Majortom -- your song sure sounds like a variant of "The Big Rock Candy Mountain":
Big Rock Candy Mountain
One evening as the sun went down and the jungle fire was burningDown the track came a hobo hiking and he said boys I'm not turningI'm headin for a land that's far away beside the crystal fountainsSo come with me we'll go and see the Big Rock Candy MountainsIn the Big Rock Candy Mountains there's a land that's fair and brightWhere the handouts grow on bushes and you sleep out every nightWhere the boxcars are all empty and the sun shines every dayOn the birds and the bees and the cigarette treesWhere the lemonade springs where the bluebird singsIn the Big Rock Candy MountainsIn the Big Rock Candy Mountains all the cops have wooden legsAnd the bulldogs all have rubber teeth and the hens lay soft boiled eggsThe farmer's trees are full of fruit and the barns are full of hayOh, I'm bound to go where there ain't no snowWhere the rain don't fall and the wind don't blowIn the Big Rock Candy MountainsIn the Big Rock Candy Mountains you never change your socksAnd the little streams of alcohol come a-trickling down the rocksThe brakemen have to tip their hats and the railroad bulls are blindThere's a lake of stew and of whiskey tooYou can paddle all around 'em in a big canoeIn the Big Rock Candy MountainsIn the Big Rock Candy Mountains the jails are made of tinAnd you can walk right out again as soon as you are inThere ain't no short handled shovels, no axes saws or picksI'm a goin to stay where you sleep all dayWhere they hung the jerk that invented workIn the Big Rock Candy MountainsI'll see you all this coming fall in the Big Rock Candy Mountains
Remember: In South Carolina, North is southeast of Due West... HIOAg /Bill
Way back when I was kneehigh to a grasshopper, the first train song I heard and I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned so far as I can see is: The Runaway Train came over the Hill, quite appropriate for our hobby I think, especially in my case as I get to grips with DCC!
Best songs: concur with all the above and some songs from the stage musical: Starlight Express, don't know if you guys got it over there. All performed on roller skates, fantastic show.
Valiant
BlueHillsCPR wrote: People Get Ready - Jeff Beck with Rod Stewart on vocals.Orange Blossom Special - Lester Flatt & Earl ScruggsTheme song from "Petticoat Junction" - Lester Flatt & Earl ScruggsFolsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - Joan Baez EDIT: Oh yeah! Spanish Train - Chris DeBurgh
People Get Ready - Jeff Beck with Rod Stewart on vocals.
Orange Blossom Special - Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs
Theme song from "Petticoat Junction" - Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs
Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash
Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - Joan Baez
EDIT: Oh yeah! Spanish Train - Chris DeBurgh
I'd add another vote for "City of New Orleans", and thank you for adding "Folsom Prison Blues", Bluehill. I didn't think ANYONE would.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
My favorite train songs: Midnight train to Geoga, Gladys Knight and the Pips
A Train, Duke Ellington
Chatanooga Choo choo (Don't know the artist)
Great big running railroad (Classic Union Pacific Commercial )
Is there available on the market today a QUALITY, professionally done recording of the better known old railroad songs, particularly:
Casey Jones (the original, authentic song)
The Wreck of Old 97 (a historic event, by the way)
The Wabash Connonball (which was a song a while before a train by that name existed)
The Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe (Did you know the railroad -- or I should say, its successor company --- no longer serves any of those three places?)
skir4d wrote:Hey, Texas, you forgot one "City of New Orleans" The version by CW Mcall on I believe was the "Roses for Mama" Album
Hmmm...I remember this thread from a while back...
I wrote before that my favorite railroad song is "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" by Gordon Lightfoot. It is currently tied with "Great Big Rollin Railroad", which was UP's theme song. You can download it off Utah Rails as a mp3.
Phil
Raised on the Erie Lackawanna Mainline- Supt. of the Black River Transfer & Terminal R.R.
Hey, Texas, you forgot one "City of New Orleans"
The version by CW Mcall on I believe was the "Roses for Mama" Album
Which adds a couple more, such as "Silverton" and "The Galloping Goose" from CW McCall.
Jack W
markpierce wrote:'"Locomotive Breath" ...The lyrics, although open to interpretation, may be about a train wreck or, alternatively, about a man's life falling apart.
I have this cut on a CD-4 (discrete quadraphonic) LP. How sweet a sound it is, but not even close to my favorite train song though.
berlingo wrote:I love this very old jazz number called " TAKE THE A TRAIN ".
But the real reason for my post is that over the last week or so I rounded up and listened to every version of the "City of New Orleans" I could find. I know there are other versions but I could not find copies to listen to. My ranking results are:
1. Arlo Guthrie - I really like how the train speeds up and slows down to emphasize different sections. Volume changes from day to night and lets the listener feel the hush of darkness falling over the Mississipi Valley.2. Willie Nelson - the choo chooing instruments add some subtile background without being over powering. Don't like how he paces or should I say doesn't pace "I'm the train they call the City of New Orleans". 3. John Denver - surprised me since I don't really like most of his work. Has the right pacing. A bit too much harmonica.4. Judie Collins - I like how she syncopates a few of the words better, has a better last phrase, but the over all effect of the song feels rushed.5. River City Ramblers - seems to be an attempt to copy Arlo Guthries version.6. Steve Goodman - how can you argue against the author, well the man just isn't a good singer.7. Glenn Yarbough - way too slow, I wanted to get off that train before it got to New Orleans and go to sleep.8. Seldom Scene - way too fast, the train sounds were too gimicky, no essence of a ballad here.9. Country Gentelmen - way too fast, almost corny, no concept of this being a sad event.10. Back Porch Mary - Fast but didn't feel rushed. Once again it seemed obvious to me that the artist had no feeling or even concept of what the event was about and definitely didn't feel anything for it. These were just words to put over his style of music and make another cut for an album.
I could listen to the top five here repeatedly, I would just as soon never hear the bottom 5 ever again. I did decide that if the song doesn't elicit a sad emotional response then it hasn't been performed properly.....
Cornboy wrote: I like Jethro Tull's Locomotive Breath
I like Jethro Tull's Locomotive Breath
'"Locomotive Breath" is a song by the English progressive rock band Jethro Tull from their 1971 album, Aqualung. One of the song's highlights is its flute solo by rock flute master Ian Anderson. The lyrics, although open to interpretation, may be about a train wreck or, alternatively, about a man's life falling apart. The song receives frequent airplay on classic rock radio stations.'
I just pulled out my 36-year-old Aqualung album and played Locomotive Breath. That took me back several lifetimes (wives, homes, jobs, layouts, etc.)
Mark
Not the first railroad song(s) I can remember, but they are in my collection:
Last Train Home (instumental) (1987) - Pat Metheny
Hellbound Train (1972) - Savoy Brown
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums
LOL, I remember playing "Take the "A" Train" in marching band almost 25 years ago-our director was quite "jazz" oriented, & it did make things fun for us trumpet players!
I could go on & on about fave train songs, being a music collector, my fortes being classic country & oldies in that order. Classic country offers so many, I don't know where to begin. But one that came to mind recently, & does anyone remember (I don't-since I was born in 1966) the goofy pop/rock song called "Click Clack" by "Dickey Doo & the Don'ts" Dickey Doo (real name Gerry Granahan) wrote the song on the train from New York to Philly. it came out in the early part of 1958.
Speaking of writing songs on trains (& I only found this out a few years ago) the "Orange Blossom Special", was written by 2 Florida natives, the Rouse Brothers, & wrote the song on the inaugural run of the SAL's "Orange Blossom Special" in 1939 heading to New York, as I understand.
Just some trivia from a train/music nut as I am.
Hmmmm......Ozzy's Crazy Train isn't bad, it's been played out though, classic rock stations play it WAYYY too much.
Train, Train from Blackfoot still rocks pretty good.
Locomotive from Motorhead definitely rocks.
Train of Consequences from MEGADETH is pretty good.
Bullet Train from Judas Priest is good.
The remake of Locomotive Breath by Helloween is excellent.
....and in answer to Saltwater Cowboy.....YES....folks over 40 CAN still LOVE METAL!!!!
Night Train - Guns n Roses
Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne
Train of Consequences - Megadeth
That'll be all for now....
TONY
"If we never take the time, how can we ever have the time." - Merovingian (Matrix Reloaded)
route_rock wrote: Ok time for an old trucker to clarify a few things here. The diesel in Bobby Mcgee is a a truck. Not a locomotive.Thumbing down is hitchhiking not hoboing.
Ok time for an old trucker to clarify a few things here. The diesel in Bobby Mcgee is a a truck. Not a locomotive.Thumbing down is hitchhiking not hoboing.
OK...I'll accept that. I just assumed the diesel was a train from the first lines of the song, and "thumbing down" was creative license.
I see you also mentioned "Locomotive Breath" already.
Rotor
Jake: How often does the train go by? Elwood: So often you won't even notice ...
Another one from Jethro Tull:"Locomotive Breath"In the shuffling madnessOf the locomotive breath,Runs the all-time loser,Headlong to his death.He feels the piston scraping --Steam breaking on his brow --Thank God, he stole the handle andThe train won't stop going --No way to slow down.He sees his children jumping offAt the stations -- one by one.His woman and his best friend --In bed and having fun.He's crawling down the corridorOn his hands and knees --Old Charlie stole the handle andThe train won't stop going --No way to slow down.He hears the silence howling --Catches angels as they fall.And the all-time winnerHas got him by the balls.He picks up Gideon's Bible --Open at page one --God stole the handle andThe train won't stop going --No way to slow down.
It's not exactly a train song, but the Theme from Picnic, always reminds me of the movie, with William Holden and Kim Novak. Holden rides into town, and jumps down out of a freight car, in a little town in Kansas, and meets Novak, and decides to stay a while. Nice, feel good movie. Came along shortly after my summer of hoboing around the country. I could relate!
- Harry
Lots of good songs listed, but I have to say my favorite is "Great Big Rollin' Railroad".
Bob Hayes
Mountain Railroad by Patsy Cline
City of New Orleans by Willie Nelson
Charlie on the MBTA by the Kingston Trio
City Of New Orleans; Willy Nelson
Long Black Train; Josh Turner
Rock Island Line: Johnny Cash
Love Train: Big and Rich
I also grew up on the Thomas and friends songs
If you can read this... thank a teacher. If you are reading this in english... thank a veteran
When in doubt. grab a hammer.
If it moves and isn't supposed to, get a hammer
If it doesn't move and is supposed to, get a hammer
If it's broken, get a hammer
If it can't be fixed with a hammer... DUCK TAPE!
downbound train---Bruce springsteen,
City of New orleans- willie nelson version
Land of Hope and dreams:Bruce springsteen
I can't remember the name but it goes like this:
Was down by a western water tank on a cold December day
Aboard that North bound freight tran, a dyin hobo lay
Beside him stood his comrade
With a low and drooping head
And people walkin by the train could hear what the hobo said.
I'm goin said the hobo
To a land that's fair and bright
Where the weather's warm and sunny
You can sleep out every night
Where hand outs grow on bushes
And people don't wear no socks
And little streams of alcohol come a tricklin through the rocks
Hark hark the engines comin
I'll catch her on the run
.....etc.
Anyway it was a great song.
Aside from that, I vote City of New Orleans
majortom