Why do train cars always have graffiti?

Railroad graffiti began in earnest during the 1920s and especially the Depression years of the 1930s, as hobos and even some railroad workers made chalk drawings on freight cars to mark their presence. That practice continues in the 21st century; drawings made by “Colossus of Roads” are among the most popular.



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A moniker (also known as a streak, tag, or hobo art) is a piece of graffiti on the side of a freight car on freight trains. Monikers are produced with a solid paint stick, industrial crayon, or a lumber crayon.

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It was based on the idea that if any new or renovated train car was tagged by a graffitist it would be cleaned within 2 hours or removed from service. No graffitist would get up again on a train. By 1989, all cars in the subway system were graffiti-free.

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For a variety of reasons the practice is less common in the 21st century, although a community of freight-train riders still exists. Typically, hoppers will go to a rail yard where trains stop to pick up and unload freight and switch out crew.

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He was a hobo, part of an American tradition that emerged after the Civil War: transient laborers who rode the rails and found short-term work along the way.

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At a rate of 90 freight cars ransacked per day, Union Pacific estimates that thefts against its trains are up by more than 160 percent over the last year. In the year ending October 2021, the increase was a mind-boggling 356 percent.

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Trespassing on the railway is illegal and dangerous. You could be taken to court and face a £1,000 fine. For this reason, when we see someone trespassing, we have to stop all trains in the vicinity to remove trespassers, check for damage and clear blockages.

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