# All time favorite RR ballad



## R.W. Marty (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi all,
I see we are posting links to Railroad songs so I can't resist posting this one to my all time favorite 
story/song by my all time favorite Railroad balladier.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSlPJOfnJZk

Thanks for looking
Rick Marty


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## jfrank (Jan 2, 2008)

That was a good one Rick. Here is another from Utah Phillips:









DADDY WHAT'S A TRAIN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5YoLjYD8QE&feature=related


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

I remember that from the Dr Demento show here in LA from years back, thanks thats a funny story.


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## ralphbrades (Jan 3, 2008)

"Locomotive Breath", by Jethro Tull from the album "Aqualung".

regards

ralph


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

I'd have to cast my vote for Arlo Guthrie's City of New Orleans.


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## bhewitt452 (Jan 4, 2008)

Actually it's City of New Orleans written by and performed by Steve Goodman and covered by Arlo Guthrie.
Just keeping things prototypically correct.

Great Song!


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## jmill24 (Jan 11, 2008)

Here are two good ones..............Jim

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbzc77Tz6PA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I2KeRtvJ-A


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

Ha, I learn something every day.







So that was Steve Goodman singing on Arlo's album? Wasn't the album Alice's Restaurant?


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## billsharron (Jan 3, 2008)

Couldn't pick just one, 
ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL, CASH 

WRECK OF THE OLD 97 

CASEY JONES 

CITY OF NEW ORLEANS


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## bhewitt452 (Jan 4, 2008)

The story of how Arlo Guthrie recorded the City of New Orleans.

From Wikipedia....


"Later in 1971, Goodman was playing at a Chicago bar called the Quiet Knight as the opening act for Kris Kristofferson. Kristofferson, impressed with Goodman, introduced him to Paul Anka, who brought Goodman to New York to record some demos. These resulted in Goodman signing a contract with Buddah Records.


All this time, Goodman had been busy writing many of his most enduring songs, and this avid songwriting would lead to an important break for him. While at the Quiet Knight, Goodman saw Arlo Guthrie, and asked to be allowed to play a song for him. Guthrie grudgingly agreed, on the condition that Goodman buy him a beer first; Guthrie would listen to Goodman for as long as it took Guthrie to drink the beer. Goodman played "City of New Orleans", (original lyrics) which Guthrie liked enough that he asked to record it. Guthrie's version of the song became a Top 20 hit in 1972, and provided Goodman with enough financial and artistic success to make his music a full-time career. The song, about the Illinois Central's City of New Orleans train, would become an American standard, covered by such musicians as Johnny Cash, Judy Collins, and Willie Nelson, whose recorded version earned Goodman a posthumous Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 1985. A French translation of the song, "Salut Les Amoureux", was recorded by Joe Dassin in 1979. According to his wife, the song began as Goodman in his imagination wandered all the way to New Orleans while on a train from Chicago to visit her elderly grandmother in Mattoon, Illinois."


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## billsharron (Jan 3, 2008)

Also "I heard that lonsome whistle" by Hank Williams


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## afinegan (Jan 2, 2008)

My favorite, I think its an instrumental written and produced by a LOCOMOTIVE


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Casey Jones, The Brave Engineer.


http://www.disneyshorts.org/sources/caseyjones.html


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## OGC5 (Nov 25, 2008)

Roy Acuff was the King of real Country music and train songs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0QXyYK1FAU
Wabash Cannonball,wreck of old 97, Fireball Mail, Freight Train Blues,Pan American queen, NT to Memphis and many more. Johnny Cash was a close second.








OGC5


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

OK.. If Ralph can throw in Tull I might as well add this one.. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbUF4_4ykqI


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## OGC5 (Nov 25, 2008)

Posted By Dave F on 01/30/2009 2:19 PM
OK.. If Ralph can throw in Tull I might as well add this one.. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbUF4_4ykqI 







Cool!
Here is a good cover of another favorite on my Myakka & Santa Fe Railroad.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdH9x6vKj-U&feature=related
OGC5 (Tom R.)


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

The Rock Island Road, The City of New Orleans, The Wreck of Old 97 - its near cousin - The Man Who Never Returned - & - my own version - The Wreck of Tinker Belle (about the time I split a switch on the Dry Gulch RR), This Train Is Bound For Glory, 500 Miles, I'm Goin' Home on Mornin' Train, and Life Is Like a Mountain Railway.
Yours,
David Meashey


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

Bill, Thanks for posting the story of how a song gets to where it gets to.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Similar question was asked on the Chaski RR board last week.

The "BEST" railroad music? 

The best, and I do mean BEST railroad music has very few words at all. 

The only words are "All aboard" and "Highball". 

The music is made by just 2 "musicians" and a Conductor. The Conductor stands on his podium (otherwise known as the rear platform of a caboose) using a coal-oil lantern as his baton to give the downbeat to the 2 musicians (otherwise known as the Engineer and Fireman) at the other end of the concert hall (otherwise known as the cab of a steam locomotive) where they merely release the music from the iron, steel and brass instrument. 

Now THAT is MUSIC! And cannot be beat by any bellowing human voice.

Variations in engine characteristics and operating modes is like the variations between Bach, Beethoven, Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky and Mozart. All delicious to hear.









And to be sure no one mistakes the compareson... modern music compares to a Diesel garbage truck; Elvis, a donkey braying and rap are just noise and just do not compare to the symphonic sounds of a steam locomotive. 

(WOW! Lookit them flaming darts headed this way!







)


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Posted By vsmith on 26 Jan 2009 08:13 AM 
I remember that from the Dr Demento show here in LA from years back, thanks thats a funny story. 

I met the Dr. and sat in on a show once a long time ago .... a buddy and I drove up from Encinitas one sunday afternoon.

I just heard a new Jimi Hendrix Railroad tune, honest will be released in a couple of days, 'Just heard my train a comming.'

12 unreleased tunes, recorded, but not up to Jimi's standards, later he went back and redid the tunes, but died bedore they were released.

John


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

What else but the "Rock Island Line" by Johnny Cash 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1eW...re=related


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## Ron Hill (Sep 25, 2008)

I must say that the Ballad of Casey Jones and the City of New Orleans are my favorite. My home town is Water Valley, MS. and it was the division point on the old Mississippi Central line. Casey ran that division until he landed the engineer's job out of Memphis. And having worked for the ICGRR for several years I am bias towards it!


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## livesteam5629 (Jan 2, 2008)

How about the "Wabash Cannonball" ? I don't think anyone has mentioned that one. 
N


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

This has always been a favorite of mine.. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyPTIOJuWws

"Mr. Peabody's coal train done hauled it away"....


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Wille Nelson and city of New Orleans. Later RJD


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Dad was a preacher, his favorite? 

Life is like a mountain railway. 

I found him 4 -5 versions and he said they all had the words wrong!


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## Anton Vacek (Jan 4, 2008)

I am surprised no one has mentioned Hank Snow who has recorded many railroad songs. My favorite is Hobo Bill's Last Ride.


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Some great ones not yet covered 








.... always best with Maybelle Sara and AP


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

How about "The Last Train to Clarksville" by the Monkees? 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScXXaBu1Ing


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Well, If we're going Monkees, then we have to have this one. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck2ypLAdfC4


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## Westcott (Feb 17, 2009)

How about "The Fast Flying Vestibule" (FFV) ? 
Can't find the song nor words with a quick Google. 

Back in the late 60s in the UK I was in a folk group called "The Fennario Folk Three" (FF3). 
I wrote some new verses about our group to the FFV tune - 

"Along came the FF3, the fastest in the land, 
An Englishman, an Irishman, a Scotsman form the band, 
We travel the country o'er and o'er, to sing is our delight, 
It's the best excuse we've ever found to get drunk every night!"


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Westcott

You mean this one?

The Carter Family's World[/b]
"Engine 143"[/b]


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## Westcott (Feb 17, 2009)

Steve,

Yes, the very one!
Thanks.

I note from the original report that within 4 and a half hours the track was cleared and the undamaged cars continued on their way.


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## Taperpin (Jan 6, 2008)

Westcott, 
I have the FFV [fast flying Virginian} by Annie Watson on Smithsonian Folkways Recording,, great CD.. 

my favorite is Pete Seegers Jay Goulds Daughter, and close second are 3 Lead Bellly Tracks. 


Gordon.


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

Ok we now have all of these great railroad songs but are there any cds or tapes of all railroad songs. If so how do we find them?


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

For me i would like to get a cd with johnny cash singing nothing but railroad songs.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I lost the video file somebody made of "Long Train a Runnin'" with his trains running in the back yard. Was a most beautiful video.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Pete,
Look for; Ride This Train, it's just what you asked for!

Johnny Cash sings about trains.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Stan Freeburg did a great cover of The Rock Island Line, included is a little preamble about collecting tarrifs from the engineer.


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Torby on 09 Mar 2010 08:09 AM 
I lost the video file somebody made of "Long Train a Runnin'" with his trains running in the back yard. Was a most beautiful video. 

That's one of my favorite videos from Rayman.. You'll find it towards the bottom of the page here..

http://www.rayman4449.dynip.com/Gar...Videos.htm

He has a ton of great videos, you'll find them all there.. 
Enjoy.


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## RimfireJim (Mar 25, 2009)

Posted By pete on 09 Mar 2010 07:54 AM 
Ok we now have all of these great railroad songs but are there any cds or tapes of all railroad songs. If so how do we find them? 
Visit the gift shop at just about any tourist railroad line and you'll find several choices. Or, search on amazon.com for "train songs" or any of the artists mentioned above.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Oh thanks! I was afraid I'd lost it.


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