Just 120 miles North of Santa Fe, New Mexico is the captivating Village of Chama, home to the historic Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. From late-May to mid-October, steam trains transport passengers from the sunshine of New Mexico to the snow covered mountains of Colorado, all on the same day.
Railroad service to Chama began in 1881, it rapidly evolved into a boomtown, and ultimately matured into a lively Western-style business district. In the heart of the business district, Railyard Rebel, a one-of-a-kind shop filled with gorgeous clothing, jewelry, accessories, and New Mexico inspired gifts; offers a blend of western style and Bohemian design. The shop is housed in the Sterling and Sage building. Recently the shop and building needed signs and that is how my husband, Curtis (a sign painter), and I got involved.
My primary objective for this project was to develop a logo for Railyard Rebel. Drawing inspiration from steam trains’ textural elements (iron, metal rivets, wood), and vintage floral textiles, I was able to create a logo that married vintage train character with western style and boho design.
Railyard Rebel’s new owners wanted to repurpose signs from the previous business. There were four wooden signs with cut-out shapes resembling old Scenic Line of the World advertisements. In the before and after photo you can see that I tailored Railyard Rebel’s logo to fit the semi-circular band at the top of the sign and swapped the yellow and red for their brand colors.
Overhauling the train illustration involved a bit of research, but I was lucky enough to find a reference photos depicting one of Cumbres and Toltec’s engines. I rendered the train digitally in Procreate and Adobe Photoshop.
Printed decals were produced once the design was complete. We cleaned, sanded, and painted the wooden signs, then carefully applied the decals. Curtis skillfully hand-painted the tassels and finials with a glossy white sign paint.
Although there were a handful of design challenges, we were able to take four tired signs and breathe new life into them.
A new sign was created to hang beneath the covered walkway. Bright pink and gold floral elements on a smoky gray base serve as the backdrop for the logo’s light blue letters. It was finished with a hand-crafted wooden frame to generate an old western-feel.
Sterling and Sage, the building housing Railyard Rebel and The Lofts @ Sterling & Sage, needed exterior ID signs. The owners’ design concept was to use a sheet of thick metal and have the letters cut out. The painted black finish was determined in the final stages of the design.
Railyard Rebel is looking forward to their first fall season since opening their doors in May 2022. It is a great time to ride the railroad, enjoy a day trip of exhilarating rugged mountain views, and relish the fall colors.