What's with all graffiti?

[ezdays]

Some tagger mark "their" territory with graffiti similar to other animals who mark their territories by urinating or defficating. I equate the two. Obviously, I am not a fan of graffiti. It is counter-productive in every sense of the word, a waste of money and talent, but it is a reality.

I am truly disgusted by the use of dollars needed to clean up this garbage that could go to help the very people doing this, and it always bothers me that the poor and oppressed don't have enough money to feed their children, but still can afford to buy cases of spray paint and boxes of bullets in order to "express" themselves. I know, not all taggers are "poor and oppressed" but that seems to be the areas that get tagged the most and where the most people are shot for little or no reason.

By definition modeling is: "a miniture representation of an existing object" and therefore if someone chooses to model that era or areas in which graffiti is prevelent, then by all means, go for it. That is their choice. Will I ever put graffiti on my railroad? Probably not. But even being as opposed to it as I am, if I am going to be true to what I am modeling, then I should be able to include it because it is there, not because I approve of it.

Don

 

[Matthyro]

For years I commuted into Toronto by the GO train that used the regular train lines. Anyone who travels by train through urban areas will tell you the scenery is not the best. Back ends of buildings where junk is piled and so on. Gtraffiti came along and brightened the scene somewhat. We modellers who strive to make our layouts as realistic as possible have to make the backside of buildings, apartments and homes look like the real thing with washing hanging out, derilect cars and other scrap and piles of dirt and other materials.
Of course we can also model a pristine world where everything looks beautiful. That's the choice we have so do it the way that pleases you most.

 

[jon-monon]

Re: What's with all the graffiti?

Originally posted by SD90
I've seen lots of frieght cars going by latley with graffiti on them, anyone else have this problem?

SD, it looks to me like you have an serious LPB attitude problem! You have hoodlums running amuk all over your layout. There is an effective way to eliminate the hoods without commiting to a complete, expensive, plasticide/start over process, as I have had to do once already because they discovered unions! You just need to sort out the hoods from the goodies:

1. Casually leave out an open bottle of ink/alcohol mix on the edge of the layout. Leave it overnight and leave some dim lights on too.

2. Come back early in the morning and collect any LPBs that are laying down outside of approved plastic housing.

3. Collect any LPB's that have black lips.

4. Collect any who appear groggy, unresponsive, or reek of alcohol.

5. Collect any LPB's who have been known to hang out with or are even near any of those collected in step 2, 3 or 4.

6. Disolve them with acetone, melt them with a magnifier glass, or snip their heads off into the toilet if you wnat to keep the styrene bodies (they make interesting table legs and stuff).

I know this sounds drastic, but if you don't do it now, it'll only get worst. And you could end up dissolving all of them. Don't worry if you get a few "innocent bystanders." You don't want any baddies getting away and corrupting hte others! It might feel bad at first, but after you do one or two, it gets easier and easier after that. Just keep in mind, you're doing it for the good of plastickind!

 

[MCL_RDG]

Blinded...

...by the graffiti. I was definitley over the top SD! I made a stupid comment and if I could I'd blame my blind anger for what I see on a daily basis. I certainly awoke this mornig dreading some of my words and their phrasing. The modeling is superb and you are modeling the modern era. It truely was not intended to insult or seperate.

I am sensitive to the subject because there is a school nearby work for what they use to call "Incorrigibles". The other day a group was passing the business and one of them, on a dare, entered our building and said something foul to our receptionist. Our building occasionally gets "tagged". I don't like to see it and when I retreat to my trains I enjoy the fantasy of grime and fumes and smoke, not reality which I get an eyeful of everyday.

It's perhaps the seperation of being there where it happens and seeing it as it passes by.

I think your railroad and modeling is quite something to be on par with.

I hope you'll forgive my harsh comments and accept my further thoughts.

Regards,

Mark

 

[Drew1125]

Originally posted by SD90
Mark, I didn't say I like it, but we are all trying to create a realistic model railroad, and like it or not, all that graffiti is part of the real railroads we are trying to recreate. So that is why I put it on my layout. I'm sorry if it offends you or anyone else.

I'm with you 100% SD90!
Each to his own, but I'm into depicting the real world as nearly as I can. And the real world aint always pretty...things get vandalized, worn out, broken, polluted, etc...I like to see these things on a model RR!
Art imitates life...at least that what I'm trying to do!
You're doing a great job of it with the graffiti, SD!

 

[Ray Marinaccio]

How did you make those freehand or decals ?
This was done with decals I got in a box-lot.

 

[Identitty]

Wow, some of you people need to relaxe and start thinking. Graffiti isn't much related to gangs and such, most graffiti artist are just underground artist who also found some love for the rails just like you did. Do you really know any low down criminal who wastes times... painting?!
They paint them, you model them.
You must admit that after seeing thousands of similar cars, a colorfull one always makes your day a bit more meaning full. If you think about it, you could look out for beautifull graff, make an awesome decal just so you could say your scale models stands out.

 

[Chessie6459]

The graffiti work looks good everyone. :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

 

[Will_annand]

The art looks great, but you won't catch any of that on the CVR, in 1880 if you were caught, they would shoot you.

 

[Tad]

I think it is fine if you want to model graffiti and I think you did a good job of it.

I don't like it in real life. While some folks who do it are quite artistic, I feel that it is wrong to deface someone else's property. I model late 70's - early 80's and it wasn't as much of a problem then.

I won't model it on my railroad.

 

[siderod]

While i don't really accept Graffitti, it IS a large part of railroading (sadly), and it's something i plan to model, in due time, as soon as my layout gets past the foam stages, and i have more time to focus on that sort of thing.

Mike, your work looks A++ As usual! I like the look of the one on the CNWX/CPWX GOC Grain car...a bit of dirt, and it'll blend it all in and look natural. As far as fencing in your yard, you'll need to sell a few units to pay for all that chainlink!

Later
AR

EDIT: I'll rephrase...i don't accept the people who tag cars, as it IS vandalism and breaking the law. However, i have nothing against the graffitti itself, as it does look interesting, and is usually quite artistic. However, i wouldn't call the people who graff and tag cars artists....they're criminals.

 

[toolman]

It seems graffiti is way of life, its wrong. I live near the Browns yard, Sayerville, NJ and I see the cars covered in them. I model present day and will use certain cars with various coverages. I seen in the train shop graffiti decals which I plan to buy and try doing by hand, practice on cars that I do not use.

 

[cpNscale]

Here is a few examples trhat my wife did with paint markers and gel pens.Once i like what she has done i will give her a few of my Cdn grain cars to do,then seal with dullcoat and weather.

 

[SAL Comet]

Wow, some of you people need to relaxe and start thinking. Graffiti isn't much related to gangs and such, most graffiti artist are just underground artist who also found some love for the rails just like you did. Do you really know any low down criminal who wastes times... painting?!
They paint them, you model them.
You must admit that after seeing thousands of similar cars, a colorfull one always makes your day a bit more meaning full. If you think about it, you could look out for beautifull graff, make an awesome decal just so you could say your scale models stands out.

So Identitty, Let me see if I got this straight. You find a two year old thread about grafitti and deside you need to join the gauge so you can tell the people that were talking about grafitti in 2003 that they need to relaxe and start thinking. and to defend a bunch of vandals that you call artists? Seems a little weird

 

[csxengineer]

Where are they?

I work for CSX, and see tons of graffitti, but never catch anybody in the act, nor has anybody I know. That leads me to believe:

GRAFFITTI ARTISTS ARE INVISIBLE!!!

I'm calling X-files right now.

 

[Livesteam]

I once saw this awsome graffitti on a box car, He painted an engine, it looked great,

 

[T787]

Wow I really didn't think they made train cars with graffiti on them. It does make it look real. Is this in N scale? Assuming I am in the N/Z scale section...

 

[Livesteam]

the pictures there are homemade graffitti, but i thought someone did make some with graffitti, i know some o scale box car had alot.

 

[guppyman]

This thread looks like a good place for one of my favorite real-life examples of graffiti that i pass every day....

 

[Ralph]

guppyman,

VERY funny!