Murphy Siding ACY "You Never Even Call Me By My Name" (written with John Prine), .... I was drunk the day my mama got out of prison .....
ACY "You Never Even Call Me By My Name" (written with John Prine),
.... I was drunk the day my mama got out of prison .....
That was a funny song!
I heard--"The conductor sings his song again 'Passengers will please refrain....'"
Which is a reference to the request that toilets not be flushed while the train is standing in the station.
Johnny
Someone did exactly that during the stop at Appomattox on a Norfolk-Southern steam excursion back in the '90s. I was there. NOT pretty.
I thought the car hostess was going to die of embarassment.
Our toilets dump into tanks, so that's not a problem. The sinks, however, still drain under the cars. At least it's just soapy water... And usually when the train is standing at the station, all of the passengers are off (and usually gone).
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Hey was there ever a time when the City of New Orleans was cancelled or did not run aka "Going down in Railroad Blues" and was subject to ICC review or threaten with such? Was the CNO part of the Amtrak Plan back in 1971?
trackrat888 Hey was there ever a time when the City of New Orleans was cancelled or did not run aka "Going down in Railroad Blues" and was subject to ICC review or threaten with such? Was the CNO part of the Amtrak Plan back in 1971?
CMStPnP Gotcha all! According to the attached link.....Cars were switched on and off the City of New Orleans in Memphis, TN. So it is plausible as a safety measure that the author of the song was asked to relocate to a car not being switched as a safety precaution? Heh-heh, Gotcha! Read text under IC Switcher #480 coupled onto the CNO Observation.... http://condrenrails.com/MRP/MemphisCentralStation/IC-Memphis-Pass-Pixs.htm
Gotcha all!
According to the attached link.....Cars were switched on and off the City of New Orleans in Memphis, TN. So it is plausible as a safety measure that the author of the song was asked to relocate to a car not being switched as a safety precaution? Heh-heh, Gotcha!
Read text under IC Switcher #480 coupled onto the CNO Observation....
http://condrenrails.com/MRP/MemphisCentralStation/IC-Memphis-Pass-Pixs.htm
Thanks to CMStP&P for posting the above link to Mike Condren's site !
Another site that I'd like to post is a very thorough history of Memphis' RR Stations @ http://condrenrails.com/MRP/MemphisUnionStation/memevol.htm
It is also History of Trains, and Memphis Stations from Ca.1852 to 1970.
Growing up the ICRR was part of my life, and a destination to watch the passing parade.
One of the Photos in the link provided by CMStP&P a fascinating story in its caption and explaines why the ICRR trains had such a reputation: "...The "Fire-boy" is already counting his miles and money before they have even left town. It was will be a quick 167 mile trip to Cairo, IL and they will be there in less than 3 hours, in time for supper. They will return south on Number 5, "The Panama Limited/Magnolia Star" around 11 pm and be back home, in Memphis, by 2:00am. Not bad; a round trip in less than 12 hours. The young man might pay close attention to his "old head" engineer across the cab. The two most senior engineers who "owned" these jobs on the "Fulton District" were Raymond Brown and N. A. "Runt" Thompson. Both men completed over 50 years of faithful service with the "Main Line of Mid-America". Engineer Raymond Brown was also known as "Two Pound Brown". He would make long, gradual, oceanliner slow downs, in "two pound reductions" of the automatic brake. Once he was clear of the restriction, he never had a speed limit. It may have 79 mph in the employee timetable, but that was just a passing number to him. Rest assured, this train will arrive "on time" at the next crew change at Cairo. (Kay-row)...".
As a point of interest; the original routing of the ICRR was from Fulton,Ky to Jackson, Tn, and then to Water Valley, Ms. Grenada,Ms. to Jackson,Ms..
Traffic via Jackson,Tn. was rerouted at some point to include the routing from Fulton,Ks to Dyersburg,Tn, and into Memphis, South through Mississippi to stop at Grenada.Ms. and then on to Jackson,Ms.
As to why the 'Change of Cars at Memphis" line was there; ICRR generally operated a couple of Switching jobs around the Central Station Area. Passenge and non-passenger cars were added and subtracted as needed. Railway Express operated a very sizeable operation in the service area under the station and tracks. As did the US Post Office, and a Loose Car Freight House operated by the ICRR. All were accessed by ramps and elevators for the cargo tugs and carts to use. See The attached photo link.
Memphis as the place where the Mississippi Delta Started ( It was often reported that the 'Delta started in the Lobby of the Peabody Hotel'.) And the ICRR and Trains were an integral part of that mistique.
Not only did Steve Goodman sing about trains, but many other tunes were also recorded by other artists, Country and Blues musicians...W.C. Handy created one called " Where the Southern cross the Yellow Dog" [Moorhead,Ms. was where the Yazoo Delta RR crossed the Y&MVRR]
June 1969 Official Guide shows IC number 1 arriving in Memphis at 520pm and departing at 540pm with no changeout of cars.
The mail contracts were gone by then, not sure about the REA. I checked a 1950s OG and there were no passenger service cars changed in Memphis.
I loved the song as a kid and still enjoy it. It tells a great story about the Mainline of Mid America...my hometown railroad.
Ed
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