American Graffiti --- The Final Frontier

[easyaces]

When I was a kid growing up in Chicago during the late 50' early 60's there was little or none in the way of graffitti anywhere, and if you got caught in any of the rail yards you usually got a load of rocksalt in the backside from some railroad cop, and then a trip to the local police station. Its come to this through the years that things had gone lax, and the railroads just don't have the manpower to police the yards like they used to , hence the taggers have a field day & more graffitti shows up on the cars. Now wether its going to look "prototypical" with graffitti on your rolling stock is up to the individual. I'm sure the debate will go on here with some ferver.

[Fergmiester]

I'm modelling @ 1960. Was there grafitti in 1960?

Regardless, No grafitti will be displayed o the MESS

[Anonymous]

Graffiti, YUCK! There'll be none of that on my layout, whether I model the past or present!

[Anonymous]

For those that save past editions of MR, see July 2000"Modeling modern graffiti".

You may use "Gel Pens", the milky type, from most office supply stores.

[Anonymous]

In the interest of "modeling from the prototype" I have been putting graffiti on a few cars. Love it or hate it, it is a part of the modern railroad scene.

But mainly I only use graffiti decals when I want to cover up any defects in a decal or paint job. One recent project was modeling a "Plain Jane" grain hopper, and I used decals out of my scrap box for the reporting marks, but I was short of having enough correct matching dimensional data to do both sides of the car, so I just covered the area where it would have been with a graffiti decal.

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wp8thsub
My last layout had an industrial scene with a row of building flats featuring a mass of graffiti. One session an operator in that industrial district complained that somebody absconded with his uncoupling tool, so I said he shouldn't be surprised considering what kind of neighborhood he was operating in. [:D]

LOL Good one, Rob!

[wp8thsub]

For the sake of realism, I model a lot of things I don't particularly agree with. Despite this, the overall effect of the model scene is enhanced to my way of thinking by cramming more of the real world into it. What's really different about modeling graffiti compared to broken windows, trash piles or derelict autos (other than perhaps the different motivations of the graffiti "artists")? How about those tailings dumps around mining operations that leach heavy metals and other toxins? What about old buildings with peeling paint...some of that stuff may be lead based! How could I model something that causes medical disorders? For that matter, my railroad's right of way may represent the filling in of some prime wetland habitat or the destruction of "wilderness values."

My last layout had an industrial scene with a row of building flats featuring a mass of graffiti. One session an operator in that industrial district complained that somebody absconded with his uncoupling tool, so I said he shouldn't be surprised considering what kind of neighborhood he was operating in. [:D]

[AggroJones]

I didn't see much graffiti in the '50s. But if I modelled the modern scene I still wouldn't have graffiti on anything. I don't need to be reminded of crimimal activities on my layout. Fine weathering would be enough to make it look real.

[Anonymous]

I model as real as I can get, and not be a buthead rivet counter. Like it or not graffiti is on some of my cars.

[Anonymous]

I guess, if you model the modern era, you wouldn't be accurate if you didn't have some. I see some decal manufacturers have brought out graffiti decals, so having them would be easy enough to do. Have fun! Stay outa sight and don't let the Model Railroad Brain Cops catch ya!!

[IRONROOSTER]

I have no interest . I don't know that there was that much in the 50's, but I 'm not interested in any case. I realise that my world may be too clean for reality, but that's the way I like it. I think of my railroad more as painting than a photograph. Just my preference.
Enjoy
Paul

[CP5415]

I have one car that has graffiti on it. Bought it that way from Proto.
It's nice but I won't make a habit out of it.

Gordon

[orsonroy]

I'm modeling 1950, before spray cans were invented, so my grafitti is kept to a minimum. Most of my freight cars have at least some chalk marks on them, which I suppose qualify loosely as grafitti.

I've been toying with the idea of modeling a modern string of freight cars in N scale (my other scale), with the full gamut of weathering, grime and grafitti. It might not look pretty, and may be vandalism, but it IS a part of the modern railroad scene.

[AntonioFP45]

While the modeled graffiit looks very, very accurate on the displayed hopper, it's just a reminder of the real world situation as to the graffitti problem. This is just my opinion. I'm trying to imagine what my reaction would be if I went to a train show and saw an HO or N train with cars displaying "realistic looking" graffitti.

Even though this would indeed be a major touch of realism my reaction would be a low sigh [sigh] .
My immediete thought: a model of a train trashed by punks with too much time on their hands!) [V]

In 1971 when graffitti showed up on a massive scale on New York City subway trains, I remember still how much as a kid, I absolutely hated it! It's a different persective when it is literally in your face!

[Anonymous]

I'm gonna have some since I model the present but I say YUCK! I hate the garbage.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Here are the links to the other two, and another member's website that I stumbled onto while looking for something else.
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12463
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12825
http://www.geocities.com/kaschmidt626/graffitti.html

Here are a couple of photos, the first is a real car, the second is a similar car that came from the factory with that graffiti on it.





One final thought, many of us weather our cars, is graffiti that much different?