https://www.youtube.com/watch?...&feature=related
Really listen to the lyrics of this great tune. They are a fantastic description of passenger railroading in its decline.
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Awesome song, are those the original lyrics?
I believe that the lyrics are the originals.
"City of New Orleans" is the greatest train song ever written in my opinion.
There is a great story behind it.
Read about Steve Goodman's time on the train !!
The song was written by Steve Goodman in 1970. A great tribute to Steve, Arlo Guthrie and the various words that were used. Heard Steve Goodman in small concerts many times. Our kids grew up knowing most of his songs. He died at 36 from Leukemia. The link is below. Also known for Cubs song.
That is Arlo Guthrie doing a Steve Goodman song. Don't like it with the sound effects of the simulator.
"City of New Orleans" is the greatest train song ever written in my opinion.
Amen. 
RR "music": the fewer banjos and harmonicas, the better.
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Are there any/many (non-military) "airplane" songs?
Johnny Cash's version of "The Orange Blossom Special" or maybe his "Wabash Cannonball."
Yes, of course. but this is the tune we grew up with in the 1950's:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lDlfDtJYF8
Still used that expression over the years I was "working" on our layout.
Cheers.
While Arlo Guthrie's version of City of New Orleans is one of my favorite songs, as a Virginian I have to vote for The Wreck of the Old 97 by Johnny Cash!
Can't beat most of the songs by the Man in Black on this album, one I had an an LP as a kid and got on CD a year ago and listen to often:
FYI, for years I'd wondered about the photo they used for this album cover. I found the photo finally: http://www.allposters.com/-sp/...sters_i10527278_.htm
Sing along to this one...
K.C.
K.C.
I am partial to Alabama's "Ride The Train" This came out in the late 70's on the Feels so Right Album.
Can't beat the first part of TRAIN by Blackfoot. Great harmonica lick!!!
How about a track gang playing dice, and being surprised by an unscheduled train?
Chuck Berry; Let It Rock https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh9c6drdYGg
I suspect his guitar-playing was inspired by the clanking of steam-engine side-rods 
and here I thought it would have been this one....
When I saw the title of this thread I thought to my self: It hast o be "The City of New Orleans," and sure enough . . .
I like Arlo Guthrie's version a lot, but I've always been partial to the Willie Nelson version and have an original album cover for that album framed on the wall of my trainroom.
Great, great railroad song!
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Gee whiz, Lee.
Now you have gone and done it.
You're now completely responsible for the Webmaster's rant !!!
When he finds out, the fur is gonna fly !
I always liked Jack Straw by the Grateful Dead, but will be the first to admit it's not the greatest train song ever. It does ok in a pinch though.
And there is always that train part in Johnny Cash's song Folsom Prison which ends in
'and when I hear that whistle blowin
I just hang my head and cry'
a true O gauger's lament perhaps...
I like the City of New Orleans, but prefer Johnny Mercer's version of "On the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe".
Special mention also to: "Take the "A" Train" and "Orange Blossom Special"
Originally Posted by Lee Willis:
When I saw the title of this thread I thought to my self: It hast o be "The City of New Orleans," and sure enough . . .
I like Arlo Guthrie's version a lot, but I've always been partial to the Willie Nelson version and have an original album cover for that album framed on the wall of my trainroom.
Great, great railroad song!
You got that right Lee
Nobody does that song like Willie..
You be the Judge...
K.C.
Sorry to say I forgot about Johnny's "Wreck of Ol' 97."
Now, to bring this back on track for the O-27 and traditional O gauge train forum, I leave you with this song.
One of my favorite train songs....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3tlCqqg7lw
Anyone who ever watched Captain Kangeroo and caught that show's version of this (which used visuals from UP's film, "Last of the Giants") will recognize this when they hear it.
A Captain Kangaroo reference! Outstanding! How could you remember that? I watched as much Captain Kangaroo as anyone I would say as a kid and I sure didn't recognize it. Thanks for sharing that.
Originally Posted by BLT:
That is Arlo Guthrie doing a Steve Goodman song. Don't like it with the sound effects of the simulator.
There's also an improved version with a female singer and much better graphics don by the same fella (and no sound effects...)
I'll give him credit, it's pretty close to how I imagined the song all these years.
Rusty
I prefer trains songs written and performed by those who rode them
How about "Midnight Special"? Probably been recorded thousands of times for over 100 years.
On that video of Blackfoot singing "Train Train"......I don't think the words "free spell check software" is a verse or a refrain in the song
Originally Posted by Scrapiron Scher:
"City of New Orleans" is the greatest train song ever written in my opinion.
There is a great story behind it.
Read about Steve Goodman's time on the train !!
My thoughts exactly!
Art
Originally Posted by William 1:
A Captain Kangaroo reference! Outstanding! How could you remember that? I watched as much Captain Kangaroo as anyone I would say as a kid and I sure didn't recognize it. Thanks for sharing that.
They didn't play it very often, so you could have missed it as a kid.
But imagine that song with color film of UP Challengers and Big Boys. Really hard to forget for a little train buff. If someone ever found a video of that version, it wouldn't be too tough to edit a copy of it as I now know they used scenes from that UP movie.
To be honest, I only recall a few things from that show overall, I knew Mister Moose used to drop tons of ping pong balls on the poor Captain, which was high comedy when you're about 6 years old. But I can't honestly say I remember much more than that from the show.
casey jones the Greatful Dead
BEST. TRAIN. SONG. EVER.:
Jon 
Gentlemen,
I like all the great Cash & Wille Train songs great stuff no doubt about it. However my favorite train song was sung by Tenn Ernie Ford, way back in the 30's, its about Gods Train.
The songs name, is Get on Board. No 2nd Class on board this train, no difference in the fare.
PCRR/Dave
Has Lionel, MTH, Golden Gate, anyone, made a City of New Orleans train set. Growing up, I don't remember it being as famous as the Super Chief, city of LA, or 20th century Limited, but given the song, I'd love to have a set.
It would be too much to ask for switch in the dining car that would let you select between Guthie's and Nelsons version of the song to be played as it rolls along, but . . . I can dream!
One of my favorites is also one of the simplest: "I've Been Working on the Railroad".
Here's a pretty fair version by Pete Seeger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgINdoXz-ZY
Like its soulmate "You Are My Sunshine", there's really nothing to the song which, perhaps, is part of its charm.
I just love the line "just to pass the time away". It may be one of the first jokes I ever fully understood when I was a boy.
Lee I believe you can play music though a DCS engine
Clem
The famous story about Steve Goodman writing the song had to do with the phrase, "Passengers will please refrain . . . ," referring to the warning sign in car bathrooms not to flush the toilet while the train was in the station.
Goodman was on the Muskie campaign train when someone, apparently disregarding the sign, flushed the toilet in the open platform observation car. A campaign staffer came running through the staff car screaming that the bystanders listening to Muskie speaking from the rear car platform were being sprayed with excrement.
It got into the song which, IMO, is fabulous.
See my tag line !
