Given the increased focus on security these days one has to wonder how some of these “artists” are able to get that close to rolling stock without getting caught. The other day I saw quite a mural…on a TANK car. This obviously took some time to do…it’s not as if it was some kid standing at trackside with a can of spray paint. It sure looks like there’s a gaping hole in the security blanket…little old ladies have to take off their shoes when boarding a plane but somehow people are still able to easily access rolling stock. I’m not sure what the answer is…fencing in all right of way is probably out of the question…but the status quo is an open invitation to anyone who wants to cause major havoc…
mostly alot of the graffiti happens in the secluded sidings there is one boxcar that i can recall that is a wsor boxcar it has the most graffiti on any car i have seen it had said STONER on it from top to bottom of a double plug boxcar it was huge.
Worse.
They carefully replicate the required markings in proper contrast with thier own colors inside the graffitti.
Spray Paint is FAST in skilled hands. Several people with thier own cherography in battle with spray cans can up a message or mark in minutes.
I think the railroads quit worrying about cleaning graffitti and need to start moving or taking measures to protect the stock inside the freight cars. Some of those cars are quite dangerous or valuable.
Too much time spent worrying about those potential terrorists photographers getting too close to the property.
Those in authority are far more concerned about keeping the population afraid of their own shadows (which permits them to pass laws they choose and then call it a matter of ‘security’), and passing “feel-safe” legislation (airport "security’), instead of actually taking steps to reduce the likelyhood of something bad happening.
I’m probably gonna get flamed for this, but I’ve always enjoyed the grafitti. I was sitting in downtown Augusta, GA yesterday waiting for a CSX freight train to pass at about 5 mph. I love trains, but it was a long one–all boxcars. And the grafitti kept me interested. Some of it was quite artistic and colorful.
Cheers,
Doug
I have to admit, I have always wanted to make an artistic grafiti statement. Namely, when I see graffiti, defile it by painting a UP or NS logo on it. Now that would be artistic irony–especially considering how offended graffiti artists get when someone messes with their work.
Something I have always wondered about graffiti, is where in the heck do they get all of that paint? Watching a train go by, and realizing how many cars have been victimized, either paint companies are raking in millions because of graffiti sales or are losing millions because of graffiti theft.
Finally, we as rail fans should hate graffiti. We seem to like it when rail companies try to make their rolling stock look nice. I sure as heck am not going to spend an extra buck to have a nicer looking grain hopper if some idiot is just going to spray all over it.
When I was a prosecutor, the public defender never did seem to understand why I was more than fine giving public intoxication or conventional marijuana offenders time-served pleas while simmultaneously insisting that graffiti artists do at least a month . . . . for everytime they used the word “victimless offense” to try to get a lower sentence, I would add a day to their sentence.
Gabe
Gabe
Ive said this to some people before…It really is easier than you think it is. They are not exactly usin the huge train yards to do the work. Ive seen many hot spots or chill spots in places not really near a yard and no cops can be seen for miles. When you think about it the railroad cops do their best in the train yards but outside of cities our normal cops out here dont really patrol the railroad tracks. Do they in your area? Most train yards do have fences all around, im not sure how many have cameras…but obviously the fences arent even doin much. Funny thing about this thread…I actually did hear an artist once sayin its amazin to think how easy it would be for a terrorist to blow up a tank car with how easy it is for them to get in the yards. Its scary.
Heres a link to a graffiti forum about the whole “security” thing from an artists point of view…read at your own risk
it tells me that these people are wasting their Given talents on marking up railroad cars when there are so many people that need help.
stay safe
joe
…Graffiti = [tdn] [tdn] [tdn] my [2c]
Once in a while… you have a work of art that uses something that everyone understands well. We had a two bay covered hopper with a Smurf Village replicated nearly perfectly matched to the TV series long ago roll by once. Very well done I must say.
I mean this in the nicest way possible. But, so you don’t mind if I go paint smurf village on your car or house?
Gabe
Id pay someone to do that to my car, cuz ive seen this hopper hes talkin about and the paint and can controll is crazy good.
The same guys also did a care bear one. Its somewhere on this forum…
Why can’t we just shoot 'em if we catch them in the act???. Make it a little more sporting.[:-,][:-,][:-,]
(The local police can’t be bothered, but the building inspector cites the property owner to clean up after one of their so-called “finer citizens” - the same ones who also illegally dump)
I am one of those anti-graffiti types who think it is destroying and defiling our world.
That being said, I honestly don’t know how you stop it. I think all you can do is clean it up quickly. I do believe that allowing it to stay up encourages others. The faster it’s painted over, the more frustrating it is to the punks, and the less likely they are to continue.
I think the railroads should follow the example of the New York City Subway, which seems to clean it off their cars almost instantly. When I worked in the city 1978-1983, the subways were a mess, filled with graffiti. Nowadays, I’m surprised when I see a patch of it here or there.
How many cars does the subway own? how many miles of track do they cover? Not very much. Same goes for the Metra, Metrolink, or CTA. Most city passenger lines can keep trains clean just because they dont have alot to cover so its easy to get clean. Freight railroads however…millions of miles of track…hundreds of thousands of rolling stock and engines. Not so easy to cover. Especially when the general public isnt as involved with freight railroads as city transportation
Over 6,000 cars and at least 800 miles of track. Is that really “not very much?”
I see some that’s nicely done but most of it is just chicken scratch. I don’t condone graffiti but I have to admit I have seen some true works of art. You have to have skill and imagination to create the elaberate murals.
Graffiti will always be around, you will never stop it completely. The taggers that do it know where to go to stay out of site and when to strike. Some taggers are just artists who have talent but use it in the wrong manner. The others that do it are gang members, so anyone thinking of painting over or crossing out their work better be careful.
Yes it is, again i like to point out #1 Freight RRs have a couple million miles of track on top of hundreds of thousands of equipment #2 and most importantly the general public doesnt spend most of their time around or riding freights. The problem with the subway was graffiti was not only on the outside but it was everywhere on the inside where the public has to “look” at it every waking second while they ride it. The city had to do somethin with all the compaints they were getting. Actually we can thank the New York subway for the way the freight railroads are today. Because of their cleanin all the trains constantly the artists had to go somewhere…to the freights they went. I got a book on the whole matter from the perspective of the artist. Very interesting.
Joe,
There aren’t a couple million miles of track as far as I can tell? Internet search says it’s under 150,000 miles.
How many engines does the UP have? It has to be less than 10,000 based on their numbering.
I agree with your point about passengers seeing the old damage and not the new. But I don’t agree that that railroads can’t clean it up too.
Charles
Yes, some of the graffiti is artistic but the “artists” are criminals who deface property that does not belong to them. Although I enjoy the arts and painting, I think the graffiti thing has gotten out of hand. And although it is difficult to keep people from doing it, I would never condone it. I think those who do it are losers.
a signature on one of the posts:
“graffiti–a way of life”
My take:
“graffiti–get a life”
TonyM