Back on Track

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.