Favorite train songs

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Bruette

Well-Known Member
Bad Order posted a great thread "Off topic !" about train movies and he gave me the Idea for this thread.

As my friend and fellow forum member from down under, Rodney would say "Good on ya" Bad Order!

I can't decide what song I like best

"Train Kept A-Rollin" All the versions are good from Tiny May to Motorhead, Aerosmith's is probably the most famous.

or

"Train, Train" by Blackfoot I got to see them live at the Towson Center in 79 or 80 and of all the hundreds, of live bands I have seen I will never forget that show! I was never a big fan of "Southern Rock", but that show was as good as any British metal band I have ever seen! Except of course Black Sabbath, they are my favorite.

Sadly no train songs I can think of from Black Sabbath. Ozzy did record "Crazy Train", but I don't consider that a train song and he was a solo act then.

Anyone like to listen to music when running your trains?

I like music when I am working on my layout but not when running trains. I like to have a ball game on with the sound down when I am running my trains so I can hear my trains.

What do you model railroaders think?

Louis
 
The Train Kept a Rollin'
(Yardbirds, Aerosmith, Jeff Beck recent Les Paul tribute album)
 


Funny, I thought by the topic you'd go for the more traditional railroad songs. None of which I am familiar with.

Just looking at my iPod, I've got 29 songs with the word "Train" in the title. This includes four versions of Train Kept A Rollin'. Two songs have Locomotive in the title.

However, the one song that came to mind was Arlo Guthrie's City of New Orleans.

I'm surprised that some like Joe Satriani or Dick Dale hasn't done a really off the wall instrumental with the name Locomotive or something to that effect that replicates a really heavy steamer.
 
Hi Railrunner130,

I suppose the only thing traditional about me is my traditional O scale trains.

Can you believe I don't even know if I have ever heard the song city of new Orleans? maybe I did but I just can't think of it.

That is a great idea for an instrumental. I would think maybe Edgar Winter or Jimi Hendrix would have done one.

Louis

Funny, I thought by the topic you'd go for the more traditional railroad songs. None of which I am familiar with.

Just looking at my iPod, I've got 29 songs with the word "Train" in the title. This includes four versions of Train Kept A Rollin'. Two songs have Locomotive in the title.

However, the one song that came to mind was Arlo Guthrie's City of New Orleans.

I'm surprised that some like Joe Satriani or Dick Dale hasn't done a really off the wall instrumental with the name Locomotive or something to that effect that replicates a really heavy steamer.
 
Wabash Cannonball
From a Boxcar Door
Folsom Prison Blues

Hundreds more .. Hard to pick a favorite, but I guess City of New Orleans would top my list.
 
I had some 45 rpm records played as a kid... on an ole 45 rpm only player... Don't know where the records are anymore

I Love The Sound Of A Train.

This is a Bandstand like sound, I can recall the tune perfectly.

Erie Lackawanna

2 singers
Whadya worka John...I pusha and I pusha and I pusha

looked at the list, those 2 not even on there.
 
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Years and years ago there was a group called the Mystic Moods Orchestra, and in one selecion they had a recording of a steam train that sounded lik it was crossing a valley in a thunder storm. Strictly instrumental, but a great recording.
 


Hey Bad Order!

You got me there, I have never heard of that song, but it is interesting none the less.

I will ask my wife if she knows of that song or composer. My Hungarian wife loves classical music, Franz List it is her favorite. In fact in my house classical music is what we play the most. I am usually playing with my trains watching sports with the sound turned down.

Actually I do like some classical music, Richard Wagner, maybe he would be classified as opera, I am not sure. Either way I think some of his music is the first examples of heavy metal music.

Louis
 
You are the man Bad Order!

My lack of musical education is showing, thank you for correcting me.

Magyar, my wife loves hearing that you know that and she says the 2nd Hungarian Rhapsody is beautiful. My question is what happened to the first?

I did not know how to classify Wagner, but I know some of his stuff rocks!

Apocalypse Now is a great movie. I took my grandmother to see that on a thanksgiving day when it first came out in the theaters. She was about 80 years old then. My Nanny was way cool, she loved AC DC's music. My nanny moved to Baltimore by train from White Plains, NY in 1932.

Have a good night my friend!

Louis
 
I like "Death of a Train" by Daniel Lanois , it reminds me of when the little railway I ran on was winding down.
 
Just want to make sure that the original songwriter of City of New Orleans gets the credit due him: Chicago's late, great Steve Goodman...

For an offbeat train song, there's The Who's "5:15."

And I gotta put in a pitch for my man The Boss and the song on my signature block:

'Well this train Carries saints and sinners
This train Carries losers and winners
This train Carries whores and gamblers
This train Carries lost souls
This train Dreams will not be thwarted
This train Faith will be rewarded
This train Hear the steel wheels singing
This train Bells of freedom ringing'



From the DairyStatePhone
 
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Thank you Bad Order,

I appreciate the information.

As well as having an off the wall sense of humor, you are a cultured man. You are truly an interesting character and that is why I enjoy your posts.

As for the unfinished works, I guess it is like my layouts. I start them, but have yet completed to complete one. Now I have three incomplete layouts. Not that I in any way can compare to likes of those geniuses, but I can at least understand how these thing happen.

Talk to you later my friend!

Louis

HEY LOUIS,

Thanks for the compliment, Sir!

Liszt never completed the First Hungarian Rhapsody, so it's a non-entity!

Just like Schubert...he spent so much time on his 7th Symphony that his 8th one was unfinished! And that's why they refer to Schubert's beautiful 8th Symphony as the "Unfinished Symphony".

When Albert Einstein was asked why it was unfinished (2 movements instead of the usual 4), he simply said "Because it was perfect as it stood".

I'll agree to that!

Bad Order
 
Just want to make sure that the original songwriter of City of New Orleans gets the credit due him: Chicago's late, great Steve Goodman...

For an offbeat train song, there's The Who's "5:15."

And I gotta put in a pitch for my man The Boss and the song on my signature block:

'Well this train Carries saints and sinners
This train Carries losers and winners
This train Carries whores and gamblers
This train arries lost souls
This train Dreams will not be thwarted
This train Faith will be rewarded
This train Hear the steel wheels singing
This train Bells of freedom ringing'



From the DairyStatePhone

Yep. Springsteen is quite the writer.
 






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