Color, Rust, & Time

The Beauty of Freight Trains

Looking through a lot of the pictures in my phone’s camera roll I see nothing but pictures of trains, monikers, handstyles, & graffiti. I truly enjoy every picture because it allows me to recall the moment I took the picture & how it makes me smile thinking about the wild adventures I’ve been on. When I stare at pictures of blank freight trains I see something more than just a blank canvas. I see potential & opportunity, but also a career & history. I find myself wondering, what makes freight trains so beautiful? Is it the colors? The rust? The decaying look of some of the older models? The logos? Maybe it’s the paint that gets added to it by freelance artists? The wide-range of colors & emotions displayed by others on metal panels? Find out more of my thoughts on what makes freight trains so beautiful below

Each car is unique in it’s design, the structure & appearance may resemble others, but the markings & the history is different. It’s experienced its own rain drops & snow fall. Individuals, like myself, put different images on each one to be a part of history, & no two markings are ever the same. I think all trains are beautiful, even Amtrak & CT rail ones. They have their own personality & flavor, kissed by time & showcased to anyone curious enough to venture into places only a few explore. An interesting fact about America’s freight train system is that it runs 24/7 non-stop. If a car stops, it’s a short layover until it’s next shift. These steel metal giants don’t get tired, they aren’t fazed by the natural elements that might persuade others to stay indoors. That’s another reason why train layups are sacred & beautiful. Sleeping between shifts & waiting for their next mission.

Random Assortment of Monikers

They carry stories waiting to be told to anyone willing to listen & learn. Each marking represents someone’s journey through the railroad track dodging workers, police, crackheads, & wild animals just to mark their name or image, hopefully for years to come. Freight trains don’t normally get cleaned unless their markings, meant to signify important information for them, are covered. These cars earn every stain, image, crack, & mark. While the logos of any company is destined to fade over time, the cars themselves wear the passage of time proudly.

From rusted rails to forgotten walls, these paintings carry the spirit of the street. Claim one before it fades (Here)

Train enthusiast have even taken a liking to bringing their favorite trains home with them in model form. There is a whole culture of model train enthusiasts who plan, buy, & create intricate pathways inside of their homes & work places or shops. Graffiti artists & painters alike even go as far as adding paint to resemble rust & painting their names on them as if they were the real thing. Walthers is my favorite brand because they have a wide range of options to choose from. Freight cars, trailers, pedestrians, workers, equipment, & every type of track or light you can think of, all in different size model forms such as the most popular, HO scale.

Walthers Model Trains HO Scale

Both model versions & the real things come in many shapes & sizes. Different varieties meant to carry out various tasks around the country. Just to name a few, there’s boxcars, flatcars, tank cars, gondolas, intermodal cars, & hopper cars. The list goes on, but those are the more commonly seen ones. Working with different companies in unison to keep the industrial system chugging along. Companies like CSX Transportation, Pioneer Valley Railroad, Providence & Worcester Railroad, & New England Central Railroad are some of the major players here in the Northeast & New England area. It’s poetry in motion. Writers from around the world check in & leave messages for themselves, loved ones, & others. A diary to many & a home to some, the railroad tracks find many wondering souls lost in their yards.

Freight cars are rolling canvases that allow artists to speak to each other while never meeting. These trains belong to no one state or area, they travel large distances & travel through time to bring history & art to everyone. The people stuck behind railroad crossings don’t even realize they’re missing an art gallery rolling right past their eyes. For years while I was in college I lived behind railroad tracks & would get pissed sitting in traffic for 20 - 30 minutes on average behind some of the longest freight trains I ever witnessed. I wish I had paid more attention to them then, I must of missed history. But there’s something beautiful in making up lost time. Chasing all of the times I missed. I find poetry in decay, & freight trains are the perfect example of something living out its days in style & fashion. Slowly rotting away like us all.

The locomotives you see rolling around are carrying essentials supplies such as raw materials like coal, iron, gravel, & chemicals that help our country run. Finished goods such as steel & automobiles ride around on the rails to reach further destination quicker, cheaper, & unimpeded by traffic. While a most railroad lines will cross over traffic streets, I find freight trains are the perfect intersection between Art & Industry. Two worlds that don’t necessarily have anything to do with one another, but they coexist in the world together almost effortlessly. The crossroads between a system working & people saying fuck the system all at once.

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In conclusion, I just wanted to say that I’m happy that I found this hobby & I think it’s going to stick with me for a long time. I truly find joy taking long strolls down railroad tracks to see what treasures lay waiting for me. It’s exciting, exhilarating, & nerve-wrecking all at the same time. The adrenaline rush I feel runs through my veins & pumps new energy back into my soul. Refreshing & healing properties are found when I take my time to enjoy my moment in history. I hope this story encourages you to take a trip on the wild side one day. Just walk past that sign that deters most people. Be cautious, but curious. Find yourself lost on the journey, maybe it’ll spark some inspiration or creativity for you.

Reminder to always be cautious when standing or walking on the railroad tracks. You’d be surprised how silent some trains can be. I was preparing a batch of paint from the oops section while standing under a highway spot with my huge ass roller in hand & Amtrak snuck up on me! It was a Sunday & I didn’t think they ran on that line during Sundays, but I was wrong. Thankfully, they didn’t say anything & I spent the next hour & a half rolling some box letters. I should have went bigger, but those things are actually a workout.

Peace & Love from the 413

Thank you for checking out my Substack Article! I have a few more pictures of freight train graffiti from Ridle, Todas, & a couple of blank freight cars that are available for a small fee of $5 a month. With those $5 you’ll get custom cut vinyl stickers, a copy of my zine, & a full month of some of the best freight train pictures from Western Mass. See you on the other-side!