Abandoned homestead buildings always raise to my mind, “Oh, the stories, if walls could speak…”. But until recent Fort Missoula wanders, I hadn’t considered the longevity perspective of a railbed, even with trains being on my "favourite things“ list.
A reliable source informed me that a railroad spike can stay on the job 35 to 50 years, and sometimes more with exemplary track maintenance. But the routes have stayed basically the same since the first spikes were driven to lay the original rails. Just think of the history that has rolled over the backstage of North American railbeds - troops off to war, adventurers headed west, Mr. Lincoln’s train…. Please add your insight to this list via a Comment below!
Big thank you to Amanda Neufeld, today's guest blogger, for the photo and thoughts (and for being my first gorgeous niece!) Check out Amanda's manicure graffiti or send a question to her at http://amanda-rama.tumblr.com/.
In graffiti tags, there is a language hidden in vibrant colours and cryptic characters, a message for a community. They say, "This is where I belong, see my name and recognize my skill, I deserve to be known."
Even without decrypting the code, a tag can be read. It says there is a passion for self expression in members of every community. No formal training is required to have an eye for form, colour and personal style. It says that vision and drive are in the heart of the unexpected artist.
How splendid are the sides of trains! Impromptu galleries that travel across the country, expanding their collections along the way.
