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  • 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

 #102786  by bill haithcoat
 
Aa3rt---many thanks for your prompt reply regarding the Pan American song.

Now, I have another question. I know that in the late 40's a radio station in Nashville recorded the Pan's whistle live every afternoon when it blew through town. This is alluded to in the song.


My question. What about when the train was late? Did they record the whistle live for it when it was late? Or did they just dub in the whistle at the scheduled time regardless? I actually have read the answer to this but have forgotten.

 #102948  by Aa3rt
 
Bill-I'm guessing that the station you are referring to was (is) WSM, a powerhouse Nashville station that billed itself (and maybe still does) as "The Voice of the Grand Ole' Opry". I believe that the "train whistle" was actually a harmonica. I stand to be corrected by a more learned poster.

A song that has some great harmonica work that sounds much like a locomotive is Cream's "Train Time". As a child of the 60's I listened to "that horrid rock music" but even my father liked the train sounds in that one. :wink:

 #102962  by BR&P
 
No, Art, WSM did in fact have a remote microphone at a location I don't recall. The train was so often on time that I don't know what they did when it was late. But it was real, not studio imitation. Another excuse to dig thru 1940's era RAILROAD magazines - I know I've got it somewhere.

 #103044  by Aa3rt
 
BR&P-thanks for the correction. A little more research (surfing) yielded this link to the Nashville Tennessean with more information (but still no clue as to what transpired when the train was late):

http://tennessean.com/learn-nashville/a ... D=31346829

All those 40's era Railroad magazines I grew up reading are at my father's house in northwest PA-not easily accessible, much to the delight of my wife. :wink:
 #103197  by bill haithcoat
 
Many, many thanks for all the responses I have gotten to this. I had no idea my quesiton would yield so much interest And if anybody does find out what happened when it was late, all the better....but I am very pleased with this much info.
 #1361841  by Aa3rt
 
Thanks Noel! That's the first post in this thread in over 10 years! I can't recall if Youtube was active when this thread first started, however since there was mention of the song "Pan American" in a couple of previous posts, here's the Seldom Scene's version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeSMR1gV5qs
 #1418129  by CarterB
 
On August 15, 1933, the "Pan-American" burst over the WSM airwaves each day at 5:08pm with a whistle and a roar. People paused expectantly as the announcer at radio station WSM in Nashville said, "We take you now to a point 12 miles south of Nashville to hear the actual sound of the L&N crack passenger train, the "Pan-American," as it passes the 878-foot tower of WSM. Nashvillians and listeners from all across the South and Midwest set their clocks by the sound.

http://ctr.trains.com/~/media/files/pdf ... erican.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 #1423877  by NashuaActon&Boston
 
It's always a good bet to check out the Alan/John Lomax Folk Songs of North America series. There are numerous editions of these books - collected folk songs, the father and son Lomax team were "field collectors", American ethnomusicologists. Railroading songs usually have their own section in the various Lomax classics.
 #1424667  by NashuaActon&Boston
 
There are so many great RR tunes - This a dark one - Hank Williams Sr., Ramblin' Man - A desperate song. Great RR imagery. He didn't have long to live either, adds to the gravity perhaps. Not to be confused with the Allman Brothers classic by Dickey Betts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V41gDDWEPso" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 #1518664  by Rick A
 
downbound train Chuck Berry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcB9NGwkHrM


hellbound train.......Savoy Brown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6TkCLDcC7o


train to nowhere........Savoy Brown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOhLUWDyXTk

traintime......Cream
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roUfpbs28Pc

loco-motive...........Passport
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6Zpq06HR9A