The Graffiti of Cargo Trains

I have always been fascinated by cargo trains. Maybe it’s the rumbling of the wheels, the mystery of what goods they are carrying, the unknown destination they are going, who is driving the train and multitude of other things. So when I moved to Cranford, I was pleasantly surprised when I was driving down Centennial Avenue there was a cargo train rumbling by on a bridge overpass.

 There is something else that also draws me to cargo trains. It is what is on the body of most of the trains. The skin as many would say. What is it? It is the graffiti, or I would like to say the art of the cargo trains.

Graffiti is an art that is mystifying. And yes, let me say it is an art. First let me say promptly in nearly most of the cases it is illegal. But what is graffiti? The definition of graffiti according to Merriam Webster is “usually unauthorized writing or drawing on a public surface.” The key word is unauthorized. There is street art and art murals in many instances that have been approved by the property owner.

So let me get back to the cargo trains that rattle through Cranford. Where are they coming from, where are they going? According to a map provided by on the world map, the train line that comes from Cranford begins at the port of Bayonne, is owned and managed by Conrail. It then cuts through the Newark Bay on its way to Cranford. From there it heads south or west to Pennsylvania and then heads out throughout the US. To my knowledge, all the cargo trains that come from Cranford originate from the ports. It truly is from the sea to the land.

What draws me to the graffiti on the trains? I find the creativity of each tag. What is a tag you may ask? A tag is the name of a particular graffiti artist. It is his/her signature as you may say, leaving an imprint on wherever it goes. Sometimes there is a story behind them. Sometimes, it is a name the tagger likes. Whatever it may-be it is his/her art and a part of them. It is their tag.

 What is fascinating on graffiti art on trains is the story these tags as they travel across the country and possibly internationally to Canada and Mexico. It is the display of art across the country. Traversing all the landscapes of this country. To the mountains to the plains. The art travels. This is one of such a fascinating and draws for taggers with cargo trains. They imagine their art travelling for those who observe to see. In fact, there is a term for this. To observe the art of cargo trains from the public realm. It is called “benching.” In fact, the urban dictionary defines benching as “The time spent photographing or watching graffiti on trains, more specifically passenger and freight trains”. I find it fascinating that there is a definition of this and others who enjoy observing the art of cargo trains.

As I go to my favorite benching spot in Cranford at the end of High Street, I watch as the cargo trains come rumbling down with their skin full of graffiti tags. There is no admission to this. It is just someone enjoying, the power of the trains, the outside and the art of the cargo trains.