I like these two: Grand Funk's The Railroad & Cinderella's Heartbreak Station (Ya gotta see the video on the last one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJBgsqkIyX8&playnext=1&list=PLEEE6A473BCF6E70E http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uuegke22rdA&feature=fvsr
Boy if these could all be put on CD what a great compilation that would be... Now there's an idea for a TrainBoard fundraiser!
Here's a few more: -"Marrakesh Express" by Crosby, Stills, and Nash -"Old Train" by Tony Rice ...and there's a great selection of railroad blues and bluegrass in the soundtracks for Railroad Tycoon 2 and 3 (PC games). Here's links to my favorites from the game soundtracks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh7gwXVZJYc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GTs7TtzhyI
The first "Train Song" I remember is "The Wreak of Old '97 by Hank Snow" But I have a few more in my Mp3 collection. Like.. Jim_&_Jesse_-_(I_Heard_That)_Lonesome_Whistle_-_1969.mp3 Jim_&_Jesse_-_A_Freight_Train_On_My_Mind_-_1969.mp3 Jim_&_Jesse_-_Fire_Ball_Mail_-_1969.mp3 Jim_&_Jesse_-_I_Like_Trains_-_1969.mp3 Jim_&_Jesse_-_Orange_Blossom_Special_-_1968.mp3 Jim_&_Jesse_-_Pan_American_-_1969.mp3 Jim_&_Jesse_-_Streamlined_Cannon_Ball_-_1969.mp3 Jim_&_Jesse_-_Tennessee_Central_#9_-_1969.mp3 Jim_&_Jesse_-_Yonder_Comes_A_Freight_Train_-_1969.mp3 Roy_Acuff_-_Wabash_Cannonball.mp3 The_Tractors_-_Baby_Likes_To_Rock_It.mp3 A few found on YouTube... YouTube - Patsy Cline - Lifes Railway To Heaven [B&W] YouTube - Jimmie Rodgers - Waiting for a Train YouTube - Hobo's Meditation by JIMMIE RODGERS (1932) YouTube - Johnny Cash - Hey Porter YouTube - The Wreck Of The Old 97 by Hank Snow YouTube - Merle Haggard ~ Hobo's Meditation YouTube - Kingston Trio - M.T.A. YouTube - Hank Williams - The Log Train YouTube - The Big Rock Candy Mountain YouTube - Josh Turner -- LONG BLACK TRAIN
I know I already listed "Folsom Prison Blues" as my favorite, but this is another two I like quite a bit. Woody Guthrie - Train Blues Woody Guthrie - Train 45
Has everybody forgotten Lynyrd Skynyrd's Railroad Song? Also Midnight Special by CCR and Train, Train by Blackfoot.
Train Songs Gallopin Goose- C.W. McCall Southern Pacific- Neil Young & Crazyhorse. The favoured ones here.
"Evening Train" by Rob Mathes. It is best appreciated with the "Next Stop" lead-in song which precedes it on the album. "Evening Train" is the title track of the same named album, which is a wonderful album. http://www.amazon.com/Evening-Train-Rob-Mathes/dp/B0009A6KSM
If Love Were A Train by Michelle Shocked from the Short, Sharp, Shocked album (along with her version of The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore). Both noted in Skipgear's definitive Wiki listing above.
"Sentimental Journey" by anybody and also "City of New Orleans" sung by the late Steve Goodman,who actually wrote the song. Charlie
Also what some of you might want to do is check out some railroad poetry. Rod McKuen was mentioned earlier, he wrote a poem entitled "The Art of Catching Trains". There is a series of 4 railroad song CDs entitled "Steel Rails" ;"Mystery Train" ; "Night Train" ; and "Train 45". The collection I have is published by "Rounder Records" in Massachusetts. And the poem "Travel" by Edna St.Vincent Millay(yet there isnt a train I wouldn't take; no matter where it is going)
City Of New Orleans Ridin' on the City of New Orleans Illinois Central, Monday mornin' rail 15 cars & 15 restless riders Three conductors, 25 sacks of mail All along the southbound odyssey the train pulls out of Kankakee Rolls along past houses, farms & fields Passin' graves that have no name, freight yards full of old black men And the graveyards of rusted automobiles Good mornin' America, how are you? Don't you know me? I'm your native son! I'm the train they call the City of New Orleans I'll be gone 500 miles when the day is done Dealin' cards with the old men in the club car Penny a point, ain't no one keepin' score Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle And feel the wheels rumblin' neath the floor And the sons of Pullman porters & the sons of engineers Ride their fathers' magic carpets made of steel Mothers with their babes asleep, rockin' to the gentle beat And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel Good mornin' America, how are you? Say don't you know me? I'm your native son! I'm the train they call the City of New Orleans. I'll be gone 500 miles when the day is done. Night time on the City of New Orleans Changin' cars in Memphis, Tennessee Halfway home, we'll be there by mornin' Thru the Mississippi darkness rollin' down to the sea But all the towns and people seem to fade into a bad dream And the steel rail still ain't heard the news The conductor sings his songs again "The passengers will please refrain: This train got the disappea rin' railroad blues Good night America, how are you? Say don't you know me? I'm your native son! I'm the train they call the City of New Orleans. I'll be gone 500 miles when the day is done.
Railroad songs/albums Okay crew, so here is my dillema. I am planning a freelanced layout and want to name towns after some songs/albums in classic rock or in music history. I know one of the towns will more than likely be Terrapin which will include a station named after the Greatful Deads album "Terrapin Station." What I am drawing a blank on, is there any other songs out there that I could name some of my towns. I know LOTS of RR songs but none of them that I feel I could name a town after. Do you have any suggestions or names that I might be missing here.
This'll help give you some ideas, but the song titles don't say much about place-names. Maybe more in the lyrics themselves.