I just got done reading today's (Thursday) Chicago Tribune and was distressed to see that IRM has had another visit from the paint-can wielding "artists". From what the article states, four CTA cars were "beautified" this time around.

I guess when you are a moron you don't understand that your "work" has been done to an insular museum operation and that the chances for the general public to see your version of the "Mona Lisa" are limited, for the most part, to the visitors whose good entrance fee donations go towards restoring the equipment.

As much as I hate to see tagged freight cars, it is preferable to this sort of nonsense. If is sound upset, I am. Who can update the damage...Randall, Frank or Kevin?

Don C.



milw261@comcast.net

I've worked in railrroad yards for 25 years and have seen plenty of grafitti, but never anyone with a spray can applying it. From some of the designs, it is obvious that a lot of time and money is being spent on this unintelligible urban artwork. I've heard that some larger cities even have stores that cater to grafitti artists. Anybody seen one?

I don't think the grafitti we see today is necessarily the work of disgruntled teenagers, but probably younger adults, who may see it as an avante garde way of expressing themselves. The stuff is everywhere, not just on railcars. Considering how bad it makes our communities look and the cost of removing it, it might not be a bad idea to somehow make spray paint harder and more costly to obtain (spray paint is cheaper today than 40 years ago). Paint manufacturers might be made to pay some of the cost of removal, as they profit from sales of the stuff. There just aren't enough police to arrest the perpetrators, who probably think they are beautifying America.

Any websites devoted to the grafitti problem?

ryarger@rypn.org

The damage is a little more extensive than just the "L" cars; several other pieces of equipment stored in that particular railyard were also "tagged." One of my fellow curators has helped to narrow down the timeframe just a bit, although I don't think that will help to catch the vandals. We were not the only victims; another museum not far from us was hit in late January as well.

beast@mc.net

Cars that were hit included CTA #6461-6462 (one of these two cars had been cosmetically restored) and CTA #2153-2154; three of the CTA cars had also been hit in 2001. I saw this damage firsthand - the two 6400's were absolutely covered from the beltrail down for their entire lengths, and one of the 2000's was covered below the beltrail for about 1/4 of its length. I've been told that Milwaukee Road F7B #96B was also hit, but have not seen the extent of the damage myself. I haven't seen the Tribune yet, but let's hope that the coverage - and the reward - helps bring these depraved miscreants to justice.

Frank Hicks

fullparallel@wideopenwest.com

> Any websites devoted to the grafitti
> problem?

The Chicago Tribune article about the graffiti vandalism at the Illinois Railway Museum is linked below and has also been posted to "Flimsies". Note that access requires (free) registration to the Trib's Web site.

I post these links regrding railroad graffiti without comment on their content.

Railroad Graffiti (Watsonville Junction Web site):
http://www.brakemans.com/watsonville/ca ... =equipment

Art or vandalism, railcar graffiti roll across land:
http://www.snowcrest.net/bndlstif/wausau.html

Artists on the rails:
http://www.portlandmercury.com/2000-07-13/feature2.html

Colossus of Roads Interview:
http://www.1freespace.com/art/boxcarart/colossus1.html

Cheers,
Keith Albrandt

Antique rail cars damaged
kalbrandt@rypn.org

"> I guess when you are a moron you don't
> understand that your "work" has
> been done to an insular museum operation and
> that the chances for the general public to
> see your version of the "Mona
> Lisa" are limited, for the most part,
> to the visitors whose good entrance fee
> donations go towards restoring the
> equipment.

> As much as I hate to see tagged freight
> cars, it is preferable to this sort of
> nonsense. If is sound upset, I am. Who can
> update the damage...Randall, Frank or Kevin?

I have seen this garbage on railcars, and kinda think these idiots don't BUY this spray paint!
Can you imagine the "shrinkage" in the local stores from this? I remember an editorial by Mike Royko some years ago on this subject, and I'm guessing that Chicago is headquarters for this stuff, although other locales seem to contribute their share. The problem is these clowns are not caught, they "get away with it", they aren't obligated to clean up their mess in the off-chance that they are, and it's great "fun" DUUUUUUHH! I often wonder whether paint cans explode when they are hit by a bullet!



schwartzsj@juno.com

> "> I guess when you are a moron you
> don't

> I have seen this garbage on railcars, and
> kinda think these idiots don't BUY this
> spray paint!
> Can you imagine the "shrinkage" in
> the local stores from this? I remember an
> editorial by Mike Royko some years ago on
> this subject, and I'm guessing that Chicago
> is headquarters for this stuff, although
> other locales seem to contribute their
> share. The problem is these clowns are not
> caught, they "get away with it",
> they aren't obligated to clean up their mess
> in the off-chance that they are, and it's
> great "fun" DUUUUUUHH! I often
> wonder whether paint cans explode when they
> are hit by a bullet!

The Cook County forest preserves are in the midst of a clean-up of abandoned dogs (particularly pit bulls) after a tragic attack on two female joggers which resulted in the death of one jogger and terrible scarring of the survivor.

Maybe IRM would be a logical recipient of a number of these animals. And when taggers were not in season, there would be rabbits, pheasants and coyotes to supplement their diets.

Don C.

milw261@comcast.net

While I do not support the application of graffiti to pieces of equipment that have either been restored, or preserved in an in-service condition, I canÂ’t help but think of a few pieces of equipment at IRM (and at few at other museums) that would benefit from a coat of paint of any kind. Below is a linked picture from the IRMÂ’s roster page of B&O wagon-top boxcar 374065, which was (at least the last time I saw it) suffering from a great deal of surface rust which appeared to be pitting the metal.

Granted, I do not think that it would be feasible or desirable to invite graffiti artists to paint the car in order to preserve it. Instead, it would be better to give the car a quick paint job using a metal preserving paint (as has been previously discussed on this board) or tarping it. The point I am trying to make, however, is that some pieces of equipment (in large and small collections alike) only gain seem to be appreciated when they are vandalized, or are recommended for scrapping because they have deteriorated too much. While its slow and quiet ways is tolerated, rust causes much more damage to all of our collections than any graffti ever could.



rrhistorian@hotmail.com

Paint manufacturers might be made to
> pay some of the cost of removal, as they
> profit from sales of the stuff.

Bob, you've stooped to pretty low moral ground here. I will leave it to you to think of the many analogous situations where you wouldn't sit still for "charging the manufacturer".

I am sure that it occurred to you that as "fees" are imposed, their prices will follow.

There has been mammoth consolidation in the paint industry over the last decade with possibly only 15% of companies remaining. This doesn't happen if everyone is flush with profits.

wyld@sbcglobal.net

I've heard
> that some larger cities even have stores
> that cater to grafitti artists. Anybody seen
> one?

No. But my local (suburban Chicago) hardware store tells me that the "taggers" organize shoplifting raids to obtain their supplies. These are sometimes planned to the extent that the theft takes place on the loading dock when the paint dealer makes delivery, rather than inside the store later (all spray cans are under lock and key now at this particular store).

pnichol6@prodigy.net

Spray paint sales are banned within the city of Chicago limits. One would think that the vandals would be caught since they have to be local to Union or the area. Kids aren't going to drive an hour out from Chicago to tag a car. These are the locals that know that no one is around. Listen to the local chatter around the teen hangouts and you will find the culprits. Make them volunteer at the museum for their penance and maybe they will like it and thus you have new members that love to paint the rusting equipment.

ablemanscurve@hotmail.com

The only form of deterrance you can implement against Graffiti is to make sure that it doesn't remain. Tag "artists" wouldn't want to tag something if they know the graffiti will not remain long enough to be seen.

If I were at IRM my response would be to document the damage and cover it as soon as possible, with primer, tarps, or whatever is necessary to obscure it.

mrwowak@yahoo.com

There are clear top-coat paints for buildings that allow a certain number of "wipe-off" removals of graffiti, if it's a big problem, it might be a thought to top-coat paint jobs with one of these coating.

> .......great "fun" DUUUUUUHH! I often
> wonder whether paint cans explode when they
> are hit by a bullet!

Usually not in flames, although I suppose that's possible, but the paint goes everywhere. Could try using tracers to hit it with....

> I've worked in railrroad yards for 25 years
> and have seen plenty of grafitti, but never
> anyone with a spray can applying it. From
> some of the designs, it is obvious that a
> lot of time and money is being spent on this
> unintelligible urban artwork. I've heard
> that some larger cities even have stores
> that cater to grafitti artists. Anybody seen
> one?

> I don't think the grafitti we see today is
> necessarily the work of disgruntled
> teenagers, but probably younger adults, who
> may see it as an avante garde way of
> expressing themselves. The stuff is
> everywhere, not just on railcars.
> Considering how bad it makes our communities
> look and the cost of removing it, it might
> not be a bad idea to somehow make spray
> paint harder and more costly to obtain
> (spray paint is cheaper today than 40 years
> ago).

Until a few years ago, we had grafitti boxes in Binghamton and they were heavily used. They put the boxes in areas where artists would hit. And the "artists" would hit them instead of the nice white limestone walls of the courthouse. The taggers would still put there territorial pissings where ever but there wasn't as much.

Our Mayor decided that the boxes were a eyesore and pulled them. Now we have artists back on the walls again. It's a shame in a way.

Before, when we had the boxes, people would put a lot of time and effort in a work. Because it was legal to work on the boxes, we had some really neat works. In fact , in 1999 there was a graffiti contest at a local PRIVATE skateboard park that attracted folks from all over the east coast.

I loved the works on the graffiti boxes. Now, all you see are a few piss poor works and lots of hurried tagging. With the boxes gone, all we see is shit.

Oh well. I am surprised that someone "bombed" IRM. I doubt that the boxes would work at IRM or are really needed. But they do need to get these folks. Direct them to acceptable places for their works and hammer the violators.

Charles

bg23338@binghamton.edu