IAIS Boxcar Art

Lazy Backlog

2011-11-04T15:31:00.000-07:00

Taking too many pictures, not uploading enough. I've been focusing a lot on Decrepit Americana 3, so I haven't had time to get some pictures up here... oh yeah, plus my mouth has been destroyed by dentists lately resulting in a well of blood and pus in my face. No biggie though.

I see these guys a lot, the 2 Dead Crew. Partyin' at Sand Creek in 2006.

The Watchman in August of 2009. I'll get your package shipped soon!

Certain Fate and Virginia Zeke, DIF.

Big Mistakes with the weather report again, June of 2010.

A visit from an old friend, the Salvage King. He was featured in the first Decrepit Americana. Still looking good. 1983.

Cat N Hat from 1996 hiding near the bottom.

"Gosh! I'll start the safety meeting when I want!"

Unslim Jim from 2006.

Bitch slapped! From earlier this year. I don't know what I didn't center the moniker in this shot? Probably to get the ADM looking good at the top.

Faded and rusted over Bone Head. "Say he's gamblin' dude." Okay then.

Taking Care of Business over the Salem Raindog. Ouch. Old monikers are fading, and I understand that they're hard to see, but you guys need to watch what you're doing and CHECK FIRST.

Oof. AGAIN, watch what you're doing. A Whistleblower over a Hare from 1987. :(

Maxwell Murder. One way to kill yourself.

Gene Ween. Another way to kill yourself. I've been seeing this one pop up a lot lately. Is it really the dude from Ween? I'd venture to guess... PROBABLY NOT.

Okay... another update... soon? HAHAHA, we'll see if I actually hold true to my word this time.
Peace mon.

Twenty-Six Years Young

2011-09-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday. I was born 26 years ago on September 30th, 1985. I hope someone gets me a cake or throws me a party! Haha, my gift to you guys:

Sledge's signature, February of 1993. This isn't written in any particular long lasting oil marker by any means, but it has survived on the underbelly of the car.

Men of Culture waiting in the IAIS yard in Newton, IA, the crew change spot between Iowa City and Council Bluffs.

Old and covered Rambler, early 90s, Beaumont, TX.

I see Rock'n Rob Rocks every once in awhile, usually in the underbelly of grainers. This one just happens to be from October, 1990.

City Star? I dunno, looks like some Christian shit, probably hangs out with Cross Roads. April, 2009.

The Solo Artist, 1995. I see these ALL THE TIME. Earliest I've personally seen, though, is 1993.

Virginia Zeke, fading away.

Two more Dixie Iron Fist members, Conrail Twitty, September 2005, and the rarely seen Rudolph the Red Nosed Unicorn, same time.

The Traveler Des, January 31st, 2001.

Another of The Traveler Des, January 14th, 2001... unless that's not a date scheme, then I don't know when this is from. Whatever.

Sugar Foot AKA "Mr. Tooties". I'd like to meet the person that came up with that AKA. Oof.

Sir Williams gotta make time. I love when the sun is incorporated into monikers.

Okay, well, I suppose I should head out and stop wasting the day.
Catch ya around.

New Goons

2011-08-17T14:15:00.001-07:00

It's halfway through August, we've got a month of Summer left, and the honey wind is starting to blow. All the dumbasses are back in town for skool, and things are changing, but I still get down to the yard every once in awhile:

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

The Revivalist by Dixie Revel, February 2011.

Big Bubba, 1989.

How many Driftwoods can you spot in this picture?

I don't know much about Sinaloa's Finest. I spot it every now and again, always on a black tanker, always pretty tiny. It's cool looking, to say the least.

Two extra hidden Waterbed Lous. I had to edit these pictures to get the markings to start to pop out. 1988 and what appears to be 1981, respectively.

Work on Decrepit Americana 3 will commence soon. I got some cool shit planned for this one.

Drilled Remnants

2011-07-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, according to the previous update, I said I would have new pics up in the next few days. What I really meant to say was that I'd have new pics up in the next few weeks. Life's a bitch, don't snitch.

I've seen this little guy a few times, always on the insides of boxcars. I'm guessing it's a worker, not a hobo, since he's holding a little sign talking about "loaded" and such.

A partially covered Driftwood, from 1999.

Buster from May of 1994. Peace maaaaaaan.

Stackabones and Cloud, both from 2005.

Railhead shreds. Railhead Rod from 2001.

That shark again.

"L" from November of 1997. Loopy.

Here's something weird... initials carved into the the side of this car, with a drill maybe? LM from 1988

It's hot out there, folks. Keep hydrated and be breezy.

Awful Shtuff

2011-06-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, yeah, well, it's been a little bit, hasn't it? You see, the camera I use to take these photos kinda went on a punk rock tour to the east coast and back again. While it was gone, I took some cellphone pictures of some stuff, but I figured they just weren't good enough to upload. Maybe they'll see the light of day sometime, as I took some pictures of some good shtuff, but, now that the normal camera I use is back, here's some shots:

Old Boy. I think maybe this is supposed to be an old guy's face? Head?

Fuck the mistakes. I accidently saved this picture lo-res. Deal with it.

Don A on the side of a gondola. 1991.

Tha Gator, carved into the side of a boxcar.

Mo Belly, beaver ark home of the etc. etc.

Bunker, as well as the last shot I took this day.

Well, there's a lot of shit going on in this picture. Pick your poison.

Two little lightning bolts hanging out.

And here we have Juicy Stu... Stoned out of his mind, it seems. 2009.

Okay, I actually am posting this after getting back from another rail yard adventure, so expect pic from that in the next few days. Before the 15th. Hopefully, I'm hoping. Wah wah wah.

See ya.

Decrepit Americana #2

2011-04-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

Finally the second edition of my Decrepit Americana zine is finished. 48 more black and white pages full of fading and nasty monikers and weirdo rail relics that I've stumbled upon here and there. All the photos are taken by me unless otherwise noted.

If you'd like to get your hands on a copy, get in touch with me! eatapes@gmail.com, send me an e-mail. I do trades, so if you have something that you've made that you'd like to trade for a copy of my zine, let me know. I love reading other people's zines, so get in touch. If you've got nothing to trade, I'm charging $3 shipped for the zine in the United States. If you're from out of the country, let me know!

Enjoy!

MoPac Ghosts

2011-04-05T15:34:00.000-07:00

There was an old MoPac car sitting in the layup to the south of the yard today. Here's the old stuff that was on it as well as some more old stuff:

Admiral Benbow. This is my first conscious shot of the Admiral. I have gone back through a bunch of my old pictures and have found a shot of him I didn't know I had, but that picture is too blurry to post. Here he is for the first time on here, "fading era town".

A very, very old Colossus of Roads, rising from the mists.

The HARE, December 1988.

Don A, 1991. Those graffiti writers were kind enough to paint around him, keep up the good work.

Michael Jr making another appearance. 1991.

One more old Colossus of Roads. In cursive. Check the build date on this boxcar.

That's that.
Decrepit Americana 2 release imminent.

American Tropes

2011-03-25T15:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a few pictures taken a few days over a week ago in 70 degree weather. It's now hovering around 40 outside right now. Who do I have to pray to to get some warm weather around here?

Boxcars, grainers, tankers, same old, same old:

Cross Roads and N.S. Red, 2010

The Lurker and an old and covered up "Water Bed" Lou, May 1999 and November 22nd, 1986.

Boxcar Billy sucks, March 2010.

Chasman, 2010.

Big Mistake, definitely my favorite fake.

These colors just don't run.

Decrepit Americana 2 soon.

Pre-Indian Leftovers

2011-03-04T11:39:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos from a day or two before I left for India. It was a slushy, weirdly warm day from what I can remember. These cars were sitting pretty on the spur rail that runs down to Hills, IA:

D.Rail from August, 2010.

The Imposter. Spy Vs. Spy.

It's hard to see and I have no clue, but I see it frequently. Maybe it's just a carman's mark or something. I like the colors in the picture, though.

Tic tac toe. I've never seen a complete game ever played out. Theory always seems to participate. July, 2006.

The other end of this beautiful car. I don't know who, same date.

This one almost slipped by me. Baby Snake, extremely faded so some photo editing trickery had to go on to get this image to pop out. It was very tiny, too...

RIP Southern Pacific Cotten Belt, a rather famous line running through Arkansas that was in service from 1891 until 1992. The picture is a tad blurry, sorry.

If anyone needs a copy of the first Decrepit Americana, get at me. I'll be printing a few more copies off in the coming week before buckling down and finishing the second one!

Peace mon.

Iowa Blackie Caught the Westbound

2011-02-26T08:47:00.000-08:00

RICHARD "IOWA BLACKIE" GAGE
CAUGHT THE WESTBOUND
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH, 2011
AT THE AGE OF 62.

I had just received a letter from him a few months ago, and a few before that I was chatting with him over dinner here in Iowa City. It's so strange that someone can be gone so quickly, but that's how he lived his life.

Live Free.
RIP.

Early Morning Gold Mine

2011-02-23T11:16:00.000-08:00

I've been back in Iowa City for 6 days now. India was great, but it's good to be home. Today was the first day I got to hit the yard with a camera. There were some really cool flatbeds hanging around, and it just seemed like a very busy day in general. Actually, maybe all the activity is normal for the time I went. I've been getting up earlier, 8AM, ever since getting back from India, and I've never really been around the yard much this early. It's a habit I'm hoping to keep. Anyway, here's the pics:

Texican Gothic peeking out from between two IAIS scrap metal gondolas.

Michael Jr. on a flatbed car. I love the hints of rust forming around the remnants of the letters. May, 1987.

The Brad B. CARMASTER LivinLarge Tour. Looks like he played some awesome venues. Wish I coulda made it to that after show. June, 2008.

Job? August 23rd, 1984.

That owl and Lick Ems from 1993, 2001, and 2002. There's also an older Lick Em, brown and faded, in the middle, from some Canyon somewhere.

CDD through the ages.

Zero from 1994.

Retribalize. Preserving what culture?

Stonewall Jim in Canada, January 3rd, 2009.

Eye imposter with the weather report.

I don't know what this image/symbol is, all I know is that I've seen it before.

These next two pictures I wasn't going to post since, well, I couldn't really get good pictures or the image to pop without it looking too washed out or whatever, but I figured whatever, I'll put them up anyway.

Jesus Saves in the belly of a IAIS grainer. I've been trying to get a good picture of this for a long time now, but this will have to do until the light is right.

An old Bo Bird that almost escaped me. Very faded and poking out from behind some aerosol graffiti along the side of the car.

I guess those two don't look that bad.
I have a few photo sessions left over from right before I went to India that I might pic through soon. Might not. We'll see.

Bye.

Indian Boxcar Art

2011-01-26T23:56:00.000-08:00

I've been in India a bit now, and while riding a passenger train from Mysore en route to Margao in Goa, the train stopped at Mangalore Junction where I got to see the first Indian freight cars I've seen. I borrowed my friends (not so hot) digital camera and walked around to see what I could see:

Some writing in Kannada, or maybe it's Konkan.

Some muddy Hindi symbol.

Parmanano.

Bala signature.

A quick drawing of a face.

A line of Indian gondolas.

The caboose is still in use here.

A line of Indian boxcars. They're more rounded and each side has two doors.

So, yeah, as you can see, not much going on on the moniker front here in India. It's bleak. Riding through Gokarna later, I saw drawings of flowers and dudes with mustaches, but that's about it. Graffiti in general is barely prevalent here. Anyway, just thought I'd let you get a peak into the world of Indian freight! When I get back to the states next month, I'll start working on Decrepit Americana 2!

Until then...

Freezing But Sunny

2010-12-05T15:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, an actual update with actual pictures of actual monikers. I don't want to say I've been lazy for the past few months, I've just been busy with other projects (art shows, punk shows, and the zine as you can see below). I went out yesterday with a camera and hit up all the usual spots. I loved the weather: freezing but sunny. A good day to hit the tracks:

A Wendigo, taken from the CRANDIC yard. There was a slew of nice looking, repainted grainers, hoppers, and tankers down there, and it seems like this Wendigo might have been rebuilt recently because...

...this Solemnly Sailing was barely visible. Usually, from what I've seen, these monikers are in cahoots with one-another, yet it seems Wendigo was the only one that was rebuilt. This was the best angle to see the Solemnly Sailing from.

Headed east to the IAIS yard, this CN car was the first in the yard and the first of a string of CN cars. This weird take on Bozo Texino was on it, probably done by...

...Space Mouth. This guy is from around here, I'm guessing a yard worker. Not many people get to see this moniker because he does it in chalk.

The Denver Camera. I still haven't figured out the numbers.

Erebus. This one is cute.

The Watchman on how he likes his eggs. July, 2009.

A current CDD from May, 2010, and check out that Hare up there. November of some year I can't make out.

I don't think so.

I have no clue what this is. A biohazard symbol and then some other stuff?

The usual suspects, Plate K and Whistle Blower, and Spike, who I don't think I've ever spotted. December, 2004; July, 2007; sometime in 2005, respectively.

The space between Plate K and Whistle Blower above had a really old and faded signature. This is what I could pull out: "Dazzler". I thought it said "Doggler" at first.

A drawing of an Oldsmobile.

Imposter and he-who-gets-impostered-upon. I wonder who the imposter could've been...

Well, that's that for an update.
I also wanted to say that I have been getting a lot of positive response from my Decrepit Americana zine. Lots of people have been sending me letters, and it's been an awesome way to get in touch with people that are down with this stuff as much as I am. I do plan on doing further issues, but I won't be able to until March of 2011. In January I fly to India for 5 weeks, and, when I get back into the states, I am headed to Florida until the end of February. I have plenty of pictures stockpiled, some really great ones that I'm going to use for further issues, but if you'd like to get involved at all in anyway, let me know! I want artists to draw up images for the center spread of the zine, so if you're a moniker artist and would like to get down on the center spread for further issues, I'd love that. Get at me!

Live free or don't.

Decrepit Americana #1

2010-11-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

I haven't updated in a bit, but I haven't been unproductive. Last night my friend Brendan had an art showing at the open house for the intermedia department at the University of Iowa. His showing was an art distro of zines and buttons and patches and the like, and was the first time that my new zine "Decrepit American" was avaiable.

48 pages of some of my favorite pictures from the blog, some I don't have on here, as well as some other random rail relics I have picked up along the way. Black and white full page photos fill almost every page. There's a few other (really cool) surprises in there as well.

If you'd like to order a copy, please get in contact. Leave a note here or send an email to me: eatapes@gmail.com

I'll get back in the habit of updating this blog soon!

The Honey Wind is Starting to Blow

2010-08-25T19:07:00.000-07:00

It's been a month, and to keep myself from melting away into oblivion, I decided to be try to be productive today. Unfortunately for me, there was just an IAIS line down in the yard when I decided to get down there, but I managed to scavenge a few good-enough pictures off the sides of the steel giants:

The sun was going down in the yard. I'm sure I've posted this before, but it was a cool picture, so I'll post it again. Definitely one of my favorite captions as well. Old & Die Phase, Colossus of Roads.

I don't know what is going through my mind by letting such a perverse and deviant picture be posted up on this high societal blog. TITMAN 1997.

Solo? The image is familiar to me, but I just can't put my finger on it...

No Bids. Forever I never really "got" that this was someone's moniker, but, as it goes, I kept seeing it more and more and more. 1991.

See those boxcars down there? That's the CRANDIC yard for Iowa City and those boxcars just rolled in a few days ago, which is strange because from what I remember about the rest of the Summer, this yard saw almost absolutely no action. Tomorrow hopefully I'll be able to head down there and get pictures of those puppies.

Well, yup.

Back on Track

2010-07-20T22:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, finally, back to some aesthetically pleasing photos. Hopefully no more grainy cell-phone shots, as I'm not trying to make a habit out of that. On to the pictures:

The Solo Artist in 1999.
"In memory of
Irving "Fishbones" Stevens
One of New England's best known
oldtime hoboes who died today
at the age of 88."

Bunky.... and I can't see the year... and I've never seen another.

You're speaking to the choir.

LaZ from September of 1995. I can't tell you the number of times this exact grain car has rolled by me when I didn't have the camera on me, but I finally got it.

RailDog from November of 1999. But do you see who is right next to RailDog?

It's Palm Tree Herby! I'm very excited about any Herby I see, but this is the first true Herby I've posted up here. The date looks to be April 6th, 1980. RIP brother.

Well, big changes coming soon, and I'm already hard at work on that. Well, not really hard at work because that's not my style, but you'll see soon what's going on in the future.

Out on an Adventure

2010-07-17T17:41:00.000-07:00

Here's some bad images from a little adventure I went on to Davenport and the rest of the Quad Cities. I couldn't take a real-deal camera along, so here's what you get. I'm sorry in advance for the image quality, heh:

JP Colossus, one of my favorite Colossus clones. I see these a lot on IAIS gondolas, just have never managed to catch one on film.

The Emperor of the North, the world's best hobo.

Delta Blue Jeans. I had never seen this one before, and when I did, I saw two in a row.

Unholy ONS.

The Ribcage, and ONS again.

The Bellevue Sun? From 1995.

My whip of choice, PENX 3224.

Hopefully now I can return you to your regularly scheduled program.

A Few That Eluded Me

2010-06-21T16:27:00.000-07:00

I've been taking a lot of pictures... it's hard to not flood the market, if you will, with every little picture I take, so here are some of significance:

The Hammer, 1990. I had another Hammer roll away from me when I was trying to get a picture and that was a big bummer. But, here's another one, at the top of a flatbed.

I don't get the inside joke.

Important enough for a date.

Faded Don A at the top of a flatbed. '98.

A humerous topographical timeline. CO, IA, then the floods in 2008.

A close-up of Colorado.

I have taken pictures of this faded signature numerous times over the year and each picture had always come out poor. Finally a few days ago I was able to catch a decent picture out it. Jerry Lee, 6-14-88.

Lastly, Don Crist, in pencil, and only pencil, yet again. '86.

I'm gonna go swimming.

See ya.

Some Boxcars and Others

2010-06-12T21:26:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the lack of updates in the last month. For half of May I was on tour and for the other half I was getting ready for tour... and I am now just getting back into the swing of things here.

This is a very cool one. Big Bubba in 88, at the end of a grainer, probably frustrated that the train wasn't moving yet. There's no better time kill than writing your name on things.

L in 98.

Stoppin' for a rest in 2007.

The US Scout from the winter of 1988.

Roseville.

A different style Mr. Bass from 1987.

Hare from 1987. Peace man. Seen these popping up on a lot of the boxcars lately... well, not "popping up", but maybe I'm just paying better attention now. A lot of these are extremely faded.

Remnants from an era long gone. This served as the logo for the Rock Island railroad from 1852 to 1974. The Rock Island network ran all across the midwest and down south into Texas and other states. Rock Island love.

Well, catch ya around.

Very old.

2010-05-09T16:28:00.001-07:00

Here are some shots of some older ones, some one offs that I've never seen before and I've never seen again, some I've been keeping my eye out for:

Irish from 1987. I'd heard about it, but never seen it with my own eyes.

Closeup of another Irish on the same gondola. Same year.

Mad Hatter from 1987. At first I thought this was a very old Mud Up, it kind of looks like it, so I wonder if they have any relation at all?

Bloom from 1986.

The Seahawks, either from 1991, or someone is stoked on player 91.

#1 Rockin Rob from 1983.

The Salvage King from 1983. Almost 30 years later and this car still hasn't gone to scrap.

The exception to the rule, Don Crist. Every so often I see this name penciled in around the information regarding when the car was built, inspected, etc. Always small, always in pencil, always from the 80s. I wonder who this person was.

Well, you know how it goes.

Until next time.

Boxcar Heaven

2010-04-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

About a week back there was an abundance of boxcars in the yard and on the derail going south of town. Here's the highlights, there's a few amazing ones in here:

Eddie from M'Town in 1994. I wonder what M'Town is? Marshalltown? I doubt it, but UP runs through there, so... maybe.

'Water Bed' Lou, once in 1985 and then again in 1986.

Very weird. A Colossus outlines with white spray.

I still don't quite understand this guy. A mystery wrapped in an enigma.

John Easley, the US Scout from 1986. The earliest I have seen with my own eyes. What's great about the IAIS is that boxcars that would usually head to scrap just head back and forth on the rails here.

An homage to Herby.

A cool little train sketch. Stylin'.

The Rambler doing his thing in 1998.

Very excited about this one. Colossus of Roads from my neck of the woods in 1999. I wonder what was going on?

Some old, old stuff coming up next.

Until then.

Randoms from Earlier

2010-04-25T12:59:00.001-07:00

Here are some random shots from earlier in the month when I went out with my friend Cam that I need to upload before they get lost to time:

Yeehaw is right.

CDD, months apart.

The Texas steak again.

Part Time Pat messing around again.

Lone Bone. Now I'm just looking for the Bag of Bones.

Barely-there Proviso from 1993.

This was definitely the find of the trip. An old Z from 1990. I really wish I could've gotten a better picture, I suppose I was just excited.

And, finally, just a little humor to brighten your day.

Boxcars soon.

Until then.

Iowa Blackie

2010-04-19T17:51:00.000-07:00

This update doesn't really pertain to IAIS boxcar art much, but it is important enough to warrant it's own update as it relates to a legendary Iowan hobo by the name of Iowa Blackie.

I was out on a bike ride looking for spots to hang swings and I ran across a little train bridge on the CRANDIC route going over a small creek. The CRANDIC route is a rail way that runs from Cedar Rapics to Iowa City... CR and IC, CRANDIC, got it? Anyway... naturally, I had to go check the bridge out for a few reasons. One, as a spot to potentially hang a swing, and two, well, just out of general interest. I walked down the tracks in the middle of the bridge and became disinterested very quickly after only seeing fleeting proclomations by lovers scratched into the metal of the bridge over the year, but then I came to the end:

Wow! A true gem, especially for the history of Iowa rail roads and those that partake in their services. I was stoked to say the least. For those that must know, Iowa Blackie is hobo royalty, crowned hobo king at the National Hobo Convention in Britt, IA. He is a poet that publishes his own material, and he still actively travels.

If you'd like to purchase a copy of any of his books, make sure to go to his website, Iowa Poet Blackie.

Well, lots of box car pics coming your way.

Until then.

Old Grainer and then Some

2010-04-11T10:15:00.000-07:00

Went for a walk (duh) and found a really old grainer that leaked old and rotten grain juice on my hand:

This is a treat. Dennis from Houston, TX dating way back to 1977. This is the first time I have ever seen this with my own eyes, and this is the oldest from what I've seen on the internet. Pretty amazing catch. This is from BEFORE Star Wars came out. Think about that.

Boob from 1990. This guy likes boobs.

God damn it, Barney.

I am really having no luck when it comes to Bozos.

Jeepin from early summer of 1982.

And here are just a few shots from the walk back:

EEXXTTRRAA.

Man on the Make.

The Artful Dodger. Check out that white eye. And can you see that face in the dust to his upper right?

I swear I'll get to work on that pervert series some time soon.

Until then.

Plenty of Interest

2010-04-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

Well, another new month, another update to kick off the new month. The weather here in Iowa has been warm the last two days. In the 80s actually... so, of course you know where I was hangin' around. A few firsts are in here that I am pumped about, so check it out:

My very first El Truncon. It's faded, and has been sprayed over (which makes me livid everytime I see that happen). I had wondered why I had been seeing less and less from this person, but, as you can see, he died in 2002. RIP.

Driftwood from 2002.

Newer style US Scout from 2007. More streamlined, less raw.

Otis's hat.

Buffed Rambler from '93.

Late 90s Rambler.

The Rambler from 88. My oldest one. One time I swear I saw one from 77, but I might be crazy.

Roseville engine.

Boxcar Billy not on a boxcar but on a tanker.

One more El Truncon to add to the list. This one looks a bit older that the one I snapped before. Check out what it was right next to:

And to think I was dissapointed with the other side of this boxcar when I first starting walking down the tracks... I'm glad I walked back on the otherside. Mya first Ozone! Wow, really, really faded, but it's another one I can check off my list.

And, finally, No bodies Fault in '94.

I have a few series I wanna put up in the next coming week or two. There's going to be one for the perverts, so keep your eyes peeled.

Until then.

Down Ol' Texas Way and Back Again

2010-03-26T12:29:00.001-07:00

The SXSW festival in Austin, TX was great. Good bands and good food, although there was not a lot of railroad activity going on. I'm back in Iowa now, so, time for more updates. This next update is exciting for me, definitely a lot of first. Anyway, pictures:

The Artful Dodger. A Dickens fan, no doubt. I have seen very few of these, but for some reason this image seems very prolific to me. I guess I've been in the wrong spots at the wrong times.

My first "Water Bed" Lou! Very exciting. I used to see these a lot when I lived in Des Moines, but recently it seems that they are disappearing. Water Bed Lou... now that's a story I'd like to hear.

My first Panama Red. An image that, again, seems to be prolific, I just haven't seen many myself. I suppose we can chalk that up to being a victim of location.

And my second ever Panama Red to be caught on film. Oh yeah, if you don't know exactly WHAT "panama red" is, you should ask the US Scout.

Proviso. I keep noticing this image more and more.

This image is awesome. I rarely see it, but it's definitely full of energy.

A Texican Gothic on a weird scrap gondola.

Nova. From last month. Probably from the yards up in Cedar Rapids.

I don't know much about this image, I just like the colors.

At first I thought this was a Conrail Twitty image. It's not, but it looks good none-the-less.

Mr Bass in Blue. 1991 I believe.

On my way back from Texas, I was in Des Moines for a day and a half and I managed to make my way down to the big yard in the south-east bottoms with my friend Nick. He got a few pictures from our little trip, so maybe I can get him to let me post them for next time.

Until then.

Old Ghosts

2010-03-14T22:30:00.000-07:00

This update is concerned with a few really old monikers and those of whom partook in this passion and have passed on to the other side:

John Easley from 1988. Just as old as the US Scout I had a picture I posted a while back.

A very old Bozo Texino, really just bits and pieces of it. He passed on in 2007, and his work is falling prey to time and spray paint. Catch him while you can.

Conrail Twitty died a few years back. He was an amazing artist and I recommend checking out his work if you can.

This is the first time I've gotten a picture of this horned image. I had seen a few of them fly on by on a coal train that came through the yard, but I got down there as soon as the trains were leaving, so I could get no pictures. Either way, here's one for you to look at.

An RN from 1985. The oldest one I've seen.

...and Julius Caesar, just for the hell of it.

Okay, either I'm in Austin, TX or I'm not, but any further picture taking is going to have to wait until I am back.

Until then.

Some Gondolas

2010-03-14T22:20:00.000-07:00

My friend Kyler was in town, so we went down to check out the trains. There were about 6 empty scrap metal gondolas in the yard. They had been all over the place:

Rest in peace, Det. Gonzo of the Freight Train Riders of America.

Moss and a date from York, PA from 1996.

Unknown symbol from Alberta.

DKD from my senior year in high skool.

Flow from 1999. I have seen these before on Union Pacific cars, but this is the first one I've gotten a picture of.

A Smokin Joe from 1999.

Well, some old ghost coming your way soon.

Until then.

Sea of Tankers and Grainers

2010-03-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

Here are the highlights from the almost endless rows of tankers and grainers I talked about in the last update:

Mountain from 1987. I don't exactly believe this is from 1987 myself, but what the hell.

Closeup of a PCP from 93 it looks like. It's been rusted over.

ROH from Langhorne, PA

Plate K since 1992.

RIP Oscar.

Fresh Texican Gothic for 2010

I am off to Austin, TX tomorrow for a week. I have two updates saved that I'll be able to post if I gain access to a computer while I am down there, but if that doesn't happen, I won't be able to post until at least next Monday

Until then.

Four Boxcars

2010-03-10T17:27:00.000-08:00

In what was seemingly a sea of tankers and grain cars, I found four boxcars lined up in a row:

This is the oldest of this image I have seen.

I see this goofy image every now and again, and I like it more and more everytime I see it. My favorite quote that goes along with this image: "I touched her hand".

Mr. Easley from 1992, earlier than the one I lamented not getting a picture of in an earlier entry.

The double whammie. What is this, a toothpaste tube?

Half Lung from Colorado again.

Side Track from 9-99. The first one I've caught on film.

Work sucks, I'd rather be fishing.

Skull and ice cream, two things that go together nicely.

Dennis Jackson. This one was waaaay up there at the top. Looks old, and probably is since these boxcars were pretty rusted.

A Rambler that has been covered at the bottom. I can't make out the date, but I want to say it's one from the 80s.

Twisted, crying sun. IMAUFO... yeah, sure.

Next up I'll add some pictures from the tankers and grainers I have. Yes, boxcars are more interesting, but sometimes you can find cool shit on tankers too.

Until then.

Spring Cleaning

2010-03-10T16:58:00.000-08:00

Just posting some pictures before I forget about them:

The mare again, right down at the foot of my street.

Nice pair of flying tits.

Bruce gettin' Loose in 1998.

Very old, very faded RN.

A question we probably ask ourselves all the time.

A buffed Colossus of Roads. Squint.

The Rambler from '93.

A BNSF line love/hate relationship?

Old and slightly faded small Penny Lane.

And finally, this is the oldest dated I've seen. 1993.

Okay, catch ya around.

Spring Thaw

2010-03-08T14:16:00.000-08:00

One day, down on the tracks, my boots had a hole in them and my socks got soaked.
Anyway:

The Traveler from the turn of the millenium.

Berf. I see it every once in awhile, not for a few months now though.

The Book Man out of Ohio.

One of the Colossus' more famous quips. Audacity of Huge.

Took this on a Tuesday.

I see this mare every so often. It's a great little line drawing.

A nice looking signature.

Until next time.

One Boxcar

2010-03-04T15:28:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of this week I took a walk on a little branch of track that runs off the main IAIS line and goes south. A long the way there was a single boxcar sitting by its lonesome, and here is what was written on it:

Mr. Coaltrain's "alter" (haha) ego. My first one spotted in the wild. Last night I went to the tracks and saw one dated 1995, but I had no camera. Bummer.

An upclose so you can see it better.

You-Know-Who.

Good for the brain.

Roads in 2003 and a little reminder of the Summer Solstice.

On the way back, there was another boxcar sitting by itself at the end of the IAIS yard, so here's what I got off that:

A lot of these I haven't seen before. Except Pig Pen, of course.

Well, I don't see any train out in the yard right now. Hopefully that will change later.

Catch ya around.

Back In Town

2010-02-28T20:59:00.000-08:00

I have been out of town since Thursday. I took a trip with The Tanks to Sioux City, Iowa for a show. From there we went to Minneapolis along Highway 60 (plenty of little UP yards along the way) for the Song of Zarathustra reunion show. It was awesome. After 7 years, they put on an amazing 20 minute burst of violence and I have a bump on the head to prove it. Here are some pictures from last week that I didn't get to upload before the trip:

I love this... anything with eyes, really. The world is controlled by shape-shifting reptilian bastard.

Pizza from Texas! Actually looks more like a t-bone steak.

I got down into the yard later that night only to have the train start moving on me as soon as I got down there. Here are the only two decent pictures I got as the train rolled out of town:

The Bookman headin' out.

This Colossus of Roads blew by. There is also a study of the female anatomy I caught with this picture in the bottom left

The next day:

I know the feeling.

I see this, well, cat I suppose, often.

Mr. Walter Clark from Wichita, 1989. It took a little bit of work to get this to pop, but here you go.

Colossus of Road's yearly homage to Kerouac. '98.

Mr. Bass blast from two pasts.

1/2 lung from CO.

The quill blowing in the wind again. I have uploaded a picture of this already, but I think this picture looks a lot better than the old one.

A little something for the perverts.

Okay, that's it. I hope to get back into the swing of things sometime soon.

Until then.

A Few More Notches In The Belt

2010-02-23T13:18:00.000-08:00

Last night was a good night to visit the yard. After missing opportunities all day, I finally got down there at 1AM. At first I thought I was out of luck again, but then I noticed some big black tankers down past Summit street. The train itself ran almost out to the country, so it ended up being a good, long walk with seeing a lot of my favorite artists along the way.

The beginning of a game of tic-tac-toe. I shoulda made the next move.

This is the first I had seen or even heard of this moniker. Car Man Fran. A railroad worker I suppose.

A faded Plate image. One more coming at ya:

18 Years.

A Colossus of Roads on a tanker in blue. You can't see it in the picture, but written inside the face of the image was "For a good time call 1-800-K-DOG".

Pretty soon I started seeing a streak of images from this artist, 6127. A favorite of mine, so I tried to get some good pics. When they person works with color, it is truly amazing. I have only seen it once or twice, but it was a site to see. Hopefully I can get a picture of that sometime in the future.

Flower.

A little more detailed.

The last one in the series. Sorry I went a bit overboard, I just don't get to see this guys work that often, and when I do it's a treat.

Worm in the core. This took me forever to get an "okay" picture of. "Okay" in quotations.

A very clear Smokin' Joe.

D-Rail in Blue.

Big Bubba. This boxcar was going to turn out to be the best one of the night:

This is my find of the night. Some call him the US Scout, others call him a pothead. I know him by Coaltrain. This is the first of his work I have seen with my own eyes, so I was taken aback for a moment. This is one of my favorites because, well, what he draws looks almost exactly like me, haha. 1988. Also notice the Mr. Bass to the left.

And a closer shot of the Mr. Bass with a bit of Mr. Easley next to him.

I can see a train rolling back and forth on the tracks from my roommate's window right now. I don't know if it's going to stick around, though.

Until next time.

Early Morning, More Advice

2010-02-21T16:50:00.000-08:00

My friend Pat, who plays guitar in my band, came into town for a show we had the next day. He arrived at about 1:30 AM, and after catching up and getting hyped on vegan nacho cheese and tofu stuffed mushrooms, we decided to hit the tracks at about 3:00 AM. The snow was falling in slow, giant chunks, and it was pretty beautiful all around.

Here's what we saw:

Plate. '02. I've seen this symbol a few times.

The good advice. Hobo Stew and Hippy Johnny.

The bad advice.

This one took forever to get right. Pat even had a go at it. I think this looks okay though. I'd like to know the story behind this monikor.

Last one of the night. It's a little blurry because I was trying a longer exposure out, but I think it looks alright.

I'm a bit tired now and it's only 7 at night. Whether I go out tonight or not... we'll just have to see. Flip a coin.

Until next time.

Early Evening, Some Good Advice

2010-02-19T16:44:00.001-08:00

Earlier this even we decided to see what was going on down by the tracks. We wandered down there, but it turned out that nothing much was going on.

The (almost) empty Iowa City IAIS yard. It was very pretty out down there.

Instead of heading home, we walk east a block or two to the bridge that goes of Summit street where, if you look hard, you'll get some good advice and some interesting information.

I'll keep this in mind. There's also another garden to the west with strawberries when it gets warmer.

If you don't know the story of Kelly's Army, it's a very interesting read.
Here's a first-hand account: The March of Kelly's Army

The yard was pretty quiet.

Until next time.

February In The Railroad Earth

2010-02-19T16:23:00.000-08:00

If a train came in last night when I thought I heard it, it must not of stayed for very long. Usually they'll sit still for at least an hour, but not this time. Here are some pictures from early today:

Right off the bat, a Colossus of Roads. Kinda faded, still good.

XXX Bookman christening a new car.

Seeing this was pretty exciting for me, as I had only seen this person's work in pictures on the internet and in films, never in real life. There's a first time for everything. The Watchman.

And here's one on the other side of the car. Same time, but the watchman hasn't come yet.

Encino, man.

"Dante" from Florida.

MBD.

Part Time Pat. Must be a railroad worker.

Faded Solo Artist. 04.

The Ace of Spades.

And this is the last image I was greeted with. October In The Railroad Earth.

That's all. It's snowing now, so maybe I can get some cool looking pictures later tonight if I wander down to the yard.

Until then.

Big Mistakes

2010-02-18T16:03:00.000-08:00

Here are the shots from yesterday.

This one is really an enigma. I have seen it come through a couple times now, and it always leaves me wondering what the word was the got scratched out. I wish I know the story behind this.

Here's that rabbit that we saw in the CRIC layup.

That whistle again.

XXX Book Man! I always get a laugh when I see his stuff roll through.

Nice hat.

?.

I thought this was the Elvis Presley logo at first. All the way from Oregon.

It's lewd... so of course I like it.

I have seen this numerous times. Anyone know what it means?

The Solo Artist from '96.

D-Rail. This guy seems to only write on tankers.

3 cans of Ajax.

Lickem.

Big Bubba from '92.

Juvenalia.

MT. All the way up there again.

Another MT, but this time it's near the bottom of the car. Strange.

Vegan. I'm pretty sure this guy plays in a punk rock band on the west coast.

Going to Chicago.

Motown.

Another Motown.

And, finally, my favorite moment of the day, I ran into this. A very old Colossus of Roads. See how the beard comes out more? That is how he first began drawing the images, and later it evolved into a much more streamlined figure, with the beard coming down straight and going back. "Well, that was just a Big Mistake and I'd rather not talk about it."

Well, that's all the shots from yesterday that I have that are of interest to anyone visiting this blog. I just heard a train come in, so I'm going to go check that out and see if I can spot anything cool. See ya next time.

Until then.

Smokin' Joe

2010-02-18T15:49:00.000-08:00

Here's a leftover I had from the CRIC layup:

A mostly covered Smokin' Joe. It's a shame it's mostly covered up by now, I like this guys work and I don't know if he partakes anymore. 1986.

One more Smokin' Joe I forgot about that my roommate took. This one was just on the IAIS line. Very faded, and might have to work on getting this one to come through more in the future.

More photos later.

Until then.

Roads Redux

2010-02-18T12:38:00.000-08:00

Here's the two I was excited about in my first entry, just with more pop.

A close-up version of the Herby.

And you can clearly see the lines now on this old Colossus of Roads.

I plan on another update later tonight with pictures I took yesterday.

Until then.

CRIC Under IAIS

2010-02-17T19:58:00.000-08:00

If you head west, the IAIS tracks eventually go over the Iowa River. Under this bridge is a layup for the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City line that goes to Cedar Rapids. Boxcars sit here for weeks on end, so I too a walk down there to see what I could see.

First though, here's some pictures from along the way:

VooDoo Pimp. That hat is familiar, right?

Heinder, Hopper, and Steamboat.

Dekalb?

Skull Roy.

Texican Gothic. I see this rarely, but when I do I enjoy it.

Okay, there were about 6 or 7 boxcars down in the layup. My hands were getting cold, so I didn't want to spend that much time fiddling with any settings, so what you see if what you get.

The Whistle Blower, an old Driftwood from '97, and I see that Rabbit a lot.

Snell Man. I have seen this person's work only a few times, but I enjoy it a lot.

One more Snell Man. A snell, for those of you that don't know, is a type of knot used when tying fishing hooks.

Stackabones. Any relation to Bagabones?

1987.

The Solo Artist. A few years old.

This guy always writes numbers inbetween the tracks that he draws. I still haven't figured out the significance of the numbers.

The Rambler. 30 years. There is another one on the other side of the same car, but most of it has been gone over by now.

VooDoo Pimp's hat.

Cthulu wizard?

Here are a few images from the walk back:

The Karate Kid.

J.B. King Esquire. Hahaha.

Hobo Stew. Sorry about the flash. I was running out of batteries and didn't want to waste anymore shots in case something awesome was ahead and I missed the chance to catch a photo...

...and this is what I could've missed out on. The Rambler of Baton Rouge. '99.

That's it for now. My roommate taught me how to edit photos about halfway through uploading these images, so the last half of pictures looks a lot better than the first half. I'd definitely like to make that old Colossus of Roads and Herby from the last update "pop", so I'll work on that for next time.

Until then...

Upper 30s, February Day

2010-02-16T18:09:00.000-08:00

I have thought about doing this for a long time, and now I am.
Here's what I came across today:

I have seen this feather come through a few times.

Mr. Bass. Once in '84 and again in '99.

MT and CDD. MT must be pretty tall, because I always see it at least halfway up a car.

D-Rail.

Get food stamps and shop local to stimulate your economy. Nice.

This whistle once more, 4 months before the one above.

And once more.

The Solo Artist.

A dirty Solo Artist.

At first I would see this and think it was just random scratches on the side of a car. Then I would see it more than once or twice. VooDoo Pimp I believe.

Good question.

This is the only angle I could catch this worm in an apple at.

A very faded Colossus of Roads, my favorite boxcar artist. Brush Hogs Extinct.

This is the first thing I saw going down onto the tracks today, and it's what sparked my interest in starting this blog again. A Herby dated 1996? Maybe it's a fake, since Herby apparently died in 1995. If it's a fake, it's a rather convincing one. Maybe I just need to get my stories straight.

Well, that's it for now. I'm sure as time goes on I'll get better at taking pictures.