Western Railroad Discussion > Graffiti: an obvious solution?

Graffiti sometimes obscures reporting marks and other necessary info painted on railroad cars. This info is always located on the lower portion of the car.

A dumb question perhaps, but on box cars and autoracks for example why can't this info be stenciled at the top of a car out of the graffiti artists' reach?

Height of reporting marks doesn't seem to matter. Outright banning of spray paint would be a step in the right direction. Railroads using anti-graffiti paints is a good idea too. Anyone of us who sees taggers should report them too.

alco636 Wrote:
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> Outright banning of spray paint would be a step in
> the right direction.


Punish all that use things for legitimate purposes to try to stop a bad practice from a few. There are a great number of people, myself included, who use spray paint for backyard projects, restoration projects, and even touching up the nose of an RS3 after some recent work. This is not a viable solution either. They will just find another way to do the same act.

Aren't there already restrictions on juveniles purchasing spray paints? Did I miss something?

The local Wal-mart has their spray paint locked up and then card me ( I'm 18 ) when I purchase it for my T-Shirt stencils

New York City (David Gunn and later, Mayor Giuliani) dealt with this by immediately cleaning or covering the vandalism. Many other municipalities in my neck of the woods do the same. Bridges and signs are cleaned or repainted the same or next day typically.

Sure, the above isn't practical for railroads, but it would seem that making clean-up an AAR billable repair would be at least somewhat practical, at least for empties.

Unless started using all overhead scanners, would be of no value.

TehachapiFoamer Wrote:
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> The local Wal-mart has their spray paint locked up
> and then card me ( I'm 18 ) when I purchase it for
> my T-Shirt stencils


I bought some spray sealer for an oil painting at Michaels and when I got it home, discovered that the little spray nozzle was missing. When I returned to the store was told that they remove all of the nozzles from all of the spray paints etc and give them to you when you check out----obviously the checker forgot to do this for me. All having to do with the local gangs trying to buy large quantities of spray paint. Having said that, for all of the gang problems we have here in Salinas, the city is pretty much graffiti free due to a buncha people who quickly cover it over etc.
C.

And a PS: Those newer bright white Cryotrans reefers with the orange trim are now coated with a special clear product that will allow the graffiti to be easily washed off.

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

Does not matter if you ban spray paint or not..the larger pieces like the one on that auto rack and other cars is more than likely not even done with spray paint, but brushed on paint instead..so banning spray paint wouldn't be a logical solution for this "problem".

The vast majority of graffiti is by spray paint. I stand by my opinion. Perhaps not ending sales of it, but let's do what has been done with cold medicines. Buyers must sign and show ID. That is recorded. This has been a significant help in the war against Meth here in MN. Perhaps something similar would help reduce the levels of vandalism we see today.

BTW, it is a problem, not a "problem". It isn't art, it's just moronic jibberish. The only graffiti I'd like to see is on the homes or cars of taggers with railroad signs. Some pimped up gas guzzling SUV with "Union Pacific 3985" tagged on their expensive paint job.

I'll step off my soapbox now. Have a pleasant day.


smtrains Wrote:
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> Does not matter if you ban spray paint or not..the
> larger pieces like the one on that auto rack and
> other cars is more than likely not even done with
> spray paint, but brushed on paint instead..so
> banning spray paint wouldn't be a logical solution
> for this "problem".

daylightdon Wrote:
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> Aren't there already restrictions on juveniles
> purchasing spray paints? Did I miss something?

As I've mentioned before here on Trainorders, many taggers aren't even kids! We've caught people in their mid-30's vandalizing our equipment and signals. The problem is they get away with it --and they know they can get away with it. Even when these vandals are hauled into court, judges and attorneys simply spin them back out on to the street without any punishment. Maybe Singapore has the right idea when it comes to punishment for such crimes...

Some railroads have started placing this information on the Upper portion of the cars, AOK is one that comes to mind. I think I have also seen CN do this. However, even this is of little benefit for those more adventurous taggers that feel the need to cover the whole side of a car with their blight.

I always appreciate those that have worked that information into their art work. Obviously recognizing that the information is necessary to the railroad.

I have seen a few examples where reporting marks, car numbers, etc were actually re-painted in the same "style" they were working in , so as to be visible, yet not detract form their "works".

There is a larger spectrum of "graffitti" which actually is art and not vandilism.Graffitti is not just painted on railcars and buildings. Many graffitti artists and (yes they are artists in their own right), do there peices on things called "legal walls" if more citys had legal walls we would see a decline in vandilism. A legal wall is a wall where the owner of the said building allows graffiti and murals to be painted freely.

alco636 Wrote:

>
> BTW, it is a problem, not a "problem". It isn't
> art, it's just moronic jibberish. The only
> graffiti I'd like to see is on the homes or cars
> of taggers with railroad signs. Some pimped up gas
> guzzling SUV with "Union Pacific 3985" tagged on
> their expensive paint job.

We were in the Netherlands a few years ago and rode a few trains and noted lots of graffiti along the ROW, but confined to industrial buildings, not "everywhere". It is possible the Dutch tolerate this so as to keep the graffiti off of more historic or valuable properties.
C.

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

I have got to say I agree with everything said by the two 251 powered six axles above. Wholeheartedly. Boys, I guess we are just "unenlightened".

LCW Wrote:
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> Some railroads have started placing this
> information on the Upper portion of the cars, AOK
> is one that comes to mind. I think I have also
> seen CN do this. However, even this is of little
> benefit for those more adventurous taggers that
> feel the need to cover the whole side of a car
> with their blight.


I've seen Arkansas & Missouri boxcars (AM) with the stenciling up high too, if I'm not mistaken.

My favorite solution was "proposed" by Rudy Giuliani on an episode of Saturday Night Live several years ago. Expert police taggers simply add the word "Sucks" beneath your spray-painted name. For repeat offenders, they add "Sucks Bad."

Kids are now buying the paint online.

If the "artists" want to express themselves, let them go down to the local newspaper and buy the ends of the rolls of paper. These are too short to mount for a press run but large enough in width and length to make notice. The vandalls can then staple them to their garage walls and paint to their little hearts content leaving the rest of us alone.

I see very little "art" on the sides of freight cars and along the row. Mostly just tagging. How many ways can you embellish your initials or handle?

For punishment, the answer is in the thumbs. Mostly, these folks are just a boil on the buttocks of society. We all get to suffer the pain.

smtrains Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There is a larger spectrum of "graffitti" which
> actually is art and not vandilism.Graffitti is not
> just painted on railcars and buildings. Many
> graffitti artists and (yes they are artists in
> their own right), do there peices on things called
> "legal walls" if more citys had legal walls we
> would see a decline in vandilism. A legal wall is
> a wall where the owner of the said building allows
> graffiti and murals to be painted freely.
>
> alco636 Wrote:
>
> >
> > BTW, it is a problem, not a "problem". It isn't
> > art, it's just moronic jibberish. The only
> > graffiti I'd like to see is on the homes or
> cars
> > of taggers with railroad signs. Some pimped up
> gas
> > guzzling SUV with "Union Pacific 3985" tagged
> on
> > their expensive paint job.