The railway fire that marred Charles Dickens’ Christmas
A long-lost letter by Charles Dickens shows how the man who helped shape our festive season may have had his last Christmas marred by a burned turkey. In the letter, held at York’s National Railway Museum, the author forgives Great Western Railway for a fire that destroyed a parcel of yuletide goodies. [bbc.com]
This Siberian Subway System Has Just One, Non-Functional Station
Earlier this year, a Russian transit app made a satirical update by adding a map of Omsk, a Siberian city around 1,400 miles from Moscow. The map showed an icon for the local airport, along with a train station on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Interestingly, it also showed a single red dot to mark a local Metro stop — the only station for a service that doesn’t exist. [atlasobscura.com]
Museum turns Florida Brightline Train into a piece of Keith Haring artwork
A Florida high-speed Brightline train, soon to become Virgin Trains USA, has become more than just a way to get around. It is now a piece of art. In partnership with Miami’s new Rubell Museum the train, wrapped with iconic images from artist Keith Haring, was unveiled ahead of Miami Art Week. [miami.cbslocal.com]
Check Out This Amazing Total Subway Graffiti Takeover
Although graffiti artists still regularly hit up trains around the city, it’s pretty rare to actually catch one of those cars in the wild. Which is one of the reasons the ambitious eight-car graffiti job spotted in Bushwick recently, is all the more remarkable. The train was a tribute to two graffiti legends who both died in recent weeks. [gothamist.com]
Mosaic in New York City subway pays tribute to lost Penn Station
When the redesigned entrance into NYC’s 34th Street-Penn Station subway station (on the 1/2/3 lines) opened to little fanfare recently, a mosaic within the station got even less attention. If you don’t look closely, the mosaic might seem like an abstract work of art, but history buffs will recognize the glass atrium of the lost Pennsylvania Station resurrected in the work. [untappedcities.com]
