A book with a photo of a tattooed man sitting in a train car, cigarette in hand

Railroad Semantics #2: Southern Oregon, Northern California

by Aaron Dactyl Author

From train-hopping to hobo graffiti, maps to camps, Aaron gives the goods in a well-written style that's both informative and poetic. In issue two, Aaron describes his summer riding freight trains between Portland and Northern California. Between the exhausting waits in sparse canyons and breezy sunny rides into Eugene, Aaron manages to make riding trains sound like a grand adventure. This volume also includes interesting local articles about the railroads: shipping trash to landfills by train, Junction City's lawsuit against the rail company, and a landslide. Plus absolutely beautiful photography of pictures of hobo graffiti, scenic vistas, trains, and crusty punks!

  • Railroad Semantics #2: Southern Oregon, Northern California image #1
  • Railroad Semantics #2: Southern Oregon, Northern California image #2

This is Railroad Semantics #2.

Comments & Reviews

1/11/2013

"It can be a grimy, grim business, and dangerous, but watching the scenic Pacific Northwest roll by after a few slugs of whiskey sounds pretty gol'dang good to me. Credit must be given to Dactyl for bringing it alive with a writing style that mixes enough railroad lingo with some pretty vivid passages of the scenery, the people and the towns he encounters along the way."

Chris Auman, Reglar Wiglar
http://reglarwiglar.blogspot.com/2013/01/zine-review-railroad-semantics-2.html

12/5/2012

"This book has the distinction of being a selection for Best American Travel Writing 2012 and it’s easy to see why with its vivid descriptions of the rail system and outlying towns and beautiful sets from Oregon to Northern Northern California."

Justin, Poopsheet Foundation
http://www.poopsheetfoundation.com/blog/2012/12/03/railroad-semantics-2-by-aaron-dactyl/

12/5/2012

"Aaron Dactyl’s living hobo history periodical/book includes adventures, diaries, clippings, and fascinating graphics"

-Roctober Reviews
http://roctoberreviews.blogspot.com/2012/12/railroad-semantics-2.html