"I've been working on the railroad..."

"...all the live-long day."

Earlier this summer, I was seeking adventure and a change of scenery -- so I grabbed my bindle and beans and headed down to the railyard to hop a freight car. 

"Hey, it's Ol' Boxcar Gatcomb!" my fellow travelers exclaimed. 

Well, kind of. This hobo rode the rails, for sure... but I willingly paid for my ticket and (reluctantly) left my bindle and beans at home. 

Being a lifelong train enthusiast, I scheduled a day off to take a ride on the Downeast Scenic Railroad. And being a history nerd (and shameless self-promoter), I was like a kid on Christmas morning when I learned I was walking where the Thomas Edison once trod. 

As a Painting Contractor, my work is largely limited to interior and exterior residential renovations of homes. But being a professional that marches to the beat of a different drum, I'm always on the lookout for something a bit...different. Historic signs, old buckboard wagons, restoring 1940s cigarette machines or chrome-laden midcentury bicycles, maybe repainting a small lighthouse -- the more unusual the project, the more appeal it holds to me. 

After reaching out to Downeast Scenic Railroad and corresponding over a few months (due to a comically late letter that apparently spent a few months bouncing around various USPS sort facilities) I was invited to take a private tour of the railyard to discuss future work. 

To say I was "geeking out" is an understatement. If the details can be hammered out to benefit all parties (and there are many), I think this may be the most exciting project Gatcomb Painting & Design has ever undertaken. Looking forward to 2021! 

- Ol' Boxcar Gatcomb (Erick)