Not your usual scrawl: This example of rail car art attracted my attention Thursday, July 24, 2025.
On a bike ride past Albany Station, I looked across the platform to the rail yard beyond and saw something out of the ordinary. So I stopped, leaned the bike against a railing and cranked up the video function on my phone.
This was the result:
As I said before Amtrak Cascades Train 507 pulled in just before 8 p.m., this rendition of praying hands took talent, skill and patience to complete.
It’s remarkable that the artist had as much time as he — or she — did. It must have taken a good part of the night to get this right, plus enough light to work by.
Is there some kind of awards program for graffiti painters who are actually artists and not just vandals? If not, there ought to be.
Then people waiting in their cars at grade crossings all over America would see classier images on the box cars passing by. (hh)
What a stain on the city’s pristine reputation.
Clearly the privately owned rail company needs to do what Albany did and hire someone to police this type of vandalism.
I mean, the city pays six figures per year from the monthly service fee for a unionized park service officer, provides them with a truck, and gives them a green uniform and a ticket book.
And graffiti has been eradicated on public property, right?
Government has the solution (more PERS entitled employees), why can’t government force private companies like Union Pacific to do the same?
Why is it that Hasso only likes graffitti if it displays some sort of “religious” iconography. He displays a strong cultural bias towards destructive spray painting as long as the artwork reflects a particular Western religious bent. But what of the others? The artwork that might be best described as unGodly. Are the non-believing spray artists condemned to a Hades only Hering imagines?
Since it is deemed art by your posting of the graffiti, at what point would it crossover and be called vandalism?
It’s all vandalism. Some vandalism isn’t as tacky as other. Is it that difficult for you to understand? Apparently.
The line is drawn in determination as to whether the city or private entity pays to have it done with taxpayers’ or private funds. Free = vandalism.
Pure vandalism..!!! Paint yer own damn wall..
Some graffiti is very beautiful. It’s also difficult to paint with a spray can. Several years ago our son and I visited Cadillac Ranch outside of Amarillo. We took spray paint to leave our marks on a couple of cars. It didn’t come out looking like much of anything.
How many thousands of dollars does it cost for the rail car owner to cover that low life vandalism, never mind that the person or persons made something to look at. Would you think is was wonderful if they did it to the side of your house. The award should be a couple of years in prison and 10 years probation. You blew it this time Hasso.
How often do RR’s actually repaint graffiti? It seems to me they just consider it additional layers of rust protection.
Bill, why don’t you leave your address here so they can come to your house, it would be just more protection for your place too you know. No?? didn’t think so.
Your response is simply childish/stupid. I expect better from you.
What in the hell does the RR’s don’t care attitude of covering graffiti have to do with my residence? You become a Democrat?
Democrat…………….really? You are the one here who is making excused for aberrant behavior. I just pointed out that you seem to be worried about your property being defaced but not some railcar leasing company that uses the side of their car for their own advertising.
WHERE did I make an EXCUSE for “aberrant behavior”? You really need to pay more attention before you spout off.
Some vandalism isn’t as tacky as other. Is it that difficult for you to understand? Apparently.
“Some vandalism isn’t as tacky as other. Is it that difficult for you to understand? Apparently.”
And how does that condone vandalism? That’s like saying I condone murder because some isn’t as gruesome as others.
Hasso, I appreciate your value for human expression even if it is vandalism. It obviously was not meant just to destroy something, but to make something beautiful. Hopefully, that person will find a more appreciated place to do it in the future.
Additional thoughts: Several decades ago, I had a fifteen year friendship with a fellow who was in and out of prison. I was amazed at the art that came out of there, on envelopes and in paintings. I still have one on the wall of my shop. I sometimes wonder if those more artistically talented also find it hard to stay within the lines (as defined by our laws) in society.
thats vandalism, destruction of private property. im glad your all happy to see that hasso. if it was your train, or your car, the side of your house, or your belongings, would you want someone spray painting hands on it? …i would sure like to hear your answer to that.
The city needs to dedicate a spot maybe skate park where we can have a few 8 ft brick walls that is totally legal to graffiti on . It would let the kids practice and maybe have competitions maybe it will keep them from doing it randomly through town
People have always communicated and expressed themselves through works of art. Graffiti is the expression of the youth today. Many artists in the past were considered untalented until history reflected the cultures struggles and values at that time. Future reflection on our time will acknowledge the good and bad aspects of what they experienced and how they tried to deal with the cards that they were dealt.
Chris, leave your address, so they can practice on the side of your house, no???? why not?
Banksy would be considered a graffiti artist and yet millions of people would almost kill for one of his/her pieces of “vandalism” and quite a few have paid millions of dollars for a very small piece of “vandalism”. And I am almost certain that some of the artists of old would be considered acts of vandalism but now they are considered as priceless works of art.
About the passenger train. All four of the Amtrak Cascades passenger trains stopping daily in Albany are through trains between Eugene and Seattle. Portland is an intermediate stop, just like Albany.
The Portland-Eugene portion of Amtrak Cascades service is provided by Amtrak under contract with ODOT, which underwrites the service, just as Washington’s DOT does between Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. It is in every way a collaborative service.
Yes, WSDOT owns that locomotive and seven others just like it, but Oregon owns two 13-car trainsets and three non-powered control units (cab cars) that are essential to the service’s push-pull operation in the two states and one province. And ODOT’s logo is displayed jointly on the side of those WSDOT locomotives, just not on the nose.
Looks like Albrecht Durer’s Betende Hande. https://www.thehistoryofart.org/albrecht-durer/praying-hands/
Mr. Kellum people pay a lot of money for murals when the artist paints as well as the guy that painted the pleading or thankful hands. We would have no problem with him painting our home but they deserve to be paid. We use our money for what our family and friends need.
Not a mural of what you wanted, a mural of what they wanted, they put up all kinds of garbage along with the neat stuff, who should determine what is on the side of your house?
Mr. Kellum, I have never seen any graffiti that was even close to being as disgusting as Marvin’s garden and stuff I have witnessed driving by the shelter. Albany has set the bar pretty darn low. I would rather see a weird painting any day than see those things I will never be able to unsee here in Albany.