Graffiti 70s Era

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Prolific poster 1,714 posts musgrovejb Prolific poster 1,714 posts

musgrovejb

Model the 1970s era and want to make the feel of the layout fit that era. Warts and all!

My questions:

1. How common was graffiti on rail cars in the 1970s?

2. If common, anything memorable come to mind or themes that were common?

I was a kid in the 70s but don’t recall ever seeing a railroad car with graffiti. That does not mean it was not there. Did a google search and there was plenty of subway art in the 70s but nothing era specific on railroad cars.

Joe

Modeling Missouri Pacific Railroad's Central Division, Fort Smith, Arkansas

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLENIMVXBDQCrKbhMvsed6kBC8p40GwtxQ

Reply 1

blindog10 Prolific poster 3,319 posts

blindog10

Chalk marks

The large spray-can graffiti that you see today on freight cars was very uncommon before the mid '90s. What you did see were the chalk and/or crayon scribbles, the most famous of which were "Herbie" and "Bozo Texino".

Scott Chatfield

Reply 0

David Husman dave1905 MRH Author 9,819 posts

David Husman dave1905

Chalk marks

Chalk marks (or lumber crayon) were mostly put there by railroaders to mark the car for switching, plus the carmen would mark cars when they oiled the journals. Back in the late 1970's, early 80's, one of the pieces of info I had to get off a car with a burnt off journal was any carmen's marks on the car.

Dave Husman

Visit my website : https://wnbranch.com/

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Reply 0