Video by Alexander Aerial Photography
The Great Train is a 66-foot long mosaic mural. The train rests at The Ruins Project in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, an hour south of Pittsburgh. The Ruins Project is what remains of an old coalmine cleaning plant. The several concrete walls and rooms were long forgotten until mosaic artist Rachel Sager bought the site and turned it into an outdoor mosaic museum that honors the legacy of the coal industry. In 2019 Stevo and Rachel raised funds to create a huge mural. The train image used for the mural is the same train that ran along the Youghiogheny River moving coal and steel. The train line is now a popular bike trail. The mural is made of locally produced stained glass and a few found metal objects tossed in to represent the steel industry. The large glass sheets were cut into small tiles in Stevo’s studio. Heavy equipment was bought into to excavate a mound of dirt to make room for the caboose. For budget and time concerns the background of the mural is painted. There are ceramic plaques with names of donors on the mural. The Great Train is dedicated to Stevo’s father and grandfather who were both killed by mining accidents.
The Ruins Project