February 1st, 2023: The beautiful murals that make Whistler Train Wreck the magical place it is today began appearing in 2011 when this hidden place was known by just a few Whistler locals. Artists ranging from aspiring graffiti artists that mostly remain unnamed, to tremendously gifted professional mural artists like Kups. Kups is a prolific mural artist with stunning works that can be seen all over Whistler and the lower mainland. Remnants of one of his hauntingly beautiful murals can be found inside the first boxcar you come to after crossing the bridge into Whistler Train Wreck.
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It all began in the summer of 2011 when several Whistler artists, organized by local legend Chili Thom, who dubbed the event "The Train Wreck Paint Jam", arrived created this wonderful place. Several murals at the Paint Jam in 2011 were gorgeous. Brilliantly coloured and surreal in such an unusual, tranquil and hidden forest with seven mangled train boxcars scattered. Like some sort of haunting art gallery, the boxcars are actually spaced somewhat randomly and far apart. Two are still joined, two more scattered a few dozen metres away and three more several hundred metres away. The spacing of the boxcars means you have to hike a bit and search the forest for the next discovery. When you find another boxcar, you then have a few possible canvasses to explore. The murals usually adorn the length, or part of the outside of a car. If laying on its side, the roof becomes the canvas. In the case of the Hidden Agenda boxcar, which lays on its side, the inside wall(ceiling actually) is the canvas for the stunning Hidden Agenda mural(pictured here).
The Hidden Agenda Mural by Kups in 2011
Painted on the Ceiling of the Wrecked Boxcar
The Mural That Made Whistler Train Wreck Famous
Hidden Ladies Mural
Though most of the murals at Whistler Train Wreck are big, bright and hard to miss, others are not so easy to spot.. yet stunningly beautiful. On the outside of the Hidden Agenda car, on the end facing away from the river you will find a strange, usually brightly coloured metal wheel attached to the car. As the car is laying on its side, the wheel would have been at the top of a ladder and must have been used to open and close something. The ladder is also still there, mangled, horizontal and usually brightly coloured similar to the wheel. Around the same time Kups was painting the Hidden Agenda mural, another marvellous work of art was created in this unlikely spot. Easy to miss, the Hidden mural covered more than half of the outside end of the boxcar.
The Hidden Ladies Mural in 2011 - Artist Unknown
Corrugated Canvas Part of the Design
What made the Hidden Ladies mural so impressive is not just the intricate texture and seemingly chaotic colouring, but the fact that the corrugated metal of the 'canvas' was incorporated into it. The arm of the figure in the centre runs along the deep bend in the metal and continues into the shadow that defines the legs. We haven't figured out the artist behind this mesmerizing mural, but we're working on it. Sadly this extraordinary work of art didn't last long before being covered by a pointless and random collage of junk graffiti. Unfortunately, pictured below is how it appears more recently.
The Hidden Ladies Were Long Gone in 2019
The Mic Man Mural
After crossing the bridge to Whistler Train Wreck you come to the Hidden Agenda car and sloping down to the edge overlooking Cheakamus River was once the Prism Car. The next wrecked boxcar you come to is, or once was the Mic Man car. This train wreck turned canvas is probably the most painted car in all of Whistler Train Wreck. It first came to life with brilliant colour back in 2011, when Kups painted a brilliantly surreal, cartoonish mural of a zombie-like man singing into a microphone. He is wearing a mask over his head like an old school wrestler from the 70's would have worn. On the forehead of the mask it appears to be a Canadian flag. His zombie-like sideways stare can be seen through the eye holes and mouth/nose hole. The mural once covered the entire side of the train car and it seems likely that most or all of it was done by Kups. No obvious "Kups" signature could be spotted, however along the end of the very mangled boxcar the mural seems to continue and there the Kups signature was located. Brilliantly coloured and surreal in such an unusual, tranquil and hidden forest with seven mangled train boxcars scattered. Whistler Train Wreck went from a curiously interesting, old train wreck site, to a brilliant collection of stunning murals during that one summer night in 2011. Located on a particularly beautiful stretch of Cheakamus River, the Whistler Train Wreck is a collection of seven boxcars that were craned into the forest here after derailing in 1956. Desperate to get the train tracks cleared after the boxcars jumped the rails and wedged in the rock cut nearby, a local logging company brought in a 35 tonne crane and yanked them into the forest. The boxcars lay in the forest here as junk for decades until they were brought to life in 2011 by local artists that turned the train wrecks into beautiful works of art.
The Mic Man Train Wreck Mural in 2019
Mic Man Car Becomes the Devil Car in 2014
In 2012 and 2013, the surreal and beautiful Mic Man mural was painted over by random and not very impressive graffiti. Turning this boxcar into an ugly mess of boring graffiti. In 2014, another mural artist came along, painted the entire side of the boxcar a dull rust colour and then painted a beautifully cartoonish devil. The mural stretched across the open door to the end of the car. NL666 is written in the bottom corner and large graffiti letters engulf the devil character. Due to the apparent popularity of this well positioned Whistler Train Wreck boxcar, the devil mural was soon buried in random graffiti.
The Mic Man Car Becomes the Devil Car in 2014
The Devil Car Painted Over
By 2017 the once striking Mic Man mural and vibrantly beautiful Devil mural were long gone. A lot of layers of graffiti compete for space. Interestingly, where the Mic Man once appeared with his wrestler-like mask, in 2017 now had another cartoonish, wrestler hood wearing character. Just the head floating on the exact spot the Mic Man once was, or still is.. under several layers of paint that cover this ever-changing car since 2011.
The Devil Mural Lone Gone in 2017
The new hooded man was soon covered over yet again by a messy collection of graffiti and on the right side of the open door, a striking and very large mural of graffiti-style letters, painted in a brilliant blue. Whistler Train Wreck changes dramatically from year to year and often week to week.
This Popular Canvas in 2018
Greatness Mural
Whistler Train Wreck has been home to several stunning murals painted on the old wrecked boxcars. Mixed with graffiti art, some of murals stand out from the rest. In 2014 a beautiful mural was painted at Whistler Train Wreck in an unmistakably Salish style. A killer whale stretches in an abrupt arc with other surreal looking animal faces meshed along the body. Framed by a pink border and a large, golden sun-like disk behind, the brightly designed mural stands out sharply against the mess of graffiti covering the rest of the boxcar.
Whistler Train Wreck Greatness Mural in 2014
If You Want to Achieve Greatness...
At one end of the boxcar a small, stencilled square of writing: "If you want to achieve greatness, stop asking for permission." This beautiful mural, signed by the Kups in 2014 is one of several of his beautiful murals that make, or made Whistler Train Wreck an amazing place to visit. Unfortunately, like many other of the wonderful Whistler Train Wreck murals, this one is long gone. Covered over by the almost continuous additions to this wild and beautiful place.
If You Want to Achieve Greatness Stop Asking for Permission
The Prism Mural
The Prism mural was- once found perched at the edge of Cheakamus River near the Whistler Train Wreck suspension bridge. After you cross the bridge and approach Whistler Train Wreck you see an information board and the first two wrecked and marvellously painted boxcars. The one on the left has the beautiful Hidden Agenda mural painted inside, painted by Kups in 2011. On the boxcar on the right, and on other side was once the beautiful mural by Soak of a cartoonish character staring at a prism.
Whistler Train Wreck Prism Mural in 2011
The masked creature with horns is surrounded by bright, blue graffiti style lettering. The Prism mural was one of the original murals from 2011. Whistler Train Wreck went from a curiously interesting, old train wreck site, to a brilliant collection of stunning murals during that one summer night in 2011.
Pineapple Ring Neck Tie by Kups
Of the marvellous works of art that were painted that summer, Kups has the most impressive and long lasting murals in Whistler Train Wreck. One bizarre and beautiful mural once hid further out from the other wrecked train cars. Walking into the woods for about 5 minutes once brought you to the stunning Kups mural called Pineapple Ring Neck Tie, created in 2011. This large, colourful mural once covered half the side of one of the old train wrecks and stretches from bottom to top. Though long since been painted over, this is how it once looked in 2011, not long after Kups painted this haunting, zombie character with a pineapple ring neck tie.
Pineapple Ring Neck Tie Time Lapse
Painted by Kups in 2011, during the Paint Jam which turned Whistler Train Wreck into something beautiful and extraordinary.
Whistler Train Wreck Run Mural by Kups
On the other side of the Pineapple Ring Neck Tie Zombie by Kups, mangled boxcar two other interesting murals were located. One painted in 2011(same time as Pineapple Ring Neck Tie mural was painted), and another painted in 2014. RUN was painted in a large and unexpectedly striking mural. Partly concealed by the forest, the letters appear quite suddenly and can't help but make you laugh out loud. As if in some comedy/horror film where the hero stumbles upon some message left by others. Painted, as it was, at the same time as the Kups Pineapple Ring Neck Tie Zombie mural, it appears to be the warning for the zombie on the other side of the train wreck. Unsigned, except for the year '2011', it seems likely that it was also painted by Kups.
RUN and Bear Zombie Mural by Kups
Another beautiful mural, and yet another continuation to the Kups Pineapple Ring Neck Tie Zombie and RUN murals appeared in 2014. Kups added to the side opposite the zombie, a grizzly bear zombie. This zombie eyed grizzly bear was painted on the same side of the boxcar as the RUN mural, though on the opposite side of the open door. Sadly, the RUN mural was spray painted over in the years between 2011 and 2014. In 2014, however, the Kups Zombie was still beautifully intact. It wasn't until the last couple years that it was covered over by random, pointless spray paint.
Whistler Train Wreck Continued Here...
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