I'd followed Hobo Shoestring for a few years, but lost track of him. Recently, through following the Big Boy locomotive resurrection and its travels around the nation, I discovered Hobo Shoestring had passed back in April 2024. He was a legend among hobos and those who followed his journeys.

From me, and perhaps anyone who ever wondered about riding the blinds, let's hope Hobo Shoestring is safe and warm in his "Cadillac car" on rails of gold on that big railroad in the sky.

Mark Wayne Nichols
July 12, 1970 — April 5, 2024
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Mark Wayne "Shoestring" Nichols, 53, of Johnson City, TN, passed away on Friday, April 5, 2024.

Mark lived his life on his own terms, bound only by his desire for adventure and love of the rails. Through hundreds of online videos, Mark shared his life and knowledge of traveling with hundreds of thousands of fans worldwide.