By Brice Douglas 

Longtime railroader and boxcar artist Russell Lloyd Butler, better known as buZ blur, passed away on January 26, 2024. He was 80 years old. 

Known for drawing the iconic, side profile of himself smoking a cigarette while donning a cowboy hat, his artwork continues to roll on tens of thousands of freight cars. 

An Arkansas native, he was a third-generation switchman for the Missouri Pacific for 44 years, like his father and grandfather before him. Butler began drawing monikers back in 1971. His first drawing was known as “Gypsy Sphinx.” A year later, he came up with the side profile sketch that would go on to be known as “Colossus of Roads.” Butler’s sketch is among the most recognizable in railroading, along with the likes of Bozo Texino and Palm Tree Herby, the latter of which was drawn by a switchman for the Terminal Railroad in St. Louis. “Herby” (sometimes spelled “Herbie”) was so recognizable, that the MoPac adopted the artwork and the acronym for a safety campaign (H.E.R.B.I.E – Help Every Railroader Become Injury Exempt). 

Considering just how many cars Butler marked, it’s likely “Colossus of Roads” will be riding the rails for years to come.