The thread about the Casey Jones TV series got me to thinking about Railroad (or had trains) songs.
I can think of many that are about or contain steam trains but the only one that comes to mind to the contrary is “take the A train” which is about an electric subway.
Am I missing any?
[8] I’ve been workin’ on the railroad, all the live long day,
I’ve been workin’ on the railroad, just to pass the time away…[8]
Gee, the 1:1 hobby existed long before our miniatures…
come on now how could you forget these classics
Drill ye tarriers,
the Wreck of Old 97
the Wabash Cannonball
the Little Red Caboose behind the train
Paddy works on the Railroad
The Rock Island Line
This Train
500 Miles
and FYI model Trains came BEFORE 1:1 trains… Philadelphia inventor John Fitch (who also built a steam boat 15 years before Fulton) built a working model steam locomotive in 1785. His model still exists and is displayed by the Ohio Historical Society in Columbus OH.
As far as train (or train-related) songs go, my favourite would have to be ‘Downtown Train’ by Rod Stewart.
Arlo’s “City of New Orleans”!
This is most of my “Train Mix” of songs that either about trains, mention trains, or make a metaphor of them. This is not an exhaustive list, and trains are only mentioned in some of them.
The Silverton - C.W. McCall
Peace Train - Cat Stevens
Long Train Runnin’ - Doobie Brothers
Steel Rail Blues - Gordon Lightfoot
Canadian Railroad Trilogy - Gordon Lightfoot
Midnight Mary - Joey Powers
Big Train (from Memphis) - John Fogerty
Last Train to Clarksville - The Monkees
Nowhere in Idaho - Rednex
The City of New Orleans - Arlo Guthrie
This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore - Elton John
Lover Please - Clyde McPhatter
Last Train to London - Electric Light Orchestra
Time Passages - Al Stewart
Roads to Moscow - Al Stewart
Locomotive Breath - Jethro Tull
Ok I’ll play,
Midnight Train to Georgia
Kansas City Southern, Pure Prairie League Version
The Railroad, by Grand Funk Railroad
Bob
Howmus, Steve Goodman wrote “City of New Orleans.” Arlo Guthrie was just one among many who recorded it. I have a version sung by the author, along with John Prine, and that is my favorite.
Also, I believe Blind Bruce is looking for songs not relating to railroads, but other railed transit. How about “The Trolley Song?” (Clang, Clang, Clang went the Trolley,)
Right you are sir… I was just thinking of the version Arlo sang (which was running through my head) and wasn’t connecting it to the composer.
Hello again,
If we’re talking transit there was a song years back about poor poor Charlie who never returned and will ride forever 'neath the streets of Boston. Buy that’s all I remember about it.
I also forgot about the Orange Blossom Special just played by Steve Martin and his band in DC
Bob
That would be “Charlie and the MTA”
I’ll bite
John Turner’s Long Black Train
Ozzy Osborn’s Crazy Train (SHARON!)
Blue Grass fans will remember “The Orange Blossom Special”
Happy railroading
Bob
[:)]
The Kingston Trio had a humorous song about the train “To Morrow”
and of course Johnny Cash had the Folsum Prison Blues
“The Man Who Never Returned”, performed by the Kingston Trio.
There was “My Love Affair with Trains”, an album of original railroad songs recorded by Merle Haggard in the 1976. The jacket had photos of Haggard’s layout. I don’t remember if any of the songs got any airplay.
So to clarify your question - are there any songs about post-steam railroads - i.e diesel trains or electric trains, freight, passenger, transit and so on?
And the answer is, quite obviously, yes. Here is a wikipedia list of train songs - several of which clearly are post-steam era: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_train_songs
Smile,
Stein
Stein,
this must be the most comprehensive list of train songs in the world! Crazy thing is, that there are many songs on the list I would not have thought of being train songs!
All we need is now a list of model railroad songs [(-D]
John Hartford gave us a couple:
Shiny Rails of Steel and Gentle on My Mind, both intensely romantic with a touch of railroad mystique.
An Duke Ellington provided a popular rendition of Billy Strayhorn’s Take the A Train.
I’ll add a couple of traditional songs that have apparently lost their connection with the original songwriter:
Clear the Track, Let the Bulgine Run (recently recorded by Woods Tea Company), and Railroad Worksong (recorded by the Notting Hillbillies).
Georgie and the IRT by Dave Van Ronk