Snapping iPhone photos of the most interesting railcars we receive at work started as a casual exercise. Many months later, it’s turned into a full-fledged series! I’ve posted pictures of 122 tags since I began sharing my finds back in 2023! Over the past few weeks, I revisited them all and reflected on the incredible variety and creativity that rolled through the yard this year. Narrowing them down wasn’t easy, but here are ten favorites that made 2024 so memorable.
10: FEAR God
October means Halloween for people enraptured by “spooky season.” This FEAR God car, complete with a floating grim reaper, was a perfect seasonal find! I don’t come across many railcars dressed up for tricks and treats, but I was still excited to stumble upon this piece- even if it leans more cute than creepy.
9: TeaM PARTY
Team Party was at it with the next piece. The jagged yellow lettering reminds me of a TV property from the eighties and nineties, Nickelodeon. I would have loved to see this piece parked next to the Aaahh!!! Real Monsters car we got back in April! It was one of the finest “character cars” I’ve seen so far, and the lettering would fit it perfectly.
8: RIP Nite
Back in February, a “character car” lurked in the shadows of our raw material silos. I couldn’t fit the whole piece into the viewfinder, but let’s pour one out for NITE, who was twenty-eight or twenty-nine when he died. Notice how the artist left all the car’s technical data and requirements intact by painting around them. I hope that means this cross-country tribute to his fallen friend will last for a long time.
7: Ahh, Real Monsters
Speaking of “character cars,” I found one of the best in April. Our railcars transport all kinds of resins and minerals, but this was the first one to take me straight back to childhood. Aaahh!!! Real Monsters was Nickelodeon’s fifth original cartoon series when it debuted on October 29, 1994. I saw a rerun of the debut at my grandparents‘ house the very next day! This tribute to main characters Oblina, Krumm, and Ickis was a great surprise.
6: TVX CREW
This expansive piece by the TVX Crew glistens and glimmers in the sun. Its letters almost look liquid on top of the blue background! They certainly match the metallic hues of our unloading equipment seen in the foreground. We rely on a complicated system of pumps, pipes, hoses, and tubes to send the material each car contains into one of eighteen massive silos.
5: RUST PUNX
The undisputed highlight of November’s trip to the yard was “RUST PUNX.” Its bold gradient, sunny yellows, and pink backdrop brought a much-needed burst of color to the drab grays and browns! In a sea of monotony, RUST PUNX didn’t just stand out: it demanded attention. Hats off to the PUNX for delivering such a fantastic creation and giving me a something great to add to my year-end collection.
4: Snowman Vandal
Snowmen traditionally feature carrot noses, coal eyes, and a corncob pipe, but the spray can -a modern tool of urban expression- is a unique addition to Frosty’s grip. I’ve never graffitied anything more than a triscuit, but I love it. The snowman on this car instantly took ownership of my top-five! The best graffiti I’ve found during this series has transformed my everyday surroundings into extraordinary works of art. This car certainly did.
3: Castaway
The last car I spotted in October was one of the best of 2024. Remember the movie Castaway? This car features Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland, the stranded FedEx employee who befriends a volleyball on a desert isle. In the graffiti, the disheveled Nolan is desperately calling out for Wilson in the middle of the ocean after a storm blew him away. It’s an all-timer.
2: Brent
The final railcar I discovered in July was this tribute to Brent. Of all the “character” cars I’ve seen, this one seems to have the most! Godspeed Brent, and well met. I’m not sure where you’re from, but we certainly know you in Anderson. The car that was tagged in your honor has nearly rocketed to the top of my favorites. You even look like a guy I work with! Wherever you are, you should be proud of your tribute.
1: Inscrutable landscape
All those character cars were cool, but the final tag I found in February was an impressionist cityscape. It’s the most striking piece I’ve ever seen! Two enigmatic figures silently patrol the ancient walls astride majestic horses. Away from the shadow of their watchful gaze, a hidden figure adds graffiti to a corner wall. Someone else strains to hoist a bucket to the peak of a towering building shaped like the letter Z. I stared at this car for every time I passed it. Just what is going on? I get the impression that it isn’t for us to know.
I wish every railcar we got had as much personality as my 2024 favorites do. Did 2023’s selection? I know there were some good ones, but I’ll have to go back and check. Meanwhile, I’m looking forward to what comes our way over the course of the new year. Being exposed to railcar graffiti is a good thing for so many reasons.
