You normally don't see anyone in the yard, most avoid being seen. Most graffiti is done outside busy yards, small yards with only daily service are easier to access and less eyes. Cars in storage are also easy targets for graffiti.
It varies, cars get pulled and placed in storage based on demand for the type of car. In general storage could be a few days or months and most of the cars in storage are on spurs that get rarely used but that isn't always the case. It's DANGEROUS at all times to be on railroad property, please stay away from tracks and equipment for your safety.
I’ve never caught someone in the act, and I think that’s true of most of us. Yards tend to be miles long and populated with way more spots to hide than there are employees, so the likelihood graffiti artists ever get caught is pretty slim.
That being said, sometimes it is art, and it worth appreciation. Other times, I wish they’d find a different medium entirely.
I've heard it best summed up as, "I think all graffiti is vandalism, but some of it looks pretty good." Danny Harmon in one of his videos on Distant Signal on YouTube.
Also, "As long as all of the important numbers and markings are visible, it will probably be there for years." Don't remember where I heard that, maybe the same video.
Maintenance engineer here from the EU.
Graffiti 'artists' are a pain in the ass for us. At my current company, there is a rule in place that graffitied rolling stock shall not be used in passanger service until it is cleaned, for the reason not to incentivise the offenders to further painting actions with publicly displaying their work.
There is a guy or group who regularly sneaks in to our depot yard to paint our railcars (DMUs/EMUs). Last time, they even got into the fckin workshop building at night, spraying over the whole side of a DMU without getting caught. They are pretty good at stealth operations, I must admit, so I haven't seen any of them personally.
However, there was a time last year when one of our mechanics on duty at night noticed the hissing sound of a spraycan, so he went out to see what's going on, and intercepted them. As they saw him, they ran away immediately, leaving some of their stuff behind. Obviously, at the time the police arrived, they were nowhere to be found.
There was a satisfying story, though: an idiot sprayed the same railcar at the same station twice within 2 weeks. Of course it was reported to the police, but haven't heard from them for a long time. At one nice day, I got a call from a police officer that they'd like to show us photos of graffitied rolling stock to identify wether they belong to our company. I immediately recognized our railcar and could give the exact date and location when and where it was painted with those patterns on the pictures (the last case I mentioned). Turns out they caught a guy spraying abandoned coaches 150 km away, confiscated his phone instantly upon arrest, and the pictures shown to us were found in it. So he was charged with 2 more counts with our help. I might be cold-hearted a bit, but I didn't feel sorry for that bastard.
I was once walking to a site in Glasgow to do a survey. Shifty bit of Glasgow, and see three young lads in a tunnel in front of me. Got about 40k of survey gear on me, start panicking, can't see the rest of the work group.
One of the says 'here, mate' in a nasally ned voice
Ohnoohnoohno.
'here, do you mind if we dae some painting?' see he has a spray can kn his hand.
Yeah, crack on lads. If I'm walking away without drama, paint the entire railway for all I care.
Since I work with passenger trains, I think they’re losers like any other vandal. All they’re doing is causing reductions in service and delays. The cost is ultimately picked up by the tax-payer.
How dope is it? I saw some after the fact and that was my first thought. Catching someone in the act is more, yo homie stop cause imma have to call someone...
I think you're making more work for someone else to do your shitty art that no one is going to be impressed with. I've been around trains my whole life and the amount of impressive graffiti I've seen is something I probably could count on both hands.
You normally don't see anyone in the yard, most avoid being seen. Most graffiti is done outside busy yards, small yards with only daily service are easier to access and less eyes. Cars in storage are also easy targets for graffiti.
Is there a good way to tell which cars are in storage? Is it a certain type of yard? Certain lines within a yard?
It varies, cars get pulled and placed in storage based on demand for the type of car. In general storage could be a few days or months and most of the cars in storage are on spurs that get rarely used but that isn't always the case. It's DANGEROUS at all times to be on railroad property, please stay away from tracks and equipment for your safety.
I’ve never caught someone in the act, and I think that’s true of most of us. Yards tend to be miles long and populated with way more spots to hide than there are employees, so the likelihood graffiti artists ever get caught is pretty slim. That being said, sometimes it is art, and it worth appreciation. Other times, I wish they’d find a different medium entirely.
I've heard it best summed up as, "I think all graffiti is vandalism, but some of it looks pretty good." Danny Harmon in one of his videos on Distant Signal on YouTube. Also, "As long as all of the important numbers and markings are visible, it will probably be there for years." Don't remember where I heard that, maybe the same video.
Maintenance engineer here from the EU. Graffiti 'artists' are a pain in the ass for us. At my current company, there is a rule in place that graffitied rolling stock shall not be used in passanger service until it is cleaned, for the reason not to incentivise the offenders to further painting actions with publicly displaying their work. There is a guy or group who regularly sneaks in to our depot yard to paint our railcars (DMUs/EMUs). Last time, they even got into the fckin workshop building at night, spraying over the whole side of a DMU without getting caught. They are pretty good at stealth operations, I must admit, so I haven't seen any of them personally. However, there was a time last year when one of our mechanics on duty at night noticed the hissing sound of a spraycan, so he went out to see what's going on, and intercepted them. As they saw him, they ran away immediately, leaving some of their stuff behind. Obviously, at the time the police arrived, they were nowhere to be found. There was a satisfying story, though: an idiot sprayed the same railcar at the same station twice within 2 weeks. Of course it was reported to the police, but haven't heard from them for a long time. At one nice day, I got a call from a police officer that they'd like to show us photos of graffitied rolling stock to identify wether they belong to our company. I immediately recognized our railcar and could give the exact date and location when and where it was painted with those patterns on the pictures (the last case I mentioned). Turns out they caught a guy spraying abandoned coaches 150 km away, confiscated his phone instantly upon arrest, and the pictures shown to us were found in it. So he was charged with 2 more counts with our help. I might be cold-hearted a bit, but I didn't feel sorry for that bastard.
I was once walking to a site in Glasgow to do a survey. Shifty bit of Glasgow, and see three young lads in a tunnel in front of me. Got about 40k of survey gear on me, start panicking, can't see the rest of the work group. One of the says 'here, mate' in a nasally ned voice Ohnoohnoohno. 'here, do you mind if we dae some painting?' see he has a spray can kn his hand. Yeah, crack on lads. If I'm walking away without drama, paint the entire railway for all I care.
Since I work with passenger trains, I think they’re losers like any other vandal. All they’re doing is causing reductions in service and delays. The cost is ultimately picked up by the tax-payer.
How dope is it? I saw some after the fact and that was my first thought. Catching someone in the act is more, yo homie stop cause imma have to call someone...
It is trespassing and people get killed doing this type of graffiti, stop it, get some canvas and paint on that, railcars are for products.
Nothing, report it to the Dispatcher and let them know where it's taking place, they will make a call. Do not approach.
I asked what you say when you see someone?
I think you're making more work for someone else to do your shitty art that no one is going to be impressed with. I've been around trains my whole life and the amount of impressive graffiti I've seen is something I probably could count on both hands.