(I wonder if they have a similar subculture in Australia. There aren't as many train lines these days, so maybe not. Perhaps the local equivalent is the Cave Clan or something?)
Come to think of it, I haven't seen many freight cars here either. Everything seems to be carried in sealed containers on pallets (which is probably a more sensible way to do things).
You can ride for free on most trains now anyway, making this a mainstream pastime!
Anyway, the yegs of old are pretty much no more, there isn't a trace of their nobility and trtadition in the modern crack-addled paint sniffing homeless trash you see around.
:P No hobos here!
we don't have many (if any) box cares left on our railways (well not in nsw). So fr8 riding here is pretty dangerous, if it can be done at all.