1990s boxcar question

[jeep35]

I asked this question on the MR forum and I think it got misunderstood, perhaps I didn't explain myself correctly. I want to model some boxcars that would have been used to ship food products (canned goods, cereal, beer, whatever) in the 1990s. What "appeareance" would they have. I know I'm not supposed to use the word "grafitti" cause people go nuts, but were cars of that era less likely to have been "tagged" then today? I guess if the car was in working order and didn't leak  the shipper would use it no matter the appearence. Is that correct? Did not wabt to start any trouble, just wanted to ask people who know more then me a question.

Thanks

Jim

[BaltACD]

Shippers care about the interior condition of the cars that haul their products - not the exterior.

[K4sPRR]

Hi Jim,

  Looking at photo's and video I took during the late 1980's and early 1990's there was graffiti but not nearly to the extent you see today nor was the graffiti that elaborate.  So I would say if your modeling a modest amount of graffiti would be accurate.

[samfp1943]

K4sPRR

Hi Jim,

  Looking at photo's and video I took during the late 1980's and early 1990's there was graffiti but not nearly to the extent you see today nor was the graffiti that elaborate.  So I would say if your modeling a modest amount of graffiti would be accurate.

 

I started modeling trains in the 1950's ( primarily American Flyer, at first and then HO).  As K4sPRR mentioned then graffiti during that period of time was not too widespread...In the Mid-South area, most of the graffiti painters seemed to congregate on the the ancient boxcars that were used to seasonally transport cotton bales to the Federal Compresses from the smaller Gins. Those cars would sit for months before being used and moved, after sitting for months on sidings off mainlines and in remote areas.

  The 'decorations' that seemed to predate what some now call "Artitic Garaffiti"(?) were present on most cars during those years; Most Railroad emploeess carred large pieces of chalk, as part of their 'work tools'.  Carknockers would mark their individual assessment of a car's fitness to be used, on the lower parts of those cars- Bad Order- Clean Out- Bad Air/Coupler, etc. You get the drift. It was a way to communicate with their fellow workers who could use that information.

Then there were the 'Hobo's' marks; they would identify problems to other Hobos as to railroaders. places that would benefit them, etc. Also to identify an individual Hobo as they traveled about ( 'Pancho' under a plam Tree, was a particularly widespread on at that time) 'Pancho' was alternately rumored to be a railroad employee, and by some as a wandering 'Bo.(?).  After WWI and somewhat WWII the most replicated one was " Kilroy was here" . That one showed up not only on the railroads, but many other places, as well. 

  The use of aerosol spray pain in cans got its 'start in the late 50's, early 60's and gained momentum, as the price of individual cans came down(?).  It seems that ' inexpensive aerosol spray paint has fostered the rise of level of garffiti we are experiencing today.

[jeep35]

Thanks,

That's exactly the information I was looking for. Once again I have come to the right place to get answers to obscure and weird question! Guys have a great day?

Thanks again

Jim

 

[Andrew Falconer]

The Evans Products built 53' double plug-door box cars that would have been used for some canned food products usually had patch painting and some streaks of grime from the roof. Those boxcars were most likely on the move too often to be covered with graffiti.