I have heard several of you mention a CD that you listen to while running your trains. I would like to make such a CD for myself, and was wondering what songs you have on your CD? What are some good ones? I was listing to the radio a couple of nights ago and “This Land Is Your Land” by Peter, Paul & Mary was playing as the train rolled along the mountain side and I thought that was approiate. any Ideas? Thanks, Mike
I collected all the songs about trains I could find anywhere and eventually put them all on a CD. They included all the Glenn Miller songs, the Monkeys, some Johnny Cash and lots of others. Part of the fun was collecting the songs. I ran a thread here about 6 months ago asking for favorite train songs and that was helpful. If I can find it I’ll ad it.
I could not find that thread. I did search songs and got many pages of reading, but it included the names of a lot of songs.
Why not play music from the era you are modelling. If you model Transition era, play 40s and 50s music. If you model more modern times play something appropriate - I play rock music whatever the period, but that’s me.
If you are going to do a CD, remember copyright laws.
Jon
I usually have the twilight zone on the TV while i’m running trains. Otherwise, no music is played, except the metal wheels hitting the railjoints making a “click click click click click click” sound on my passenger train
Since I’m a huge fan of 1970s/80s pop/rock thats what I play. Sometimes I just listen to a local radio station, or I’ll play a CD.
I only listen to music while doing scenery,painting,kit building etc and not during operation.[:)]
What I am looking for is names of songs or artist that do railroad songs. I have downloaded a few from Johnny Cash. Thanks
“The City of New Orleans,” comes to mind. A reach would be, “The Gambler,” you know, “On a train bound for nowhere…” How about, “The Last Train for Clarkesville?” The obvious, “Chattanooga Choo Choo.” A little bluegrass, I think it’s called, “The Cannonball Express.”
But you know what, I think I would go with the music from the era you are modeling, as has been suggested. It’s not necessarily about trains, it’s about the feel.
This train don’t stop here Anymore is one of my favorites. Sentemental Journey, The Night They Took Ole Dixie Down, The Train They Call New Orleans.
That’s what the club I go to does. We turn on the radio and then work(us youngings). The old guys work but they have a tendancy to start talking, and then they don’t usually stop for quite a while.
LOVE TRAIN thats a great song
I’ve been compiling a list too. Hpefully this won’t format as one big paragraph. Here are a couple of obscure ones: Cho Cho Cha Boogie (Louis Jordon) Nobody Cares About the Railroads Anymore (Harry Nilsson) Less obscure: Atchison, Topeka & the Santa Fe Big Rock Candy Mountain Bill Grogan’s Goat Blacktop Train - Ellis Paul Brave Engineer Bringing in the Georgia Mail Bye, Bye Blackbird California Western Special Casey Jones Charlie & the MTA Chattanooga Choo-Choo Choo~Choo Ch’Boogie City of New Orleans Daddy, What’s a Train? Danville Girl Down By the Station Drill Ye Tarriers East Texas Red Engineer Brooks Fast Freight Fireball Mail Five Hundred Miles Follow Your Love Folsom Prison Blues Freight Train Freight Train Blues Get on Board Little Children Golden Rocket Hell Bound Train Hey, I’m on the Railroad Again Hobo Bill’s Last Ride Hobo’s Lullabye I Heard That Lonesome Whistle Blow I’ve Been Everywhere Jimmy Brown, the Newsboy John Henry King of the Road Life’s Railway to Heaven Little Red Caboose Midnight Special Monkey & the Engineer Morning Town Train Mountain Quail Mystery Train Nine Hundred Miles Northspur Station Orange Blossom Special Pat Works on the Railroad People Get Ready Pistol Packin’ Papa Railroad Bill Railroading on the Great Divide Ramblin’ Boy Rock Island Line Runaway Train Came Over the Hill Salty Dog Blues San Francisco Bay Blues Sentimental Journey She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain Sixteen Tons Southbound Passenger Train Steam Chant Take the A Train Take This Hammer Tennessee Central #9 The Little Engine That Could The Silverton There’s Many a Man Killed on the Railroad This Train This Train is Bound for Glory To Morrow Trusty Lariat Wabash Cannonball Waitin’ For a Train Way Out There Whoopie! What a Ride Workin’ on the Railroad Wreck of FFV Wreck of Ol’ 97 web sites with samples: http://www.mcneilmusic.com/railroad.html web sites that might be useful? Mostly selling mu
I listen to modern rock helps me work faster [:)]
I like playing music when I’m working on engines or cars at the workbench. It’s usually an old Chicago or Eagles record (yes, I actually use records), but I play a CD sometimes, too. It’s easier to play CDs since I now have an old Sony CD player back there.[:D] Most recently was Blood, Sweat & Tears, who has a similar sound to Chicago.[:D] Having music playing seems to help time move faster, as well as keep me from getting bored.[:D]
Thanks everybody for the info, I will start downloading them soon. These should make a good CD Mike
Thats a really nice list there larack. Tuck that on a computer and let it play repeat random you could have plenty for a op session or a building session.
Personally I listen to classical.
Dvorak (New World…always thought that this would have made a great piece for Fantasia showing the construction and passage of the Transcontinetal Railroad)
Grofe (Grand Canyon, Niagra and Mississippi Suites)
The Simpsons (Monorail, Mason Darier)
Berloiz (Symphony Fantastique)
Beethoven (pretty much whatever I can find)
PDQ Bach (Abduction of Figaro)
Holst,
Gilbert and Sullivan (Pirates, Pinafore, Mikado, Yoman, etc)
“Heartbreak Express” by Dolly Parton is a real high-energy, toe-tapping song. Add that to your list.
I listen to Country alot of the times when I’m building my layout, I can’t say that same for operating becuase I don’t have enough layout done to operate yet. When I work at the Club We listen to Oldies. Just becuase thats what the owner of the radio likes, and its something we can all stand
I occationally listen to the movie soundtrack to “Silver Streak”.
Modern Jazz does it for me. Chuck Loeb, Bryan Culbertson, Paul Brown, Joyce Kooling…upbeat, and soothing. Surprised me that a lot of teens here in Florida are tuning in as well. Even my “rocker” nephew likes it now.