A dark CSX train rumbles through rural Richmond, Virginia in this railroad art card by Virginia native, Brian Moss.

The scene is framed at a curve in the two-line track, with the body of the train bordering one side of the image, and tree branches filling out the right side of the view. A highway bridge and industrial infrastructure can be seen in the background, drawing the viewer in deeper.

What lies around that corner is not clear. Is the train running dry, headed north back to coal country? Or is it half full carrying raw materials westbound for Pittsburgh, or perhaps Detroit?

2012
digital media

This art card serves as a fun and inexpensive stationery gift for train & railfans, model railroaders, trainspotters, coalminer's, CSX employees, ferroequinologists and locomotive buffs.

ARTIST'S COMMENTARY

I always want to be quick to point out that I didn't paint this scene. This is from a source photograph (from this location) that I captured near Strawberry Hill and the Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Virginia. Over the course of an afternoon I enhanced this railroad picture with photoshop to give it a freshly painted look using different filters and effects.

Now, to be fair the computer did all of the work, and it did a fine job of layering the shadows and not over pixelating the faux brushstrokes, giving it an impressionistic style. I suppose there are "apps" that will transform your pictures into beautiful masterpieces. Likewise, there are masters who could paint a scene like this onto canvas with oils. I like the compromise between the two.