I grew up near “the tracks”. My first house was only two blocks from a major Canadian Pacific rail line and rail yard where there were 59 commuter trains that went by every day on their way into downtown Chicago. There was probably a freight train about every 20 to 30 minutes to go along with it. The commuter trains were old but well-maintained, gleaming stainless steel cars. And the freight trains? Well, let’s just say they were colorful. We’d sit at the railroad by the hour, watching that 75 car freight go creeping past. And actually, it wasn’t unlike watching a circus train go by. Nearly every rail car was screaming with huge letters, faces, slogans and artwork of every form with spray-painted graffiti at about an even 7’ off the ground. The “artists” or “vandals”, or whatever you wish to call them, applied their graffiti with reckless abandon across all identifying train car code numbers and the required reflective tape on train cars. As the years went by, it only got worse.
How Graffiti Affects Reflective Tape & Train Safety
There’s a lot to be said about the need for freedom of expression but I’ll bet very few of those doing this graffiti stopped to think that for every car they painted they caused TWO people to break the law. Firstly, they are engaging in a criminal act in defacing someone else’s property. Secondly, they were causing the owner of the freight car to break the law since a moving train car without the identifying code numbers and applied reflective railroad tape is illegal. Those numbers identify the car if it has some sort of malfunction. And that reflective tape, known as FRA 224 Reflective Tape serves an even more valuable purpose. It is a federally mandated reflective tape for train cars that illuminates the dark sides of cars at unmarked rail crossings. When the train cars are covered with graffiti, that reflective train car tape is no longer visible – which makes the owner of the train car liable for breaking the law.
When Did Train Graffiti Start?
Good question. It started many years ago with railway bums marking cars in chalk. Sort of code of who had been there, good places to catch a free meal, etc. From there is greatly expanded on the east coast subway cars in the 1970’s to the more modern train graffiti we see today. But subways are easily monitored and there was a large crackdown to eliminate the graffiti. Naturally, it then expanded to the much larger system of commercial freight trains across the country, which has proven difficult to control. In just minutes a stationary train car sitting in a lonely urban train yard can be covered in minutes by 2-3 graffiti artists. Unfortunately for train car owners, repainting the lower half of both sides of that train car can easily be $1,000 or more each time.
What Can We Do To Reduce Train Graffiti?
Well, let’s face it. The major railroads just aren’t going to repaint train cars every 18 months. But they can just apply more of that FRA 224 reflective tape. It’ll stick perfectly to that freshly painted graffiti surface. You can simply apply it right over top. Repair shops, yard managers, train engineers will just need to have a roll handy and stick it on. Many of the online sources of the railroad reflective tape charge outrageous prices as high as $230/roll.
Contact Briargate Supply For FRA 224 Reflective Tape
Many of the online sources of the railroad reflective tape charge outrageous prices as high as $230/roll. At Briargate Supply, we only charge about $150 for premium FRA 224 Reflective Tape that will last you for years. To inquire with us, call us or contact us today!