Stobe the Hobo blessed the Internet with his stories and travels.
Stobe The Hobo
- James "Jim" William Stobie
- "Stobe the Hobo"
- Seattle, Washington / Thornton, Colorado
- October 23, 1984 - November 8, 2017
Gone But Not Forgotten
Stobe touched many lives with his YouTube videos of his train hopping experiences and will continue to touch lives as new people discover his videos.
His knowledge of the rail system was vast and his ability to bring the viewer along for a thrilling train ride will be hard to match.
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| Seattle, WA - Petty Officer 3rd Class James Stobie runs through a loss of steering drill aboard Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star, April 2, 2013. | Jim Stobie was an acomplished piano player. He played all the piano background music for his YouTube videos. | Hobo Stobe was making plans to launch his Stobe Attack channel with daily content including, commentary, current events, music and jokes to create a show that he originally wanted to be a radio show and to fill the void between train adventures. |
His Death
As with any media / Internet reported incident there are discrepancies and difficulty gathering factual information. (Media coverage was non-existant)
Reports seemed to indicate either falling off a bridge onto the tracks or his backpack getting caught on a passing Amtrack train while on a bridge and being dragged.
Based on the communications from Baltimore Law Enforcement and Baltimore Train communications we've located the area where his body was recovered.
Some discrepancies found on the Internet:
A post on the internet states that he fell from an overpass onto the tracks below:
The closest bridge over the tracks is 1,770 feet to the Southeast (Train Bridge) and 4,210 feet to the Northwest (Edison Hwy vehicle bridge).
Which brings us to the track level bridges. The N Kresson St overpass and the Pulaski Hwy overpass - Where he was found.
Questions being asked around that are: How a 10 plus year veteran train hopper could be surprised by a train on a 4 track section at night.
The Google Maps aerial view shows that tracks 1 and 2 are operational and tracks 3 and 4 appear darker and possibly non-operational,
indicated by the rust color of the tracks.
Another internet post states that the only way Stobe was identified was Coast Guard fingerprint records. He was identified from identification he had
on him at the scene. Later a 'Positive ID' was made via the Coast Guard records.
Another post said it was the Curtis Bay CSX yard in Balitmore. The distance is 5.31 miles as the crow flies (much longer by track) to where he was discovered.
Another post states that it didn't interrupt train service. All morning train traffic was held (7:53AM) after the discovery.
We may never know the full story but the facts should be preserved for future reference.
This is what we were able to gather from official communications.
Baltimore Area Train Communications 8Nov2017 - 07:17AM to 07:47AM
and Baltimore City Police Communications 8Nov2017 - 07:43AM to 08:00AM
(nothing heard on Baltimore Fire Communications for that area)
Baltimore Area Train Communications 8Nov2017 - 07:17AM to 07:47AMInitial report comes into the train dispatcher from Amtrak train #130 at Mile post 92.5 regarding a body between track 1 and 2 (dispatch) Section 2 Engine 130 -over Amtrak 130 yea, 130 Section 2 um 90 milepost 92.5 might want to send a... somebody out there to take a look one track uhh you might have a a body -over (CSX radio traffic)... (dispatch) 92.5 looks like theres a body ?? -over Amtrak 130 thats a roger, in between one and two over (covered by other radio traffic)... look at it but it definitely isn't a deer -over |
Train Comms 1 |
7:24AM (Dispatch) Section 2 to Amtrak train 2154 -over Amtrack 2154 (unintelligible) (Dispatch) to Amtrak 2154 between milepost 93 and 92 I need you to go through there at restricted speed we got a report of a possible body laying on the ground between one and two track. (covered by other radio traffic) between one and two track yea. |
Train Comms 2 |
7:30AM Amtrak 2154 to section 2 -over (dispatch) section 2 ?? -over Amtrak 2154 yea confirm its a body on uh between 1 and 2 track -over just uh south of the S curve at ?? -over (dispatch) South of the S curves at ??? there is a body on the ground between 1 and 2 roger thank you (dispatch) out Amtrak 2154 uhhh you want me to sit here or move? (covered by other radio traffic) Amtrak 2154 this is right north of uh ??? bridge at 4600 Pulaski Highway we had a firetruck out here uh if you can get ahold of them get them to probably go up like a couple more blocks and uh they can uh get the body from over there - 4600 Pualski Highway - Deli Brands of America (dispatch) Roger I appreciate it, thank you 2154 (dispatch) -over Amtrak 2154 Roger |
Train Comms 3 |
7:47AM (Dispatch) go ahead I can give it to you now ???? becuase umm we got a possible fatality out there um I mean you can copy it we going to be operating at restricted speed -over 7:51AM to 7:54AM (Dispatch) to Amtrak 111 you can pick it up to Point, Baltimore Police just shut us down completely so I'm going to hold you there at point interlock -over. Amtrak 111 Roger (??? radio traffic)... (Dispatch)Roger um, as soon as I get any kind of information I'll relay it to you. -over (Dispatch) to Amtrak 111 just tell them that umm service disruption and umm I'll keep you all abreast of whats going on and such information I get I'll try and pass (??? radio traffic)... (dispatch) just to give you heads up here uhh if you want to start letting your passengers know uhh uhh Baltimore police department shut us down uh just north of Baltimore uhh you'll be held uhh looks like you'll get down to as uh as far as Point uh then they'll be holding you there. -over (disatch) ...111 I apologize, uhh you'll be there indefinitely so I'll keep you abreast of what's going on as much as I get it -over (dispatch) ...when we do get it back hopefully within the next 5 to 15 minutes we'll get you on the move -over |
Train Comms 4 |
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Police Comms 1 |
7:56AM (Patrol 22) ??? an ID up here - um Number 2 male (white) uhh born in '84 (Dispatch) Number 2 male - born in '84 (Patrol 22) yea, first name is James (dispatch wait wait wait wait wait don't put his name over the air just call me... and give me the information ... (Lieutenant 09) Alright just notify 2100 and uh get crimelab going that way please, have ah 22 direct me in there please ... 22 (dispatch> Alright I need one of you all (cut off by 22's radio traffic) (Patrol 22) Just come down um Monument street to Kresson and uh you'll see umm the ambulance and the fire truck. I'll be standing by (patrol 31) 31 to 09 um Amtrak police here they are handling (Lieutenant 09) alright 10-4 just hold it down um just 10-6 (Stand by) on that until 2100 gets up there but um ??? there might be someone who's 10-6 on that trying to get up there (unknown) Did Amtrak verify they are going to stop the trains? (patrol 22) yea, I'm talking to them now, as of 7:53 all trains are stopped. (dispatch) this in reference to Kresson and Monument |
Police Comms 2 |
With what we know... Amtrak 130 stated it was at milepost 92.5 Amtrak 2154 (who stopped at the scene) confirms it's just North of the bridge at 4600 Pulaski Initial Patrol Unit stated it was hard to tell the location then stated they were on top of 40 (Highway 40 / Pulaski Highway) where the tracks bend Police and Fire were accessing the scene at N Kresson St and RR Tracks nearest cross street E Monument Street and walking in. This places Stobes final resting place on the tracks just North of the Hwy 40 overpass/crossing. |
Final Resting Place Image Google Maps Link |
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Stobe's Business card - (The back is blank) |
In Memory
If anyone in the Baltimore area would like to pay respects, flowers, roadside memorial, etc. for Stobe. There is a nice patch of grass under the billboardat US-40 across the street from 4600 Pulaski Hyw. [Google Maps Photo Link]
Longer term, it would be nice to see a memorial Geocache placed in the area in Stobe's honor.
Hobos will continue to ride the rails as they have all through history. May they be safe in their adventures.
If you haven't already, please visit Stobe's Memorial page and leave a comment: Link to Legacy.com - James Stobie
Also, please vist the "Remembering Stobe the Hobo" page on Facebook and share and enjoy the memories: Rembering Stobe the Hobo Facebook Group
Stobe was in the process of stepping up his YouTube channel with his "Stobe Attack" show, mostly commentary, current events, music, jokes, etc.
in hopes of growing his channel from 9,000 subscribers to 1 million subscribers. Keep his subscription numbers growing in his memory.
Subscribe to Stobe's YouTube channel: hobestobe's YouTube Channel
A video was shared on the net from MmmmmTotinos who believes this was Stobe's final video shot November 7th before his passing: Stobe's Nov 7, 2017 video
Stobe The Hobo Quotes and Wisdom
- Ya gotta stay clean or it isn't much fun.
- Beer... and chicken.
- Wyoming is probably the worst ever for hitchhiking.
- I'm always thinking about food.
- I'm a big fan of piano arrangements.(Stobe played his own piano music on his videos)
- I've got cold beer which ameliorates the situation.
- When you ride for free its not as certain.
- I gotta tell you this idea of a 30 pack it seemed real brilliant at the time but carrying this thing around is starting to really get me fatigued.
- It's the darkest hour of the night.
- I don't like being dirty and having dirty clothes.
- FNBS, it's the lamest railroad in the country by far.
- Be careful with alcohol as well, its fine to get trashed, but don't do it and then get on or off a moving train. That's very important.
- I'm hoping to God the mosquitoes aren't that bad... I don't have any spray.
- A lot of beaches have showers... if you had some soap you could get your clothes clean as well.
- I'm able to get clean with a bottle of water and dollar store wipes... and my rechargable clippers.
- (After cleaning up) Nobody will know that I was on the train and that's kind of the goal with me I don't want people to look at me any different than anyone else.
- Don't ever think you're invincible out there cuz definitely no one is a master of one of those trains.
- This fucking train isn't going any further.