It was a dark and stormy morning when I found myself wandering out to the railyard to see what October had to offer. After last month’s fantastic haul of vibrant tags and unexpected gems, my expectations were sky-high! This time, though, the rails had other plans. The lineup wasn’t nearly as thrilling as September’s, with fewer standout pieces and more weather-worn cars rolling through. Still, the thrill of the hunt is half the fun, and even a slow month deserves its moment in the spotlight.

Without further ado, let’s kick off another edition of Railcar Spotting. If you’re new, here’s the deal: I work at a plastics factory where most of our materials roll in from the railroad. Every month, I hunt down the best graffiti in the yard and share my favorites. With three spurs branching off the old Big Four Michigan Line, our yard can hold up to sixty cars at a time. We receive new cars two or three times a week and old ones get shuffled around.

It’s incredible how much has passed through our yard. Case in point, this is my twenty-sixth monthly railcar spotting post! I’ve seen vibrant, messy, cryptic, and beautiful marks, along with a lot of humdrum. Fortunately, this “HEyO” piece was an October standout.

Framed by a light blue outline and bursting with bold, aggressive bubble lettering, this “HOPE” piece immediately caught my eye. The odd little caricature on the left only adds to its weird charm. It’s a simple design, but the sheer presence of it on the railcar makes it a standout this month.

From a purely artistic standpoint, the real showstopper this month was “DEGO?” The bold mix of red, yellow, green, and lavender practically leaps off the railcar- it reminds me of the cheerful colors at my favorite Mexican restaurant. I’d never heard it myself, but a quick dive into Urban Dictionary entries from ten to twenty years ago revealed that the word has been used in ways that can be offensive to some. If October’s lineup had been stronger overall, I probably would’ve skipped featuring it. Visually, though, it’s hard to deny this piece’s punch.

My job has provided me with great months of railcar spotting just as often as it’s provided some duds. Some months are like flipping through an art gallery on wheels, while others feel more like watching a parade of blank walls pass by. It’s all part of the thrill, though: with railcar spotting, you never know what you’re going to get when you head out to the yard.