Train songs


I'm surprised nobody has mentioned The Rock Island Line. More than a few members here model the Rock Island to some extent or another.

Charlie on the MTA by the Kingston Trio has been counted as one of the first, if not the very first, protest songs as it directed Boston residents to fight the subway fare increase by voting for George O'Brien. Not exactly a class 1 railroad but it ran on rails nonetheless.
 
Burlington Bob said:
Pete V, I think I found a video of Jonathan Edwards' song that you mentioned. Is this it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBoj9Ssbxd4
Click to expand...
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That's it. I met him about a month ago doing a show up here in New Hampshire. Really nice man with a beautiful voice. We have this funny little theater that seats about 200 that draws amazing people. Joan Baez, Judy Collins, the nitty gritty dirt band, Tom Rush,The Wailin Jennies, Iris Demint, all in the middle of nowhere on the Maine New Hampshire line.

Thanks!
 
Canadian Railroad Trilogy-Gordon Lightfoot
A Man and A Train-Marty Robbins Emperor of the North theme song
Let It Roll-Chuck Berry
Southern Pacific-Neil Young
Train Train-Blackfoot
 
Don't forget:

Johnny Cash with his "Hey porter"(...won't you tell me the time...)

Or Alan Jackson -Freight train("my boiler will not boil and my stokker will not stoke..."

Willie Nelson's version of "City of New Orleans"
 
Choo-Choo Cha-Boogie by Louie Jordan (1940's)
How long must I wait for you Louie Jordan (1940's)
 
"I Play Chicken with the Train" by Cowboy Troy (country rap).

"Train Traveling" by Dierks Bentley

Not truly a "train song", but "Runaway Train" by Elton John

"Trains and Winter Rains" by Enya (Irish "ethereal" type music)

By the way, there's a musical stage play called "The Starlight Express" in which the main characters are different locomotives and cars (the actors perform on roller skates). Maynard Williams updated the soundtrack for the songs awhile ago, and the new rock version of the song "Rolling Stock" is kinda fun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ar-qBj3JN4
 
The Pan American

Hello, I've been lurking on and off here for a while now, and couldn't help chiming in on this. Quite by accident I recently heard this song on my car radio, during a commute to work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5PDZsMwVyM

The announcer said The Pan American, sung by Hank Williams, is about the L&N's run from Cincinnati to New Orleans. Being from Cincinnati, it struck a cord with me. If I recall the story correctly, there was a radio program (1930's?) that broadcast live sound of the train rolling by. Folks along the track could hear the actual train go by, then hear it on their radios. A real treat back then.

Frank
 
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"Life Is Like A Mountain Railroad" is a great old gospel song, actually more of a bluegrass song. Always think of my late father-in-law when I hear it. He worked the HPT&D from the end of WWII until he retired.
Big Iron Horses is great. NS has a band made up of RR detectives called the Lawmen, and they can really crank out the RR music. Georgia Mail, Daddy Loved Trains, Mississippi Rail, just keeps going.
If you want RR Rock, Blackfoot and "Train, Train" get's it done. Harmonica kickoff can't be beat.
 
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