Why is there so much graffiti on freight trains?

In order to avoid what was almost becoming persecution in some neighborhoods, and for their artwork to be maintained for longer – as well as being able to see it travel across the United States – many graffiti artists turned to freight trains and left the subway, and the streets, behind.

When did people start putting graffiti on trains?

Railroad graffiti began in earnest during the 1920s and especially the Depression years of the 1930s, as hobos and even some railroad workers made chalk drawings on freight cars to mark their presence. That practice continues in the 21st century; drawings made by “Colossus of Roads” are among the most popular.

Who painted the graffiti on railroad cars?

In the 1970s, subway artists were responsible for much of the freight car graffiti that is seen today. With the growth of the movement, taggers began to decorate both the outside and the inside of trains, going to great lengths to create works of art that no one could dispute.

Who started graffiti on trains?

Decades later, in 1970s-era New York City, kids in the Bronx associated with the nascent hip-hop subculture began spray-painting the sides of subway cars, turning the city’s transit system into a rolling museum of outsider art (covered from both the pro- and anti-graffiti perspectives in the great 1983 film “Style Wars …

Why is train graffiti illegal?

It is dangerous and illegal to put something like that on a railcar since it would mean trespassing on railroad property. ” To paint the elaborate graffiti requires time, so it is possible someone spent a lot of time among the tons of steel lying on the tracks and that someone may have suffered a serious injury or even …

Do train companies care about graffiti?

Do Railroads Care About Graffiti? Train companies can only increase surveillance to catch or deter potential graffiti artists, said Davis. graffiti on railcars is neat, but is illegal and dangerous as well. He said that placing graffiti on a railcar or rail structure was a dangerous act.

Do railroads care about graffiti?

Do Railroads Care About Graffiti? Increasing surveillance is the only thing railroads can do to catch or deter graffiti artists, Davis explained. Some of the graffiti Davis sees on railcars might be cool, but it is still illegal and hazardous.

Are graffiti trains illegal?

Is Spray Painting Train Cars Illegal? It is illegal as well as very dangerous to spray paint graffiti on rail equipment and structures, including bridges, near railroad tracks,” said Sheriee Bowman, CSX’s media relations manager. There are criminal trespasses and defacing of private property involved in this activity.

Why do freight cars have graffiti?

These are the cars’ identity. This information indicates who owns the train car, how much it can carry, its dimensions, maintenance data, and safety information. When covered by graffiti, railroad workers and shippers lose vital information, which can slow work, damage the car or even cause an accident.

Is graffiti on a train illegal?

It is illegal as well as very dangerous to spray paint graffiti on rail equipment and structures, including bridges, near railroad tracks,” said Sheriee Bowman, CSX’s media relations manager. There are criminal trespasses and defacing of private property involved in this activity.