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  • General discussion about locomotives, rolling stock, and equipment
General discussion about locomotives, rolling stock, and equipment

Moderator: John_Perkowski

 #393983  by toberborgan
 
I dont know if this is the right place to put this. I either see lots of graffiti on freight cars on some trains, or i see trains with none of them. Is graffiti a big problem among the RR industries, do they do anything to clean it up, does it bother the operators and/or the companies. I know it's obviously apperant, but does the RR industries mind it, and do the employees mind it? Is it a big nuissence?

just wondering. thanks

 #394197  by uhaul
 
Depending on where you are graffiti is a big problem and a nuisance. Most of the time graffiti is not cleaned up because what you just cleaned would probably get graffitied again. Also the lack of time and resources. Sure graffiti bothers rail personnel and the company, but unless the locomotives are kept under spot lights, guarded by security, or locked behind a fence the locomtives are not safe.

 #408463  by UPRR engineer
 
Image

 #408500  by DutchRailnut
 
We also do not like to talk or picture graffiti as it would only become a challange to post better and more graffity including some that posters will do to outdo previous posters.
lets not glorify a illegal act and try not to give it the attention it sure does not deserve.

 #408522  by UPRR engineer
 
Its most likely a railroad employee there Dutch, ive saw it many times before on quite a few railroad cars. Its a good drawing, finally got a picture of it, i figured some others on here would like to see it also.

This place doesnt touch enough people to cause an increase of graffiti on the railroad.

 #408527  by Noel Weaver
 
I can't picture any of the people whom I worked with over the years ever
taking the time and risk to make graffiti on a car or locomotive. I suppose
it is possible but I do not think it is likely.
I have seen plenty of the type of people who would do this in the freight
yards of New Jersey and also Oak Point in the Bronx. I think it is coming
from problem areas of big cities all over the country.
Noel Weaver

 #408637  by GOLDEN-ARM
 
A big difference between the "doodles", or tags we put on equipment, with our grease pencils, versus the 20 cans of Krylon, destroying the reporting marks, and lubriplates, on the same equipment the "taggers" place there. For some reason, the majority of monikers I've seen on cars, over the last decade, seem to originate here in the upper Northwest. I see solid strings of tagged cars, with the same date on the artwork, on the day I'm working. ( Albina, Vancouver and Eugene seem to be "hotspots", for employee based tags ) Some cars have so much artwork, there's nary a space to place a LV flag........... :P

 #408813  by gp9rm4108
 
You should see the toilet rooms in most CN units. The walls are PLASTERED with hate literature for the company and E.H.H.

It's quite amusing to see it all.

 #408844  by Lirr168
 
Just want to jump in here with a few quick remarks: Whether this is an employee or not, marks like this are illegal, that's a fact. On the other hand, marks like this and some of the other legitimately artful ones that get posted every now and then are, in my opinion, as much a part of railroad history as a unique paint-job on a locomotive. For that reason, I think there is definitely some merit in what UPRR engineer has posted, so I see no reason to halt this discussion as long as it does not degrade into another "art vs. law" argument.

Kyle

 #408854  by CSX-COAL HAULER
 
DutchRailnut wrote:We also do not like to talk or picture graffiti as it would only become a challange to post better and more graffity including some that posters will do to outdo previous posters.
lets not glorify a illegal act and try not to give it the attention it sure does not deserve.

I AGREE WITH DUTCHRAILNUT--I know at this very moment, all across North America spray can artist are gathered around this website to see who can create the better art scene. I think we should NOT give them the glory that they are so desperately waiting on. Do not post their art work.---------------------haha--------you got to be kidding?

 #409239  by GOLDEN-ARM
 
LIRR, sorry to break it to you, but before radios were prevelant, and even to today, conductors and yard foreman mark up cars, on the corners, so the switchmen know what tracks to send them to. We use chalk, or grease-pencils, to make small doodles. A far cry, from the retards with a case of Krylon, obliterating reporting marks, and all other info on the car.
Look at some B&W pics, from before WW-11, and see the huge amount of writing, done by railroaders, to make the switching easier. Getting bored while standing on the lead, some brakeman probably doodled a picture, and the craze was born. What we do, is harmless, and has been going on, since trains first needed classifying. Every day, while switching, we have to stop, and find a number on a car. Faded on the ends (or on a flat, not there at all) and painted over on the sides, sometimes, it's not able to be seen, so it's off to the rip-track. Huge difference between that, and the "Colossus of Roads" cowboy, with his pipe, and unique sayings underneath. Or the Wildman, the "Whistle", the "Appocolypse Productions" cracked egg, the LV flag, and on and on...... :wink:

 #409368  by Lirr168
 
Well, G-A, what you describe is different but whatever, I don't really care about the legality of graffiti; that was more doing my part not to further the legality/illegality argument.

Personally, designs of any kind on the side of otherwise spartan freight cars are fine by me so long as they don't cover over any vital information (reporting marks, etc.). I think it's wrong to tag locomotives and buildings that people have worked hard to maintain, but a slate-gray colored hopper? I really feel like it is not hurting anyone. The law is the law though, and for a good reason--you can't exactly have a law that says people can only graffiti on plain hoppers!
Last edited by Lirr168 on Mon Jun 11, 2007 1:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.

 #409372  by CSX-COAL HAULER
 
DutchRailnut wrote:We also do not like to talk or picture graffiti as it would only become a challange to post better and more graffity including some that posters will do to outdo previous posters.
lets not glorify a illegal act and try not to give it the attention it sure does not deserve.

You guys are still talking about this subject!!!! This is bringing NATIONAL attention to all the graffiti artist in America. They are out painting right now ----trying to OUT-DO the others! :-D :-D :-D :-D

 #409422  by UPRR engineer
 
Take it easy there CSX, dont want her locked up do you?

 #409700  by GN 599
 
GOLDEN-ARM wrote:LIRR, sorry to break it to you, but before radios were prevelant, and even to today, conductors and yard foreman mark up cars, on the corners, so the switchmen know what tracks to send them to. We use chalk, or grease-pencils, to make small doodles. A far cry, from the retards with a case of Krylon, obliterating reporting marks, and all other info on the car.
Look at some B&W pics, from before WW-11, and see the huge amount of writing, done by railroaders, to make the switching easier. Getting bored while standing on the lead, some brakeman probably doodled a picture, and the craze was born. What we do, is harmless, and has been going on, since trains first needed classifying. Every day, while switching, we have to stop, and find a number on a car. Faded on the ends (or on a flat, not there at all) and painted over on the sides, sometimes, it's not able to be seen, so it's off to the rip-track. Huge difference between that, and the "Colossus of Roads" cowboy, with his pipe, and unique sayings underneath. Or the Wildman, the "Whistle", the "Appocolypse Productions" cracked egg, the LV flag, and on and on...... :wink:
The ''Colossus of Roads'' guys was a trainman out of Dunsmuir or somewhere down that way for the UP that retired a couple of years back. That one is going the way of ''Herbie".