring a lot. When trains stop , pass very slow, or switch industries in town, I look at all the freight cars hoping to find one of his Hobo Shoestring tags. Thanks man for what your doing. Take care !
Once again. I'm enjoying your train videos and loving the Shoestring reminiscing. I still can't bring myself to look at Shoes old videos knowing he's not here anymore and their is no more excitement and anticipation for his next. Especially knowing a new one would be out when I was at work. He gave me something to look forward to when I got home... I typed to him once saying how thrilled I was knowing I was coming home to a hour plus long video. It was like a double header to look forward to. I think that's where I came across you first Matt. He mentioned on many occasions you his friend and your channel and I subscribed. I remember him filming the little railroad tracks as he walked along with you on them and he was happy you showed him the small guage railway. I liked how you guys buddied up together. For a lifetime I looked at freight trains with an autistic pleasure not knowing still what the fascination is with them, even just the rails themselves. I now look at freight trains and outback railways here in Australia and think of Shoestring. I walk them and wonder about the solice and what he'd be thinking when he was off camera. He's a national treasure in my eyes to American Railroads. A unique real deal hobo and a good man. No doubt many subscribers around the globe think of him when they look at freight movements. Thanks again for the stories and your own videos Matt
you were a good friend to him thanks for sharing with us as im getting older almost all my friends are gone i enjoyed his adventures and his knowledge we miss him and good friends are hard to find he will live in our memories forever
I still can't believe it. The knowledge that he would bring to his videos was incredible. That video you were talking about when he was up here and didn't feel good. I believe he was in the clinic and that was just before he was going to go to Alaska. I know he like put n bay a lot also when you guys went there
Can't really blame Shoestring for wanting to be safe and comfortable from time to time in his later age and especially with his relatively recent medical conditions , he did more than enough riding and sharing of his knowledge and adventures to keep me watching and entertained for the 3 and a bit years that I followed him, in my opinion. Cant believe its been over 2 and a half months already now since we lost an irreplaceable legend.😢
He was definitely a legend! Nope, he was torn about riding, his health, & being comfortable his last couple years. He definitely still LOVED IT, his body wouldn't allow him to do it like he used to. That bothered him.
@@rpdobblerVery true, I could see that he was definately disappointed in not be able to get out as much as he wanted to or used to, especially in the past 18 months.
I was thinking about Shoestring on Tuesday as well! You're not far from me, I'm in Parma where I'm melting! Hahaha Thx for your memories! He sure is missed
Thanks again Matt for sharing I really appreciate your openness Shoestring was one of a kind and we really miss him, don’t feel bad for opening up your the real deal!
Thanks fot sharing Matt good o'l Hobo Shoestring the man the myth the legend actually thinking about it my grandfather you could say was a part time Hobo it you want to call it that before he meant my grandma he did some riding the rails himself hopped some trains God this was probably back in the 1930s like Mark said gets in your blood i some times myself wonder what it be like be fun a adventure really you never forget.
That's something Shoestring, you, & me can agree on. HATING the heat! It's been a humid,muggy, hot week down here in Louisville. Really enjoying these videos, Matt! Much love, bro ❤
I think its just a blessing it was able to provide for himself when he needed it. taking a few planes or ubers is definitely realistic after living your whole life one way.. i just found his channel today and then landed here. grateful to have heard his story and to see that you and him made friends. I'm from ohio too btw! living in vermilion but i've been everywhere in north east ohio haha. take care brother!
Hi Matt...I did not expect Shoestring to make any more riding videos as he had paid his dues and there were enough old videos to catch up on. I respected his health issues and enjoyed an update video once in a while from him. For me, he was always the hobo king and always will be. Now, it feels there is a void on RU-vid. I really thought he'd grow old and make cameos once in a while with his storytelling. Not sure if he had thought of that for himself, but I miss him tremendously and can't forget how he made me feel with his videos. He was genuine to be sure. I wish I had met him. You are blessed to have known him. As for recent weather, yes it is hot and humid in Ontario as well. I did not hear the trains you spoke about, but I hear them forest frogs/toads in the background...lol
Thank you for your video. I just subbed to your channel after seeing you and Shoestring together on one of his videos. THANK YOU for keeping his Memory alive. God Bless you Matt. 🙏🏼 BTW Shoesrting had 204k. I subbed back in 2017 or 18
Ha ha....he definitely had some odd choices in food at times! Lol...that is something we bonded with...cooking & food talk, that is something I'll talk about in one of my next videos about him!
Hey matt there was a shooting star or something behind you right after that train came through. You need to check it out. It might have been old shoestring.
I believe it was a lightning bug! Lots of em out this time of year here! No doubt Shoestring's spirit is alive here though! Cheers & thanks for watching
Wife an I are traveling to Ohio next week. We live in Houston so that heat you are experiencing is normal for us. Still dont like it but we put up with it.
Enjoy Ohio when you are here! Supposed to be cooler next week! We get maybe a dozen 90+ days a year on average? Hopefully we don't have many left this summer! Cheers!
I don't like the heat myself ethier they can have those desert's 😆 i got a sister that lives in Tuscan Arizona ive been there a few times way to hot 🥵 it's actually been in the 70s mostly out here been kinda nice.
Matt did Shoestrings father pass away right before he did? Shoestrings obituary said preceeded in death by his father? Surprised me. He always talked about his dad. He never talked about other family that much just his dad.
One of the last videos I saw of Shoestring was when he was taking a bath in a really cold lake or river. Has me wondering if thats why he was in that lake. He was struggling in that cold water that day, and it concerned me. Has me wondering if thats what happened to him. My father drowned in a lake in the fall when I was a small child. RIP Shoestring you gave us train people many hours of joy.
