Railroad Forums 

  • classic railroad songs

  • Discussion related to railroads/trains that show up in TV shows, commercials, movies, literature (books, poems and more), songs, the Internet, and more... Also includes discussion of well-known figures in the railroad industry or the rail enthusiast hobby.
Discussion related to railroads/trains that show up in TV shows, commercials, movies, literature (books, poems and more), songs, the Internet, and more... Also includes discussion of well-known figures in the railroad industry or the rail enthusiast hobby.

Moderator: Aa3rt

 #232146  by justinking
 
I'm making a "railfanning mix" CD and can't really think of too many songs to put on it. I was just wondering what classic railroad songs you can think of?

My favorite so far being Johhny Cash's Folsom prison blues.
 #232158  by bill haithcoat
 
There are many. A few which come to mInd are: "On the Atchison Topeka and the Santa Fe," "City OF New Orleans", "Chattanooga Choo Choo", "Wabash Cannon Ball" .

 #232358  by Aa3rt
 
Bill, after our discussion last year, you never mentioned "Pan American"? :wink:
 #232500  by bill haithcoat
 
Ooops! My bad! (as they say nowadays).

We certainly did dig into that very deeply, about the radio station etc.I remember it well.

Guess it is because I possibly have never personally heard the song, myself. I was just asked to investigate it for another person, my brother-ini-law, who was a country & western fan.

No telling what else I left out. My excuse: I am at work when I play choo choo with the computer, don't have one at home--gotta think more about the job than the trains!!!

Have a good day. I appreciate how you have responded to my posts several times.

 #232623  by Aa3rt
 
Bill-you're most welcome!

Justin-Here's a link to LOTS of railroad songs:

http://www.spikesys.com/Trains/songs.html

Some of my personal favorites (coming from a 50+ year-old with lots of bluegrass and country-rock albums from the 1970's):

Old Train-Seldom Scene
Pan American-Seldom Scene
Glendale Train-New Riders of the Puple Sage
Life's Railway to Heaven-Amazing Rythym Aces
City of New Orleans-Bluegrass Alliance (uptempo version)
Coal Tattoo-Billy Edd Wheeler (more of a coal-mining song but talks about laying tracks "in the hole", the mine)
Yukon Railroad-Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Silverton Train-C. W. McCall
Orange Blossom Special-Vassar Clements/Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
 #232631  by bill haithcoat
 
I am wandering if your "Life's Highway to Heaven" is the same thing I know as "Life is like a Mountain railroad"?

Also,"I've been working on the railroad..."(I think that is for children).

Johnny Cash sang something on the "South Wind".

I know there are oodles more.

Any takers? I know this topic has come up before and gotten lots of responses. Can't remember them all now.
 #232634  by bill haithcoat
 
I see the link Shemp Howard posted covers everything imaginable. No need for more. That is fabulous.

 #232637  by justinking
 
hah, thanks alot Aa3rt that pretty much did it for about 12 CDs
 #232698  by Aa3rt
 
bill haithcoat wrote:I am wondering if your "Life's Highway to Heaven" is the same thing I know as "Life is like a Mountain railroad"?
Yes, Bill-it's the same one. I have a book of old hymns, the song is titled "Life's Railway to Heaven", written in 1891 by M. E. Abbey and Charlie D. Tillman. The first verse starts out "Life is like a mountain railroad, with an engineer that's brave..."

 #233682  by Ron Newman
 
The Rock Island Line is a mighty good road ...
 #234881  by steamal
 
How about "People Get Ready" by the Chambers Brothers? Let's not forget that one.

 #239632  by trainman786
 
"Steel Rail" by Alison Krauss

 #239665  by metman499
 
If we are going to go international, The Albion Band's Fireman's Song off their album Captured is a personal favorite (or should I say favourite) of mine. Of course I am surprised that The Legend of John Henry's Hammer by Johnny Cash hasn't been mentioned either. Boxcar Willie did a lot of train songs as well (but most of these are covers of songs recorded by others).

 #240990  by CNJGeep
 
Canadian Railroad Trilogy by Gordon Lightfoot

 #244332  by BR&P
 
There was a good up-tempo country song about 10 years back - I can't remember the artist or title (big help, huh!) but the chorus was "Can't stop the train, got to let it roll on". The video, which I only saw once, had the band playing on a flat car I believe, hauled down the track by an ALCO (RS36??) from some Tennessee short line. Who can fill out the details?