I am a fan of what is known as "Old Time Radio". (a.k.a. "O-T-R".) Back before "TV" ruined everything, we could listen to radio shows and use our imaginations, to mentally set the scenes. Years ago there was a radio show known as "The Railroad Hour". A music and theatrical based offering, it was sponsored by the Association of American Railroads. Between 1948 and 1954, there were at least 299 shows aired. There are supposedly just over 250 shows known to exist, however, I have only been able to locate 161 of them. Included among these were annual Christmas shows, which I am listening to one right now. So nice to hear people with actual vocal talent. (Which we have almost NONE today!) Anyhow, mixed in the show are spots from the AAR. The show starts with steam locomotive sounds, and wraps up the same way. Nice. Great fun. There were numerous other shows which featured some aspect of railroading. Some for the kids. Some humorous. Some serious dramas. I put on my Bluetooth headphones, go about my chores and hobbies, and enjoy. You have no idea what you are missing.
The Railroad Hour As a kid, before school, used to love to watch ‘Modern Farmer’ (due my Iowa/Illinois gene origins on dad's fancy new 4 channel black/white TV?) (ps: lol notice the "political reference" 3'rd paragraph down!) Spoiler: My City "no train station!" The guitarist next to Crissie is that Steve Winward/Eric Clapton? (Can't Find My Way Home)
Boxcab, I'm a big fan of the "Old Time Radio" also! But my addictions are the westerns like Gunsmoke, which I find the radio show much better than the TV show. I also like Have gun Will Travel and Frontier Gentleman. Please correct me if I'm wrong but isn't "The Railroad Hour" the one where the show only lasted an half-hour inspite of the name? I know I purchased just about every radio Gunsmoke that I could find, but now they are on YouTube commercial free and at no cost! I'm finding all kinds of shows there that I didn't know exsisted. I hope someone will do the same for your The Railroad Hour. My understanding is that those shows that were recorded for broadcast on Armed Forces Radio for toops overseas, like Gunsmoke, were the most completely preserved. Ralph
The Railroad Hour was originally about 45 minutes in length. Sometime after about the 30th show, it dropped to being anywhere from about 25 minutes to 29 minutes. Yes. Many shows were re-broadcast via AFRS, or AFRTS. And in many instances, those help fill voids in various series. I have the entire known Gunsmoke radio series. I listen to it about twice yearly, start to finish. William Conrad and Parley Baer were superb, as were the supporting cast and guest stars, such as John Dehner. I never was close to as much of a fan of the TV version. It lacked the use of imagination, when listening to radio. Another good one, of much less duration, (about 45 shows), was "Fort Laramie", starring Raymond Burr. There were all kinds of westerns aired. The Lone Ranger. Gene Autry &Melody Ranch. And of course I have many of other genres such as Dragnet. Lux Radio Theater was a great one. I remember Lux laundry soap from my youth. (And the premiums they used to have included inside the package.) There are a whole bunch of resources for free downloads out there. Check out the Old Time Radio Researchers. Also, archive.org. Many of the other sites have a limited number of shows, and not a whole known to exist, series. And, be careful. Some sites are poorly keep, as to download security. Probably the worst disappointment, in all of OTR, is Superman. Only the first 325 shows of the series exist complete. From there on, there are gaps too many. Missing shows that have never been found. Great episodes, but very difficult to follow along, with so much being lost.
Yeah, Fort Laramie was a great show too. I really liked the way they used to have the first shows and final shows together on XM radio so you knew how it all started and ended. They did that about once a year. It was there I learned of Gunsmoke that Matt had been a gun fighter, Chester I believe had been in the Army, Kitty had been a "lady of the night" and Doc killed a man in a duel, changed his name and fled west to hide out. You never learned that on the TV show. You also learned that the Lone Ranger was part owner in a silver mine and that's where he got the silver for his bullets, left his half to his nephew Jeff Reed who had a son named Bret Reed who became the Green Hornet. I learned all of this from the XM radio program. I also really like Suspence! and the Whistler. These radio shows exercise your mind just like reading and that's the problem with TV, it does all the work for you. The mind is just like the body you need to use it or lose it. Ralph
The Gunsmoke radio show was a little before my time. I did grow up watching the television show - and did it have a long run! I’m pretty sure my father saw every episode. The program even reached into my elementary school studies. I remember a line with a gunfight illustration in a textbook. “Matt Dillon drillin’ the villain”.
