Music and Model Trains

Arlo Guthrie's version from 1972 was tops IMHO.

What, me worry?

Alfred, thanks for posting Arlo Guthrie's rendition of the song so we all can hear it. His voice is perfect for it; he sounds like a hobo would sound singing it in a freight car.

Yea that is a good one!Nick

Hank snow    Moving on

https://youtu.be/f9yTqFWxHpA

Beautiful. Now we have a thread about music. When operating the layout, everybody seems to want to listen to the steam locomotives, and/or the occasional diesel. Thus, we NEVER turn on the radio/stereo. When I desire to site down and listen to DTS Surround  music, it sure as he## is NOT with trains running! 

But trains have such great rhythm! I think all kinds of music can go great with trains.

Do you like rock and roll? Run your trains to the driving beat of LA Woman by the Doors!  My favorite lyric in that song is: Cops in cars, the topless bars, never saw a woman, so alone. Or listen to Roadhouse Blues by The Doors while running your trains. I enjoy listening to The Doors so much that I have a miniature Whiskey a Go Go (the bar where that rock band go started in LA) on my layout.

Its great fun to put whatever you love in miniature on your layout. Phil Klopp is a master at that, ie. skiing in Winter Park, etc.

Do you like the group Chicago? Play Feelin' Stronger Every Day while starting up your engines with a cup of coffee first thing in the morning. 

How about opera, classical music, Christmas Carols. All are inspiring while running trains.

Consider playing something dramatic like Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Chopin. 

You may think I'm nuts (aren't all train guys nuts?), but one of my favorite CDs to play while running trains is Andrea Bocelli Sacred Arias. So inspiring!

I generally don’t listen to music while running trains, but do when working on a train or layout. 

Some of my favorites are Southern Pacific, fittingly by Neil Young, and Wabash Cannonball/ Tolono by Utah Phillips. Both are on YouTube.

I love the hard driving Texas southern rock of ZZ Top.  Just seems like the right rhythm for steam locos.

Look at my tag line . . . . 

Well, I'll use the thread to mention two of my favorite Dylan albums have train-related titles: Blood on the Tracks and Slow Train Coming, though I can't say I've ever listened to either whilst running trains...

chinatrain99 posted:

Hank snow    Moving on

 

https://youtu.be/f9yTqFWxHpA

Very entertaining.

Best train song....Train kept a rollin' by Aerosmith.

Best musical genre when I'm in the mood to listen to music while running trains...metal.

Yes, I'm a 52 yr old metal head who plays with trains. 

-Greg

Hot Water posted:

Beautiful. Now we have a thread about music. When operating the layout, everybody seems to want to listen to the steam locomotives, and/or the occasional diesel. Thus, we NEVER turn on the radio/stereo. When I desire to site down and listen to DTS Surround  music, it sure as he## is NOT with trains running! 

People have different tastes.  Combining enjoyment of music and trains is a frequent topic on this forum (perhaps too frequent).  Fellow earlier this week started this Johnny Cash thread.  Last week someone started a Christmas music thread.  Manufacturers even offer musical  boxcars (another recent topic).  Suppose all one can do is enjoy the things he likes and let others enjoy the things they like.  

Ross posted:

I generally don’t listen to music while running trains, but do when working on a train or layout. 

Some of my favorites are Southern Pacific, fittingly by Neil Young, and Wabash Cannonball/ Tolono by Utah Phillips. Both are on YouTube.

 

Very nice train songs. What about model Train songs? Which one is your favorite?

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Ross posted:

I generally don’t listen to music while running trains, but do when working on a train or layout. 

Some of my favorites are Southern Pacific, fittingly by Neil Young, and Wabash Cannonball/ Tolono by Utah Phillips. Both are on YouTube.

 

Very nice train songs. What about model Train songs? Which one is your favorite?

Roger Miller...

https://youtu.be/-I2KeRtvJ-A

BigJohn&theWork posted:

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Ross posted:

I generally don’t listen to music while running trains, but do when working on a train or layout. 

Some of my favorites are Southern Pacific, fittingly by Neil Young, and Wabash Cannonball/ Tolono by Utah Phillips. Both are on YouTube.

 

Very nice train songs. What about model Train songs? Which one is your favorite?

Roger Miller...

https://youtu.be/-I2KeRtvJ-A

Thanks for sharing that Roger Miller song, Old Toy Trains. I never heard that one before. It is a very sweet toy train song for children. Of course, we all know Roger Miller's big hit, King of the Road. I just listened to King of the Road on YouTube. I was surprised to hear train related lyrics in that song.

We have shared a bunch of great train songs, one toy train song by Roger Miller and my original model train song, Who Am I (Rollin' By), the link for which is in my initial post at the top. 

Can anyone think of any other model train or toy train songs?

Artese and Toad.

https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/artesentoad

Daddy's Old Train Box

https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/artesentoad3

Wanted Old Toy Trains

Perhaps not the best, but certainly the most unique.

Rusty

Two of the best:

Pete

Rusty Traque posted:

Perhaps not the best, but certainly the most unique.

Rusty

Funny movie.

silly and fun  

So we have many great train songs as well as some very sweet toy train songs. Unless I missed it, there seems to be only one model train song ever written.

Therefore, since Who Am I (Rollin' By) is the only model train song, it is arguably the best. LOL

Your humble songwriter

Farmer_Bill posted:

silly and fun  

Polar Express and Thomas the Tank Engine have done more to promote Lionel Trains and our hobby than anything else since the early 1990s, bringing in much needed youth.

The conductor in Thomas the Tank Engine is the consummate entertainer and most underrated Beatle, Ringo Starr. I would love to see him perform in person.

When running steam I like listening to swing or big band music. This one is a favorite.

https://youtu.be/vqSOiawh0vI

All Aboard

SouthernMike posted:

When running steam I like listening to swing or big band music. This one is a favorite.

Loved it! That is a great song, thanks so much SouthernMike for sharing it.

Texas Pete posted:

Two of the best:

Pete

Thanks Pete. Two great train songs. I especially liked Waiting for a Train by Jimmie Ridgers, who I never heard of before. I loved the yodeling he does during the song.

clem k posted:

https://youtu.be/vqSOiawh0vI

All Aboard

Great fun song, thanks Clem for sharing it.

These two have been favorites of mine since I was a kid.

Charlie Ryan & The Timberline Riders~Glittering Steel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehA4rG0H4eM

Johnny Cash~Wreck of the old 97
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et3fVvAbL7k

Rusty

Neil Young : Southern Pacific.

alan graziano

I use to play in a band (still do)...we did a song by Chuck Berry called "Let It Rock".

Some lyrics: 

"In the heat of the day down in Mobile Alabama, work'in on the railroad with a steel driving hammer, got to make some money to buy some shoes, need someone  to take away these blues."

"Sitt'in in a teepee built right on the tracks, roll'in them bones (dice) till the foreman comes back, someone comes a running... shouting scatter about...we got an off schedule train coming two mile out"  "Let It Rock"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwO5y4mbkOs

Hot Water posted:

Beautiful. Now we have a thread about music. When operating the layout, everybody seems to want to listen to the steam locomotives, and/or the occasional diesel. Thus, we NEVER turn on the radio/stereo. When I desire to site down and listen to DTS Surround  music, it sure as he## is NOT with trains running! 

WHAT??  You mean you don't play music on your locomotives through the MTH Proto-Cast feature?  Even on Beethoven's birthday?  I'm going to have to put this on my report.

In the basement train room I have a vintage 70's Mcintosh stereo system. Trains and head banging metal realy go together.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qyf8oRF6Trg

Johnny Cash has a great rendition of “City of New Orleans”. I found a great clip from his Ridin’ The Rails show from the ‘70’s. 

clem k posted:

https://youtu.be/vqSOiawh0vI

All Aboard

Very cool video/song!

Rockyroad posted:

I use to play in a band (still do)...we did a song by Chuck Berry called "Let It Rock".

Some lyrics: 

"In the heat of the day down in Mobile Alabama, work'in on the railroad with a steel driving hammer, got to make some money to buy some shoes, need someone  to take away these blues."

"Sitt'in in a teepee built right on the tracks, roll'in them bones (dice) till the foreman comes back, someone comes a running... shouting scatter about...we got an off schedule train coming two mile out"  "Let It Rock"

 

Great lyrics by a great songwriter and performer. I'll try to find that song on YouTube or I- Tunes.