OT: Train Songs

[Dean]

Folks, there are many CW songs about trains, so there are many to choose from.

Of course, The Wreck Of The Old 97 is obvious so you don't get any points for choosing it but we still want to hear your favorite versions.

Hank Snow recorded several songs about trains including this one that is one of my favorites but not well known. A post in a thread below about Ghost Riders In The Sky reminded me of this.

What are your favorites?

Dean
Ghost Trains

 

[RedMF40]

Engine engine number nine by Roger Miller or at least performed by him. More a song about heartache and loss but pretty melody nonetheless.

 

[DCM]

Canadian Trilogy by Gordon Lightfoot, good music and history lesson as well.

 

[Crazy Horse]

City of New Orleans ...... sung by Arlo Guthrie in '71 (written by Steve Goldman). Willie did a decent job of it later in '85, but the original is my favorite.
Untitled URL Link

 

[hydro70guy]

My Dad's best friends daughter and good friend of mine just married Gordon Lightfoot a couple years ago. I will let her know you like his song,

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

Jethro Tull, Locomotive Breath. I'm rock, not country, but I do like those mentioned.

 

[larry@stinescorner]

Orange Blossom Special?Looky Yonder coming,,,coming down that railroad track

 

[Dean]

Here you go, Larry.
Orange Blossom Special

 

[Old Ford Mechanic]

City Of New Orleans was written by Steve Goodman.

 

[Dean]

How about this one, Mike.

Though not CW, it qualifies as a train song.

Sadly, Roy is gone, but what a great song.
End Of The Line

 

[larry@stinescorner]

Drivin that train ,,,high on Cocaine? Do you like the Greatful Dead?Are you a Deadhead??/ (lol)

 

[larry@stinescorner]

Folsom Prison Blues?I hear the train a coming

 

[larry@stinescorner]

What about Peter ,Paul and Mary???,,,,If you miss the train Im on,,you will know that I am gone......

 

[Ultradog MN]

Here's a favorite of mine.
It's a great two step too.

Ps. Let's not forget about Folsum Prison Blues by Johney Cash.
Long Black Train

 

[larry@stinescorner]

You forgot the Wabash Cannonball

 

[larry@stinescorner]

The Ballad Of john Henry??

 

[James Howell]

"[i:654c4848f0]Well I was drunk the day my mom got out of prison

and I went to pick her up in the rain,

but before I could get to the station in a pickup truck,

she got runned over by a da**ed old train![/i:654c4848f0]"

David Allan Coe

 

[Chilidawg]

"A Train Robbery" by Levon Helm from his "Dirt Farmer" album.

 

[larry@stinescorner]

Hey Dean,,does Glendale train count?Its a good Bluegrass type song....Somebody robbed the Glendale train////

 

[larry@stinescorner]

Im allowed to go to the coffee shop in town now on wed nights,There is a group that gets together for bluegrass music.I hope to be there this wed,,and if I can get someone to record and post it,,we will play Glendale train for y/t!

 

[Crazy Horse]

I meant to say that ..... close but no cigar !!!

 

[Larry EC-OH]

Roger Miller - King of the Road
King of the Road

 

[greg oliver]

Ultradog, My family and I saw Josh Turner at Belleayre Music fest July 2012. Excellent show and we were just a few feet from the stage! Great family entertainment.

 

[vapet]

Boxcar Willie, Life's Railway to Heaven

 

[Steve@Advance]

Oh, so many train songs...

Had to go deep for this one.
The Rocket

 

[mmfan55]

Long Black Train

 

[Steve@Advance]

And another...

Sitting here having a good cry.
Guy Clark

 

[oldsarge]

I was thinking this as I read the title!!........................................gtm

 

[JerryS]

"Ramblin' Man" by Hank Williams. "Life is Like a Mountain Railway" (Life's Railway to Heaven). "Engine, Engine No. 9", by Roger Miller.

 

[onefarmer]

Sorry I'm not country so, Ozzy Crazy Train.

 

[farmerjohn]

C W McCall did ?The Silverton? and ?Gallopin? Goose? back in the ?70?s.
Silverton Train

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

I never cared much for the Dead.

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

Nope, that one's an earworm for me.

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

For a train movie: "Emperor of the North". Lee Marvin (hobo) vs. Ernest Borgnine, the conductor trying to throw him off. Cool tricks on both sides.

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

Just remembered Harry Chapin's "Corey's Coming". Not a train but a trainyard story.

 

[Crazy Horse]

Hank Snow's Golden Rocket ..... here ya go .....
Untitled URL Link

 

[sms]

Not country. Just had to add it.
Warren Zevon

 

[Crazy Horse]

Another dandy by Hand Snow ...... Canadian Pacific !!!
Untitled URL Link

 

[Moonlite37]

Iron Mountain Baby is a song of a true story of a baby thrown from a train on the St.Louis Irin Muntain in Washington County Missouri Also Jesse James robbed the St. Lois Iron Mountain train at Gads Hill. Story in in Ballad of Jesse James

 

[Smalltowner]

I?ve always loved this version.
Freight train boogie Doc Watson

 

[WayneLee]

NIGHT TRAIN TO MEMPHIS by Roy Acuff

 

[wisbaker]

The Great Nashville Railroad Disaster, David Allen Coe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZDvTil-JjI

 

[Steve@Advance]

Got to do one more...
Last Train to Amsterdam

 

[pete black]

Chattanooga Choo Choo

 

[gtractorfan]

When I was a kid we had a record - don't know by whom- I remember words... "the runaway train went down the track and she flew WOOOO, the runaway train went down the tracks and she flew WOOO, the runaway train when down the track the whistle wide and the throttle back and she flew, flew, flew, flew, flew. The engineer said well I'll be dead and she flew..."

 

[Rollie NE PA]

Come along and ride this train. Johnny Cash

 

[SweetFeet]

I agree with mmfan55: Long Black Train by Josh Turner... A very meaningful song with a really good video.

Here's a link for anyone who has never seen it.
Long Black Train by Josh Turner video

 

[rockyridgefarm]

"Iron Horse" by Mean Mary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CNB5OLUPM0

 

[NIK OWEN]

PETER, PAUL. & MARY...I'M GOIN HOME, ON THE MORNIN TRAIN, IF U DON'T SEE ME, U KIN HEAR ME SINGIN, ALL MY SINS BEEN, TAKEN AWAYYY..

 

[Steve@Advance]

Great video!

That's my favorite version!

 

[rusty6]

City of New Orleans was the first one came to mind but somebody already mentioned it. So heres one that I grew up listening to on one of my favourite sixties tv shows. Some of you must recall the Hooterville Cannonball?
Petticoat Junction

 

[JerryS]

Anybody mention "All Around the Watertank" (Waitin' for a Train) by Jimmy Rodgers. This may have been the first of the CW train songs.

 

[HuskerLyn]

Blackfoot
Southern rock- ?Train, Train?

 

[2x4]

Doc Watson's 'New River Train'.

 

[OldBuzzard]

Nowhere close to country, but still a pretty good train song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sC3QEXqDNQ

 

[John Athey]

How about ? The Wabash Cannon Ball??

 

[Clarence Slydell]

(quoted from post at 13:18:35 05/13/18) "[i:a61ea6e45f]Well I was drunk the day my mom got out of prison

and I went to pick her up in the rain,

but before I could get to the station in a pickup truck,

she got runned over by a da**ed old train![/i:a61ea6e45f]"

David Allan Coe

Also written by Steve Goodman.

 

[Mark Poss]

Boogie woogie choo choo train by the Tractors!!

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

Oooooh! That's an easy one. At least half of Johnny's songs are about trains or have a line about a train in them. His version of the Special is great, but he also sang about a train from the Pennsy that was the competition to that train. Anyone here recall the name of that song? Aaaaaand for the bonus, name a third song he did about another train bound for FLA....also competing for passengers.

Mike

 

[larry@stinescorner]

ride this train?Titusville PA? And Florida should be the Orange blossum special?

 

[Tech 7]

Thanks for the Canadian input. Lightfoot also did one called "The Watchman"

 

[Keith True]

Jerry Jeff Walker did a song called Railroad Lady.It was supposedly written by Steve Goodman,Jimmy Buffet,and a bottle of Johnny Walker on a last run for some rail line.Guy Clark wrote and performed Mad Dog Cyclone a couple of years before he died.Told from the view of a 5 year old laying a nickel on the track for the train to run over.

 

[Keith True]

I just realized I wrote Steve Goodman as co-writer of the song.It was not,it was Jerry Jeff himself that wrote it with Jimmy Buffett.I probably had Steve Goodman in my mind while typing.I don't know how to edit my post to correct it.

 

[Grandpa's Fords]

Not country but: Petticoat Junction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jx2jEPvh88

 

[Bruce from Can.]

The Rock Island Line, sung by Johnny Cash

 

[SVcummins]

One my favorite
Untitled URL Link

 

[dr sportster]

Smokestack Lightning -- Howlin Wolf Casey Jones -everyones favorite coke head engineer. Chicago Line -Debbie Davies and a bunch of blues artists. Lots by Hank Snow. Steve Goodmans ultimate country song .

 

[Keith True]

Jimmy Rodgers was a brakeman,wrote and recorded 30 songs,died at 30 in 1930,of consumption.Lots of his songs were train and hobo songs.The only one that comes to mind right now is Hobo Billy.A friend of my dads was named after Jimmy Rodgers,his real last name was Rodgers and his father liked Jimmy so that's what he named him.Not James,but Jimmy.That was in 1936.

 

[Chilidawg]

Do it, Larry. I wish I could join you.

 

[dr sportster]

James ----that is Steve Goodmans Ultimate Country Song by Coe