Railroad Songs, Recordings & Children's Music

This page provides a catalog of more than 100 CDs featuring railroad songs, sound recordings, and children's train songs. Most titles are available for shipment within 24 hours from Amazon.com or CD Baby. You may browse information about each release and follow the included links for audio clips, track listings, and ordering.

For RailServe.com's guide to train movies on DVD and Blu-ray, including extensive information about filming locations and railroad equipment, please see the Train Movies on DVD Page.

This album features powerful performances by legends Lead Belly, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Brownie McGhee, Mike Seeger, Pop Stoneman, Cisco Houston, and Rosalie Sorrels, among others. Elsewhere, National Heritage Fellowship Award winners Elizabeth Cotten and Doc Watson, who has won six Grammy Awards to date, are represented. Of the 29 tracks on the album, a full 21 appear on CD for the first time, all newly remastered by Grammy winner Pete Reiniger.

Bookended by actual recordings of trains from the 1950s, the compilation evidences the continuing influence of these essential American ballads, work songs, blues and broadsides. "Midnight Special," represented here by Lead Belly, has been covered by Creedence Clearwater Revival, Paul McCartney, and Van Morrison. Alt-country band the Old 97s named itself after "The Wreck of the Old 97," which has been interpreted by Johnny Cash and John Mellencamp, among many others. The compilation also includes iconic American songs "Rock Island Line," "John Henry," "Wabash Cannonball," and "Railroad Bill," all presented here in riveting performances. Bluesman Furry Lewis, who sings about the legend of "Kassie Jones," actually lost a leg to a railroad accident in 1917.

Grammy winner Jeff Place compiled and annotated Classic Railroad Songs from Smithsonian Folkways, which also contains rare photographs from the Library of Congress.

This 1965 album finds Roy Acuff revisiting many classic train songs that he personally made popular and recorded during his long career. Songs include the harmonica-driven rouser “Freight Train Blues,” a song he first cut in 1947, as well as revivals of his romping ‘42 classics “Night Train To Memphis” and “Fireball Mail,” the ubiquitous “Wabash Cannonball,” Hank Williams’ “Pan American,” and Roy’s own “The Streamline Cannonball.” This classic album also features the original album art and is making its CD debut.

Most of the railroad-related Viennese bonbons are performed very well, there is a terrific performance of Hilding Rosenberg's unjustly neglected Railway Fugue, and a delightful surprise to be discovered in mega-obscure composer Aloïs Pachernegg's Unter Dampf! Ein Zug fährt vorüber. One should steer clear of the lumpy, bumpy, and underpowered performance here of Arthur Honegger's famous Pacific 231, and it should be stated that SWR's recording throughout is a little tinny and lacking in the low end. Whether or not one would want to own Hänssler Classic's Railroad Rhythms: Classical Music About Trains partly depends on how big a train nut one happens to be. - All Music Guide

Rounder's 2004 compilation of traditional music offers something old, something new, and something blue. Bluegrass, that is. Bluegrass Express is yet another fine collection of songs about trains, and this one gathers together artists from the genre's foundation (Bill Monroe) to its most recent acts (e.g., Rhonda Vincent). Even with the variety of performers, the theme of trains and a traditional-based style of music gives Bluegrass Express a nice consistency. The oldest selection, "I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome" from Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys, remains stunning after 50 years. Joined by singer Jimmy Martin and fiddler Vassar Clements, Monroe delivers a lonesome vocal that reminds listeners of the raw power of early bluegrass. There are also selections from old-timers like Ralph Stanley, Jim & Jesse, and the Osborne Brothers. The young performers, though less inclined to sing it high and lonesome, fill out the collection with a fine group of songs. Rob Ickes, perhaps the biggest name next to Jerry Douglas on the Dobro scene, offers a spunky take on "Reuben." There are also selections from young-timers like Rhonda Vincent, the Stevens Sisters, and the Lynn Morris Band. So whether one is attracted to trains, bluegrass, or just good music, Bluegrass Express should fit the bill. - All Music Guide

Fiddler Gib Guilbeau and bassist Wayne Moore, alums from the late, great Nashville West, assembled Treasury of American Railroad Songs, Vol. 1 from train songs, from old classics (Wabash Canonball, Orange Blossom Special) to new (City of New Orleans, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down), and drafted in friends like Jamie Olsen, Larry Robinson, and Greg Harris to record reverent new versions. - All Music Guide

A collection of 20 newly recorded railroad songs performed in a country-pop, bluegrass influenced style.

A collection of 20 more newly recorded railroad songs, featuring Wayne Moore.

UK collection from the strange & curious world of the Buzzola label features 18 tracks on a full-color picture disc, packaged in a 6-panel digipak with an 8-page booklet. 2004.

The authentic mountain railroad ballads as they were meant to be sung. This collection of songs about train wrecks, rides and hobos features vocals, guitar, banjo, harmonica, fiddle and autoharp and is accompanied by extensive liner notes for each song.

It never mattered whether Tim Foljahn was singing "Happy Guitar" or "Let Me Bring You Down"--his weary drawl and somber vocal tone brought you down, whether you actually let him do it or not. So if the idea of Two Dollar Guitar instrumentals seems like a respite from the depressed state of his vocal delivery, well... it's not. Train Songs is a lumbering musical documentary with bass, guitar and drums, all dirty with soot and black smoke. An improvisational homage to the locomotive, Train Songs crawls along steadily and evenly; rather than the usual "winging it" approach taken by many improvisers, Two Dollar Guitar's wanderings seem less "free" improvisations than structured ones. Most have a defined, bottom-heavy bass line that holds the songs together, while drummer Steve Shelley (of Sonic Youth) does his best imitation of the rhythmic grumble of track and wheel scraping along. Over all this, Foljahn, who's a wonderfully literate guitarist, meanders and comments, adding clang and landscape. Most importantly, even though the song titles dictate the theme--"Asheville Special," "Virginia Creeper," "Erie Lackawana," and so on--the music succeeds on its own in capturing the essence of the locomotive's somber existence, of the end of an era. Not really a party record, but a fantastic downer. - CMJ New Music

Fifteen classic American train songs are presented in authentic and nostalgic fashion by producer Craig Duncan. Featuring Charlie McCoy on harmonica along with some of Nashville's finest players, American Railroad Classics will take you back to a time when the mystique of the rails and the chugging of a steam engine captured the imagination of Americans young and old.

Buddy Davis has appeared with Roy Clark on Hee Haw and spent seven years touring the U.S. as a musician with the Norfolk Southern Railroad’s entertainment group The Southern Lawmen.

“This collection of classic mountain railroad songs is sure to strike a chord with all familiar with the genre.” - Trains Magazine, Spring 1993

“One of the best collections of songs about train wrecks, rides and hobos available.” - Norm Cohen, author of Long Steel Rail, University of Illinois Press

Whether it was a big department store's Christmas display or a plywood layout at home, it is hard to forget the sensational sights, smells, and sounds of toy trains. Lost for many years, this exciting collection of original promotional records, talking railroad stations, TV and film soundtracks, and other rare audio gems will let you experience the thrilling sounds of postwar electric train's golden years.

This CD actually contains two LPs' worth of material, the contents of both the 1968 Railroad Man LP and its predecessor, Folk Hits. And apart from the unnecessary train sounds that open and close Railroad Man's portion of the CD (produced by Gene Norman), it makes for great fun as a listening experience and is a satisfying glimpse of the poppier side of bluegrass music. Don Parmley's banjo and Bud Coleman's 12-string rhythm guitar (and some classical as well) give Billy Strange very colorful accompaniment, and Hal Blaine's drums are in there somewhere, too. The material runs the gamut from the traditional ("Wabash Cannonball") to the silly ("Last Train to Clarksville," which is fun) and the unexpected ("Chattanooga Choo Choo," which is more fun). The Folk Hits material, produced by Cliffie Stone, reads like an early-'60s set list at any college coffeehouse, including "Tom Dooley," "Cotton Fields," "Silver Threads and Golden Needles," "Green, Green," "Blowin' in the Wind," "If I Had a Hammer," etc. The sound is excellent and the annotation, though limited, is informative. - All Music Guide

Songs include Rock Island Line, Jordan is a Hard Road to Travel, The Railroad Blues, Death of John Henry, and many more. Performed on clawhammer banjo, bluegrass banjo, banjo-guitar, banjo-mandolin, fiddle, mandolin, piano, national steel guitar, harmonica, flamenco guitar, flattop guitar, washboard, bass.

This second volume in the collection of songs about train wrecks, rides and hobos encompasses musical genres from traditional to country roots to folk revival. Featured are vocals, melodic harmonies and solid work on guitar, banjo, harmonica, fiddle and autoharp - all accompanied by extensive liner notes for each song.

Trains have fascinated American folk, blues, and traditional country songwriters and performers since their invention. This album brings a slightly new approach to the genre. It includes 20 train songs, at least half of which are very familiar, but they're performed by mostly bluegrass artists. Most of the singers are very well-known, including Mac Wiseman, Grandpa Jones, Benny Martin and Merle Travis. Norm Cohen, an expert on train songs, chose the material and wrote the detailed album notes on the material. - Paul E. Comeau, Dirty Linen

As long as railroads have existed, there have been songs sung about them, whether to praise their wonders, tell stories, or condemn them as tools of evil. Steel Rails and its companion volume, Mystery Train, set out to sample this particular vein of American song, offering up versions of "Wabash Cannonball" and "The Orange Blossom Special" (an amusing live version from the Johnson Mountain Boys) alongside twelve other songs that might not be quite as familiar as those two. A mixture of well-known artists and fairly new names is also a plus for the package -- Kieran Kane, slipped in between Jimmie Rodgers and Alison Krauss, holds his own with a moody take on Hank Williams' "Ramblin' Man." Meanwhile, it's no accident that much of the music here is country, western or bluegrass -- by the time rock & roll came along, fast cars were the order of the day, not cannonballing trains. - All Music Guide

The lure of the railroad is explored thoroughly in the second volume of Rounder's railroad compilations, with songs recorded from the 20s through to the 80s. The image of the railroad is burned into American history, representing just about anything you want it to represent - freedom, loss, greed, power, mystery, flight, mythology, integration, disintegration, growth ... whatever symbol you need. The fourteen songs here have as many themes to them, from the last fatal run of Casey Jones to men and women whose sweethearts waft away on long black trains. Most affecting when the songs come out of the bluegrass tradition, entertaining throughout. Artists include Johnny Cash, the Whitstein Brothers, Steve Goodman, the Carter Family, Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys (cutting the rug effectively with "Take The "A" Train") and Mary McCaslin amongst others. - All Music Guide

This third volume in Rounder Records' ongoing classic-train-song series focuses on the R&B end of the rails. Its scope is perhaps a little too ambitious, since the selections here span nearly 70 years. Amid some pretty timeless competition, 1990s entries from the Holmes Brothers and Linda Tillery sound even more flatly digital (and surprisingly inanimate, given the subject matter) than they might otherwise. But classics like Louis Jordan's "Choo Choo Ch' Boogie" and Little Junior Parker's original recording of "Mystery Train"--which predates Elvis Presley's earth-shattering cover by a full year--give this volume a propulsive swagger that previous bluegrass- and country-centric volumes in the series lack.

The fourth in Rounder’s series of railroad music compilations contains more testimonials to the enduring impact of the iron horse on the American psyche. This time the focus is on the bluesy side of railroad songs, a fitting choice since railroads helped to spread the early blues by providing transportation to itinerant singers, while the success of the “Singing Brakeman,” Jimmie Rodgers, brought railroads, the blues, and country music permanently together in American culture. While all of the artists are contemporary, the songs range from 1930s country music through western swing and bluegrass to various styles of country-rock. Marty Stuart sets the theme with a suitably spare reading of his former boss, Johnny Cash’s, “Blue Train,” and Kathy Chiavola’s gutsy vocal recalls the Aretha Franklin/Tracy Nelson origins of the bluegrassified “It Won't Be Long.” Don Edwards and the Time-Warp Tophands’ full swing treatment of “One Way Ticket Back Home” easily evokes broad western vistas, while Terry Adams’s piano on the collection’s quirkiest track, NRBQ’s “Next Stop Brattleboro,” conjures up the more constricted landscape of New England. As on earlier collections, there are plenty of hobos, lonesome whistles, and thoughts of times past and gone on this thoroughly enjoyable, musically diverse collection. - Mark Greenberg, Sing Out!

Fourteen classic American train songs from legendary country artists such as Johnny Cash, Eddy Arnold, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Hank Snow, and others are showcased in this tribute to the mystique and tradition of the American railroad.

A compilation of early railroad songs, there is little glorification of life on the tracks on these 26 historic pieces. Culled from the beginning of the century and into the 1950s, Train 45 should be equally enjoyable to the railroad and history buff. The sound has been carefully restored and thorough liner notes are included.

Mainly guitar, banjo and fiddle based, these recordings deserve to be archived as part of the transportation growth in America. Railroad Songs of the Early 1900’s rarely romanticizes life on the rail. Rather, desperation, expectation and growth of a nation permeate these reclaimed gramophone gems. Producers Norm Cohen and Dick Spottswood can be credited for delving further into the subject and unearthing less known artists and material for this project. Other than Leadbelly’s “Rock Island Line” and Jerry and Sky’s version (1946) of “Orange Blossom Special,” these songs are likely to be new and fresh to many.

Songs include Cannonball Blues, Railroading on the Great Divide, On the Dummy Line, Nine Hundred Miles, John Henry, The Death of Edward Lewis, and many more. Performed on banjo, fiddle, mandolin, dobro, harmonica, guitar, washboard, jug. 12 vocals, 2 instrumentals, 40 minutes.

Produced and arranged by Uncle Jim O'Neal for his Rural Rhythm record label, 25 Classic Train Songs collects more than a dozen old-timey bluegrass takes on classic American train songs, most of them recorded in the mid-'50s. There are some familiar names here, pretty much the whole O'Neal stable, including Mac Wiseman, Hylo Brown, Earl Taylor, and J.E. Mainer. - All Music Guide

Jim Hendricks is a multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, mandolin, dobro, and autoharp. His career has spanned over four decades of American Music. He was a pioneer on the 1960's folk circuit, performing with such artists as 'Mama' Cass Elliot and John Sebastian. He wrote the number one hit 'Summer Rain' for Johnny Rivers and the theme song 'Long Lonesome Highway' for the TV show 'Then Came Bronson'.

This Americana-genre album documents being a hobo on the railroad. Vocals are accompanied by acoustic guitar with fiddle, dobro, or mandolin -- and authentic steam freights sounds and whistles no longer heard along America's railways.

Great musical artists including Roger Miller, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Billie Strange, Junior Parker, and others sing classic railroad songs including My Love Affair with Trains, Smokestack Lightnin', I Got the Train Sittin' Waitin', Golden Rocket, Mystery Train, Lonesome Whistle, City of New Orleans, and more.

Vintage Trains collects 25 locomotive-themed compositions from the years 1930 to 1961. From Peter Hanford's landmark recordings of actual British steam engines ("Sounds of the Steam Age") to Ragtime-era Glenn Miller, this anthology of the railroad is as diverse as they come. The sound quality ranges from excellent to dreadful, as many of these recordings are quite ancient, but the spirit of the rails is alive and well throughout, resulting in one of the oddest yet ultimately satisfying historical -- and genre-bending -- romps through the United Kingdom and the United States as they celebrate their unique railroad heritage. - James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide

The latest in Rounder’s series of railroad music compilations contains more testimonials to the enduring impact of the iron horse on the American psyche. This time the focus is on the bluesy side of railroad songs, a fitting choice since railroads helped to spread the early blues by providing transportation to itinerant singers, while the success of the “Singing Brakeman,” Jimmie Rodgers, brought railroads, the blues, and country music permanently together in American culture. While all of the artists are contemporary, the songs range from 1930s country music through western swing and bluegrass to various styles of country-rock. Marty Stuart sets the theme with a suitably spare reading of his former boss, Johnny Cash’s, “Blue Train,” and Kathy Chiavola’s gutsy vocal recalls the Aretha Franklin/Tracy Nelson origins of the bluegrassified “It Won't Be Long.” Don Edwards and the Time-Warp Tophands’ full swing treatment of “One Way Ticket Back Home” easily evokes broad western vistas, while Terry Adams’s piano on the collection’s quirkiest track, NRBQ’s “Next Stop Brattleboro,” conjures up the more constricted landscape of New England. As on earlier collections, there are plenty of hobos, lonesome whistles, and thoughts of times past and gone on this thoroughly enjoyable, musically diverse collection. - Mark Greenberg, Sing Out!

A delightful collection of 15 original train songs in a variety of styles.

Fifty songs that describe the planning and construction of the five transcontinental railroads, the builders, the railroaders, railroad events, characters, scandal and corruption, placed in historic context by historical narration. Three CD's plus Notes on the Songs. Playing time: 2 hours, 45 minutes.

The Builders: Steam locomotives challenge the steamboats and canal boats. President Lincoln signs the Pacific Railroad Act. Chinese workers dominate the Central Pacific, Irish workers dominate the Union Pacific. The race begins.

The Golden Spike: The "Hell On Wheels" towns follow the rails. Mormons join the Union Pacific and Central Pacific workforces. East and west rails join at Promontory. Train robbers and gamblers fleece railroads and passengers.

The Railroaders: Railroad boomers, brakemen, switchmen, firemen, conductors and engineers worked the trains, the hoboes rode for free.

Five Transcontinental Railroads: Railroad fever grips the West. Greed and scandal come to light. Pathos, sentiment and humor fill the song sheets. East, west, north and south, the rails span the continent.

A collection of classic American train songs performed by some of the best-loved groups in bluegrass and acoustic music. Features such favorites as Wreck of the Old ’97, Steel Rails, Wabash Cannonball, Old Train, and other selections by the Lonesome River Band, Seldom Scene, Ralph Stanley, Claire Lynch, and others.

This 10-disc set features nearly 9 HOURS of train songs for one low price. Artists include Johnny Cash, Glenn Miller, Hank Williams, Roy Acuff, Neil Sedaka, and more. A full track list is available on the publisher's website.

This 47-minute disc from Rounder's reissue series of Library of Congress Archive of Folk Culture recordings is both entertaining and educational. The first half of the set of field recordings focuses "on the construction of the railroad and railroading as a craft," states compiler Archie Green's informative liner notes. Tracks in this category are songs from and about Irish immigrants who helped build the railroad, work songs sung by African-American crews while lining track, a hammer song performed by Aunt Molly Jackson, and train wreck songs done in the old-time tradition. The disc's second half presents cuts that "feature the symbolic values found in the train: conquest, escape, resignation, love, [and] death." Material from this part of the album includes a yodeling song of rambling "I Rode Southern, I Rode L&N" performed in Jimmie Rodgers style, a strange song of suicide titled "Gonna Lay My Head Down on Some Railroad Line," and the spiritual "I'm Going Home on the Morning Train," where the locomotive is the vehicle that brings the singer to the promised land. Originally released on LP in 1968, this CD contains 22 selections recorded between 1936 and 1959 in locales ranging from Wisconsin to Mississippi, California to Ohio, and Florida to New York. - Al Riess, Dirty Linen

This double CD "Live!" concert recording of traditional songs about the rails and related themes epitomizes the "Alive!" entertaining, yet educational stage performances of The History Alive! Boys. More than just a concert--the dynamic introductions, along with strong instrumentals and vocals, interpret the music of our past in a unique style that never fails to appeal to listeners of all ages.

Rich Pawling's History Alive! Boys have captivated audiences of all ages throughout the nation with their entertaining live performances since their formation in 1997. The band and it's unique heritage music program History Thru Song is affiliated directly with History Alive!SM - a company, founded in 1991 by Richard Pawling, that provides historical dramatic presentations and living history training at historical sites, museums, parks, festivals and a variety of venues throughout the United States.

Throughout the decades, train songs have remained a constant in Merle Haggard's repertoire. Train Whistle Blues collects 15 of these songs, culled almost entirely from two releases for Capitol Records: Haggard's 1969 Jimmie Rodgers tribute Same Train, Different Time, and My Love Affair With Trains, released in 1976. Haggard rarely makes a bad recording, so it should come as no surprise that the songs collected here are uniformly first-rate. Same Train, Different Time is an unqualified classic that Haggard fans will want to own in its entirety. The six tracks from My Love Affair With Trains conveniently represent the best of this out-of-print album. Haggard completists will want Train Whistle Blues for its bonus track, "Milwaukee Road 261 At Theresa, WS," which is otherwise unavailable.

4-disc collection features 100 songs that perfectly illustrate the impact that railroads had on the movement, sound, and consciousness of musicians. Includes an illustrated 24-page booklet with informative notes.

An instrumental collection of classic American train songs and features some of Nashville's finest acoustic instrumentalists performing on guitar, mandolin, fiddle, dobro, and more. Songs include Wabash Cannonball; John Henry; Orange Blossom Special; Wreck Of The Old 97; Nine Pound Hammer; City Of New Orleans, and eight more classic train songs.

The Black Irish Band and Michael Martin Murphey team up to produce a landmark album about America's western railroad history. The album features classic train songs plus original songs written by band member Patrick Michael Karnahan.

The Union Pacific Railroad Chorale was formed in 2004 as an all-volunteer group of UP employees, contractors, retirees, and spouses. This 13-track CD features the Chorale's rendition of classic railroad songs as well as UP advertising songs of past and present.

This 15-track album features a compilation of artists participating in the Mountain Rails Live mountaintop music festival held at the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad in Colorado.

A wonderful modern day tribute to the legend and folklore of American Railroads. Acoustic instruments provide the setting for this timeless recording. Featured on this CD is the Christmas single "Daddy's Old Train Box" about that old box of toy trains that everyone has had in their basement. Ghost on the track is a haunting ghost tail of a Pennsylvania miner. Each song was crafted with care by legendary drummer/producer Daoud Shaw (Van Morrison, Etta James, Jerry Garcia).

Since the release of the single Little Joe by Artese N' Toad, fans have been waiting for a new album from the Pennsylvania duo. Well, wait no longer. Artese N' Toad have pulled into the station with a brand new album full of songs about trains that remain true to their traditional Americana roots.

Little Joe is at the controls on this train, anchoring a solid collection of ten new offerings from the tunesmiths who have recorded fan favorites Christmas Train and Daddy's Old Train Box. Artese 'N Toad are at their best when telling a story in classic style, and that is exactly what they have done on Little Joe. Wanted Old Toy Trains is also another very strong cut on this album, and certain to be released as a single. Even when the boys experiment and expand their style, they still come through with extremely likable songs, such as Voodoo Train and 34 Minutes. On Voodoo Train, they have captured the feeling and sound of some of the great old single Carnival by 1970's super group, The Band. 34 Minutes, while less rustic than most of the album, is none the less a terrific cut. Artese N' Toad never stray far however, and finish up the album with the extremely strong Hobo's Lament.

"Railroad Queens of the Past" is a one-of-a-kind acoustic album by Larry Penn with songs featuring women in railroading. Larry Penn has been entertaining folks by making music poetry and art for over three decades. He is a skillful songwriter with an acute sense of imagery that comes through in both his music and poetry. He sings and tells stories of people and hard work, trains, trucks, love, and life on the road.

A working man all his life he is able to relate to and develop a kinship with people he has met over the years and put their stories into song. He has also spent many hours in railroad yards photographing the graffiti on the cars. There he met railroad people and was able to bring them to life in his songs. He has toured with Utah Phillips and The Rose Tattoo, a group of old hobos, anarchists and musicians, singing and telling stories which celebrate the ongoing influence of the railroads in American folk culture.

National touring, an Emmy for arranging, too many performances to count, and hundreds of enthusiastic current and prior students are all part of Walt Richards' long musical history. Paula Strong is an avid collector of western, train and folk songs, as well as being a western history fan. Her immersion in music got a very early start, with the support of her musical family.

Walt and Paula have been performing together in the southwest for over twenty years, specializing in cowboy and train songs in addition to their folk, blues, and swing tunes and Walt's solo instrumental work. Both Walt and Paula sing lead and harmony, with Walt adding lead guitar, banjo and mandolin to Paula's rhythm backup. Walt and Paula, as Trails & Rails, won the DUO HARMONY competition at the annual Western Music Association in Albuquerque in Nov.2005.

The current Trails & Rails repertoire is extensive and includes many styles of acoustic music, which gives a lot of variety to their CDs and performance programs. Their 2003 train song CD, On Track, includes three originals among the 21 selections.

In 1951, D.W. Brosnan, Southern Railway executive vice president of operations and future chairman, began holding meetings for company officers in Almond, N.C., a small town in the mountains west of Asheville. He asked Snow Baker, a lieutenant in the railroad's police department, to put together some musical entertainment. In short order, Baker rounded up a harmonica, a washtub bass and a guitar from railroad staff, then recruited a "mountain man" who could play banjo and crack jokes, cleaned him up and hired him for the band. Thus was born the "Almond Hillbillies."

With the help of ad hoc groups such as the "Diddie Singers," a chorus of men who led the audience in sing-alongs, and bawdy skits put on by employees spoofing the foibles of the railroad, the Hillbillies entertained the railroaders under a large tent in Almond until 1965, when the Almond meetings ceased and the band disbanded. Some of the original musicians continued to play on their own.

Today's Lawmen continue to entertain employees and guests at the Forest with mountain, folk, train, bluegrass, gospel, country, beach, pop and rock music during the fall and winter months. The spring and summer months find the Lawmen on the road traveling throughout the system to perform at company functions and public events. They are full-time professional musicians who log some 200 performances a year and have appeared on national television, at the Grand Ole Opry, the Smithsonian Institution and at the Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Foundation in Meridian, Miss., along with some of country's top stars including Willie Nelson, Tanya Tucker, Ricky Skaggs, Collin Raye, Billy Joe Royal and T. Graham Brown.

Ron has been performing with his band The Fabulous Sitting Ducks around Nova Scotia since 1982 . The Train CD "Golden Rocket" is putting him back on the boards and back on track after three years of renewal from a 30 year, been everywhere, musical career. Look out for Heart Shaped Door and Money in The Mail from "Golden Rocket" in your ears.

Jim Anger is a folk-style singer-songwriter who has written more than ninety songs, a fair number about one of his favorite song subjects, trains. Jim uses six-string and 12-string guitars, occasional banjo, and harmonicas to back up his vocals. He often includes other musician friends on his albums. He says it always makes the music better.

"The Train's A-Comin'" is a folk-style compilation of 15 railroading or train song originals, covers and traditional songs, with vocals backed by guitar, harmonica, and violin.

Volume #3 of the "Ride The Train" series has entries from three continents. This CD contains various genres of music. A popular rockabilly group from England, Mark Kelf and the Valley Boys featuring Richard Howard, provide the opening track for this CD and the closer is a Garage Rocker from William Agostinelli of Connecticut. Country music train songs are offered by William Ray with a tune penned by A.V. Sonny May and Steve Cooper. Kate Keefer sings a Leanne Martin number and Meandered Lake does a John Wiggins composition. A folk music flavor is added to the train songs delivered by Leigh Connell (written by Connell and Bob Aubert), Butler County (written by Rob Black), and Greg Collier doing one of his own compositions. Instrumental tracks are performed by Canadian guitarist, Robert Taylor, and the late Andy Johnson. Texas song writer, Gaylon Embrey's, rendition of Gravy Train (performed by Mitch Snow from North Carolina) gives this CD a humorous twist. Making their second appearance on the train series are Rex West (California) and Annie Seger & Chris Pallidino (Maryland). NBT Records is proud to include their first Australian artist Chris Wilson and songwriter Colin Pursey. Also included on this CD are a husband and wife team from Missouri, Jude and Terry Bales, and a group called Good Enough which is comprised of three brothers: John, Dan, and Larry Modaff.

This edition of "Ride The Train" begins with two Hobo songs written by two very experienced song writers. Texas song writer A. V. Sonny May has his rendition of "Hobo Blues" performed by William Ray and "Hobo Lullaby," which was penned by Bob Aubert from Washington State, is sung by Larry Knight. Jim Birmingham is from England and he contributes a self written score entitled "See That Train." Another song with a European flavor, "He Came From Ireland," was actually written and performed by Don Crouse from Indiana. John Standring from England makes his NBT debut on this CD with "Listen To The Boxcars." John is a member of the Wirral Musicians Project. Peter Allen is also from England and performs a Daniel Hicks and Jeremy Sloane composition entitled "Does This Train Go To Silverton." Mark Kelf and the Valley Boys hail from England and their rendition of "The Crossing" gives a rockabilly flavor to the CD. Kelf co-wrote this song with Richard Howard. Michael Stuart Jones returns to the train series with a song entitled "Dream Come True" which is a doo-wop number thus adding yet another genre to the musical mix. "Long Way Home (Ghost Train)" is presented by David A. Powell II from West Virginia and "G.W.R. (Great Western Railway)" is courtesy of Brain Condrey from England.

The final installment of the "Ride The Train" is kicked off by a comical song by Texas veteran song writer, Sonny May. Run Elsie Run, a comical song about Elsie the cow, is sure to bring a smile to your face. May has been a faithful contributor to the Ride The Train Series. From the humor of "Elsie" we are reminded of reality with The Orphan Train, who according to its song writers is based in fact and not fiction. The writers share the following information in regards to their song: "inspired by the many stories of the train, which between 1854 and 1930 carried as many as 350 thousand homeless or rejected children from New York to the farming regions of the mid-west." The trains of the world have served in many different capacities over the years. Don Crouse's song Shack also takes a serious approach to the railroad topic. The Piggy Back Riders present an instrumental that I am sure you will give multiple plays. Listen to this track loud or soft and you will agree that this song is destined to be a listener's favorite. Speaking of instrumentals, be sure to catch Fairground Train by Wraith. It sure sounds like a tuba that we are hearing in this arrangement. Whether by design or just by happenstance, the track laid by Mark Pountney is a great example of the 1960s garage music sound that is having a resurgence in musical circles within the USA and abroad.

This CD is a collection of songs about railroading. I am a Locomotive Engineer for CSX Transportation, working the old L&N line from Louisville to Nashville. I am also a musician. I grew up in a very musical Family. My Grandfather was the lead chanter for the Greek Orthodox Church in Louisville, KY. My father and uncles played folk mass for St. Paul’s Church. The entire Wright side of my family sang for the Social Male Chorus German Club. I bought my first Guitar when I was 14. John Prine was my stepfather’s favorite, so I soon learned all the songs from that record. I started listening to Bluegrass in my 20’s and soon I was hooked. I started fiddling with mandolin and soon started playing banjo.

I wrote some of these songs sitting out on the train. I am a big fan of Good ol’ Kentucky Bluegrass, and this CD reflects that. Long working hours and crazy Union contracts give way for John Henry 2007 and Hub Engineer. The lonesome feeling out on the rails is captured in Nashville Bound and Workin’. The L&N Don’t Stop Here Anymore is perhaps my favorite song. It was written by Kentucky songwriter Jean Richie. If you are a railroader or love trains, this CD is for you. If you like Folky Bluegrass this is a must for your collection.

American history is full of stories about trains. The songs on this CD tell the tales of rail lines and locomotives, engineers and firemen, brakemen and hoboes, heroes and bandits, frolics and flings, with time spent in church and at the old fishin' hole. Neil Woodward brings a lot of love and a boxcar load of traditional acoustic instruments to accompany his warm baritone voice. The list of songs includes classics of American folk and country music.

This 17-track album features a blend of old country, country blues, and original Iowa railroad songs.

This trio of seasoned musicians has produced a rootsy, moving celebration of America's great railroad past, present and future.

Debbi Miller Gutierrez writes and performs songs about "trains, dogs, and other people's lives." Her over 100 original pieces include haunting murder ballads, romantic or raging love songs, catchy children's ditties, and snappy jingles. Often compared to Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell (two of her strongest influences), Gutierrez most often accompanies herself on acoustic guitar. Her first recorded album features 12 original songs about trains and the people whose lives are affected by them.

"Ghosts Along the Line" celebrates America's rich railroad heritage. Walt Johnson's title cut pays tribute to the SP 745, a wonderful big old steam locomotive that was retired to Audubon Park in New Orleans, LA in the early 1950's. Now restored and on the National Historic Register, SP 745 returned to the mainline for the first time in 48 years on December 15, 2004 with Backroom Bluegrass Band's Bill Johnson as engineer. The engine is the only surviving Louisiana-built steam locomotive and is in the tender care of the Louisiana Steam Train Association.

"Southern Pacific" is a song that was commissioned for a meeting of Southern Pacific Railroad officials and was shared with the band by our good friend Ray Duplechain. Ray is a retired superintendent of both the Southern Pacific and New Orleans Public Belt Railroads.

"End of My Railroad Days" and "Dream of the Steam Engine Days" were written by R.M. "Pinky" Phillips who worked as a conductor on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad mainline between Cincinnati, OH and St. Louis, MO. Pinky was quite an entertainer and at one time appeared onstage with Gene Autry. Pinky worked many a train with Bill Johnson running the steam engine up front.

We dedicate "Chattanooga Choo Choo" to our good friend Cathy King who has been a big supporter of the band since day one and whose inspiration got us through the recording of this song. "Life Is Like a Mountain Railroad" is dedicated to all of our friends at the Big South Fork Scenic Railway in Stearns, KY where Bill also serves as an engineer. "City of New Orleans" is a tribute to the city that gave birth to SP 745 and where she resides today. Thanks also go to Danny Rawinsky for recording the whistles on SP 745 during her December runs and allowing them to be used on this CD.

Enjoy the relaxing "clickety-clack" sounds of riding a train in a vintage 1940's sleeping car over the bolted railroad track of yesteryear. This is not a collection of individual train sound effects or music, but a continuous hour-long soundtrack aboard a real train especially recorded to capture the relaxing experience of passenger train travel. The conductor calls "All aboard" and the porter pulls up the steps and closes the vestibule door. There's a "toot" from the horn as the train eases out of the station. The faint sound of the locomotive's horn blows for railroad crossings with the occasional "ding-ding" of crossing signals as you roll by city streets. The faint sounding of the horn and crossing bells become less frequent as the train accelerates into the desert. If you find yourself dozing off as you listen, the gradual 10-minute fade at the end won't startle you awake. Recorded by Hollywood sound designer and avid rail-fan Ken J. Johnson with state-of-the-art equipment.

Listen to the nostalgic sounds of vintage 1920s narrow gauge Denver & Rio Grande steam locomotives as they traverse the steep four percent grade of Cumbres Pass between Chama, New Mexico, and Los Pinos, Colorado, their barking exhaust and melodious whistles echoing off the distant tree-lined hills. Follow along on the 8-panel fold out color map with thumbnail photographs and recording descriptions.

Feel the power of the largest operating steam locomotive in the world, the Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 Challenger #3985 as it pounds away the miles between Wyoming and California pulling an excursion train for a national railroad convention. Among the many locomotive and train sounds are spectacular pass-by recordings, three in-the-cab perspectives and an "audio tour" of some of the operating features. 27 tracks of pure steam power!

This two-disc set features 140 minutes of train sounds recorded on passenger trains and steam locomotives throughout the West. Includes a booklet with photos and descriptions of each recording.

Welcome to the exciting sounds of steam locomotives, featuring the engines of the Colorado Railroad Museum and the Georgetown Loop Railroad. Recorded from in the cab and standing trackside, this CD samples the breathtaking realism of these engines and puts the listener in the center of their world. Sit back and experience these workhorses of a bygone era.

Featured Engines: Engine No. 14 is a 3-truck shay, built by the Lima (Ohio) Locomotive Works, in 1916, run at West Side Lumber Co., Tuolumne County, California; obtained by Georgetown from Camino Cable & Northern Tourist Line, 1974. Engine No. 346 is a 2-8-0 built in 1881 by Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia, in use at the Colorado Railroad Museum since 1962. The "Galloping Goose" No. 2 (1937) is a Pierce Arrow 6 cylinder gasoline powered auto adapted for rail use for short runs to mountain towns. Gasoline switch engine, "Pee Wee" No. 3 was built in 1948 by Plymouth (Ohio) Locomotive Works and acquired by the museum in 1965. Engine No. 40, built by Baldwin in 1920, is a 2-8-0 consolidation configuration, obtained from International Railways of Central America (El Salvador Division) in 1972, and running in Georgetown since 1980. It was rebuilt in Durango, Colorado in 1993.

Ride along with the engineers and stand track side to hear the extraordinary sounds of real, working diesel and steam locomotives. This recording is the result of five years of carefully capturing exceptional sonics on state-of-the-art audio recorders.

The diesel segments were recorded at Southern Pacific train yard Ozol, in Martinez, California. In the switching yard segment, the three engines are started and warmed up before going into service (selection #20). A scanner enables us to listen in on the 2-way communications between the engineers and the yard personnel (selection #21). In long cuts in the cab of the steam segments, the shifting of sound is caused by the recordist trying to stay out of the way of the engineers, still capturing the activities, and dealing with the tremendous decibel levels.

Featured Engines: Engines heard on the Diesel and Switching Yard Segments are GM SW 1500 Nos. 2686 (1973), 2540 (1969), and 2670 (1972). Steam Engine No. 14 is a 3-truck Shay, built by the Lima, OH Locomotive Works in 1916, run at West Side Lumber Co., Tuolumne County, CA, obtained by Georgetown RR in 1974. Engine No. 346 is a 2-8-0 built in 1881 by Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia, in use at the Colorado RR Museum since 1962. Engine No. 40, built by Baldwin in 1920, is a 2-8-0 consolidation configuration, obtained by Georgetown from International Railways of Central America in 1972.

This CD contains spectacular diesel engine sounds of the Southern Pacific, Union Pacific, and Amtrak trains recorded between 1995-2001 around Martinez and Crockett, California. Sit in the cab of a switcher and stand trackside as thousands of tons of rolling stock roar by. The bonus track features Engine #40 of the Georgetown Loop Railroad.

Listen to the spectacular sounds of switching engines, GM SW 1500's, and GP-9's assembling lines of cars on this CD! This is the ideal background for your train set up. Close your eyes and experience the power of these mighty behemoths in your own living room. Hear the engineers and yard master discussions.

Spectacular rail yard sounds abound, with SW-1500s and GP-9s putting together and moving lines of cars around. The extended cuts on this CD will provide the perfect background for the rail enthusiast who wants uninterrupted rail activity. Recorded track side as close as eight feet from the engines, this CD will put you right there.

Third trick on a stormy night, a switch tower or crossing watchman's shanty, makes not one bit of difference, for the mainline action keeps you on your toes even though the scene could be from any railtown, anywhere, just 50 years ago. Featured are No. 1702, a 2-8-0 from the Reader Railroad, No. 11, a 2-6-2 also from the Reader, No. 8444, a 4-8-4 from the Union Pacific Railroad. No. 34, a 2-8-2 from the Sierra Railroad, No. 759, a 2-8-4 ex-Nickel Plate Berkshire, No. 28, a 2-8-0 from the Sierra Railroad, No. 2102, a 4-8-4 ex-Reading Railroad, No. 1246 and No 1278, both 4-6-2 ex-Canadian Pacific, No. 4449, a 4-8-4 ex-Southern Pacific and finally, No. 36, a 2-8-2 ex-Sierra Railroad locomotive on the White Mountain Scenic Railway. Great whistles, thunderstorms and more make for nice background entertainment. 55 minutes.

In 1957 Vinton Wight recorded the sounds various steam locomotives. He explains that "Stack Music" is "that delightful sound caused by super heated steam, exhausted from the cylinder, through the stack of a locomotive." Other sounds include the wheels clanking on the tracks, bells ringing and other engine sounds, all of which create an interesting rhythmic listen. As Wight says of train sounds: they can be "soft and soothing" or "loud and commanding"; a sort of "symphony". Liner notes include information on each train.

"This is the story of three little locomotives and 33 cars climbing Cumbres Pass on the Colorado-New Mexico border" says Vinton Wight, who recorded this tale in 1958. Liner notes include detailed information on the journey and train.

Recorded and annotated by Harold S. Ludlow in 1958. The album intersperses the steam locomotive sounds with spoken explanation by Ludlow of what each sound is. He opens the album stating: "This recording has been prepared to preserve the sounds of that great fleet of New York central trains when steam was king of the rails." Liner notes include brief recording information, train details, and photos.

This collection of steam locomotive sounds of was recorded in 1976 by Vinton Wight. Unlike the previous volumes in this series, this compilation seeks to capture unusual sounds produced by the locomotives: "They are spectacular because of the unusual situation, the condition of the terrain, or the unique power that is used." The liner notes detail the unusual aspect of each recording.

We've put together the very best selections from our library of Daylight recordings to bring you the greatest sounds of the 4449 hard at work. Many never released cuts! Plenty of exhaust (chugging) sounds too! The sounds of high-speed passes, marching up Cantara Loop with the horn and whistle echoing off the canyon walls and more will delight the Daylight fan young and old. You'll be amazed at how different the same whistle can sound in different locations. Stereo, approx 60 minutes.

Hear what it sounds like to be inside the cab of the 4449 while she's hard at work. We've brought you the best in-cab recordings ever made from the late Brad Miller collection and Mobile Fidelity Records to give you the thrill of low-speed marching along the banks of the LA river as we recreate the Daylight beginning her northbound run from LA. Also, enjoy the trip from Portland to Salem, Oregon recorded during an excursion in 1991 en route to Sacramento, California for Railfair. Turn this recording on and you'll see what Doyle McCormack and crew can make the 4449 do with this incredible machine. You'll think you were there! We've captured both steam whistles and the air horn for you in this 60 minutes of stereo enjoyment.

This recording represents the first all digital program produced by Mobile Fidelity Productions of Nevada, and appropriately so. The initial offering from Mobile Fidelity, over fifty years ago (1956) was, you guessed it, sounds of trains. Featured are the sounds of western railroading and the steam locomotives of Union Pacific (No. 3985, the Challenger); No. 4449 (the Daylight); and the narrow gauge magic of the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic RR. Via Canada's vintage FP9 diesels (covered wagons) are included for good measure. Creative license is taken with certain scenes that were recorded at different times and perhaps places. Digital recording with COLUSSUS provides amazingly consistent sound quality and the combined digital mixes, when included, offer an unusual soundscape for your listening pleasure. 58 minutes.

Volume 2 is a fine continuation of the exciting railroading journal begun on Sounds of Trains Volume 1. Featured are the sounds of the Norfolk Southern steam locomotives No. 1218, the articulated 2-6-6-4 Class A restored to service in April 1987; No. 611, the 4-8-4 thoroughbred known as the "J"; No. 4501, the venerable 2-8-2 that kind of started it all nearly fifty years ago (1957); and K-2A Pacific No. 152. Oh yes, Southern FP 7's are included as well. The highlight of this production revolves around the National Railway Historical Society convention held in Roanoke, Virginia, July 29-August 2, 1987. If you can imagine one mainline steam locomotive assaulting Christiansburg Mountain, try two of them...side by side! Recorded in COLUSSUS digital stereo, 57 minutes.

Sounds of Trains Volume 3 showcases not one but 3 Canadian steam locomotives that hauled tourists and train fans alike once they were restored and brought back to operating condition in 1974. Although they no longer operate, you can enjoy the sounds of the Royal Hudson No. 2860, No. 6060, an ex-Canadian National 4-8-2 nicknamed "Bullet-Nosed Betty" because of the smokebox and headlight design as well as 2-8-0 No 3716 (ex-Canadian Pacific, October 1912!). The sounds are magnificent as whistles and exhausts echo off the mountains and trees. There are several doubleheaded cuts as well. Recorded with COLUSSUS Stereo for the ultimate in realistic sound. 52 minutes.

Volume 4 is the last in this series and focuses on heavy duty mainline steam power. Who could have imagined that in 1990, four steam locomotives would gather in St. Louis for the National Railway Historical Society convention, including two 4-8-4's, a 4-8-2 and a 2-6-6-4. And that wasn't all. How about a 4-6-6-4 trailing a double stack container train over Archer Hill, 8900 feet in length at better than 45 MPH? In 1990? Well, it's all here for you to enjoy as often as you may wish (and the landlord will permit). So, here goes! 57 minutes. Recorded in COLUSSUS digital stereo for the ultimate in sound quality.

Great sounds of engines long-gone are in this recording from the 60s. Featured is a run-up through all of the throttle settings in a Santa Fe F unit, a ride in the vestibule behind an SP GP-9 and a Fairbanks-Morse Trainmaster where you're the passenger enjoying the sounds of locomotives that are now gone. You will enjoy the sounds of Rock Island E-6s and 7s and IC Es and Geeps at speed in Illinois. Add SP SD-9s and some funky old Alco, Baldwin and GE switchers and you've got great background sounds for your train room. Run time approx 40 minutes in stereo. Originally released by Arkay Records and then L&H, we're pleased to bring this excellent recording to you on CD for the first time.

If ever there was a sleeper in our collection, this is it! You'll thrill to the chant of F units climbing the Front Range with the California Zephyr, Santa Fe Fs on freight, New Haven FL-9s with their unique Hancock air- whistles, Lackawanna Es and Geeps in passenger service and even the NYC and Sierra RR with Baldwins. Then, when you think you've heard it all, here comes the best recordings of Alco PAs on the D&H and the Santa Fe that we've ever heard. We'll surprise you with an elderly Alco switcher that actually dies for us more than once and then throw in some great sounding and healthier RS models on the Michigan Northern, NYC and EL. Finally, Fairbanks Morse H12-44 switchers on SP and Milwaukee finish a great 40 minutes of stereo sounds from the past. Originally released by Arkay records and then L&H, we're pleased to continue the tradition by offering this on CD for the first time.

Featured are a variety of Nathan M-5 air horns on both SP and WP, P5's, P4's, P-3's, a cab ride in a Geep 9, pacing, and a ride in the vestibule of the Sacramento Daylight behind a passenger GP-9 with a fantastic M-5. You can hear the variety of tunes that the M-5 was capable of and enjoy the sounds that are now gone. For good measure, there is also a Leslie single note horn on a WP F7.

Go trackside in 1975 when the Southern Pacific 4-8-4 "Daylight" steam locomotive 4449 returned to service. Enjoy the crew talking on the radio, the air horn, whistle and more. Nearly One Hour of action!

This 2-CD set represents the very best digital audio of the 4449 of its time. Southern Pacific equipped many of their WWII era super steam locomotives with air horns (in addition to steam whistles). Cab Forwards, 4-8-2 Mountains, and GS 2 through GS 6 4-8-4's including No. 4449 ( a GS 4) were somewhat special in that their air horns produced a near perfect E-flat. While penetrating, the overtones were warm and rounded with some describing them as mellow. This tonality may have come from the length of the horn itself, as compared to other single note horns placed on early EMD F units and on the Cab Forwards for that matter. One CD is devoted to trackside recordings with some liberties taken to create scenes that are actually better than the real thing. The second disc is in the cab, allowing you to enjoy the sounds of the 4449 from a location that is off limits to mere mortals like us.

Recorded in 1963, this is a picture of big-time SP railroading with favorite cuts of the San Joaquin Daylight, The Owl, and The Lark, freights climbing and descending Tehachapi Loop and more. Several of the cuts are obviously staged, making them all the better. One such cut features the Lark approaching the tunnels of Chatsworth, California with a beautiful P-5 air horn referred to in the record notes as a Swedish Chime. 43 years later, we happened to run into the son of the engineer, Fritz Iverson, who was running the Lark the night the recording was made. He remembered his dad getting train orders to whistle freely as a recording company was set up along the right-of-way. We are pleased to offer these fabulous sounds for all to enjoy once again. Digitally re-mastered stereo using Sonic-Seven technology that was ahead of its time then and now. Approx 45 minutes.

You'll love the double exhaust of the big Norfolk and Western Mallet 1218 and other great sounds from SP 4449 Daylight, CP 2317, Sierra 28 and 34, Pennsy K-4 1361, GM&O 425, NKP 765 and Reading 2102. This is a fantastic CD recording with lots of great sounds coming right through your room in stereo!

An outstanding digital CD featuring Canadian Pacific Royal Hudson 2860, CP Consolidation 3716, UP 844, Grand Canyon Railway 2-8-0 No 18, CN 2-8-2 6060, NKP 587, East Broad Top 12, 14 and 17, Norfolk & Western 1218, SP 4449. If you haven't been able to see these engines in person, you can enjoy them in your home or car.

An outstanding state-of-the-art Digital stereo recording featuring Santa Fe 3751, Frisco 1522, UP 844, SP 2472, SP&S 700, CP 2317, UP 3985, SP 4449, CP 1286, Cotton Belt 819, NKP 765, and PM 1225. Lots of great sounds so that you can hear these restored locomotives while you read about their adventures.

This recording focuses on the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad in Chama, NM. Enjoy thunderstorms with drops so big you'll hear them hit the mike. Whistles echoing off the canyons from the 1960s and 70s plus a rotary in action. Narrow gauge steam at its finest! Stereo, run time appprox 35 minutes.

The producers set out in the early 1970s to capture the sounds of Nathan and Leslie horns that were on first and second generation diesels of the SP, WP, Central California Traction and UP. They went to echo chambers high in the Sierra's as well as along double-track speedways of the SP. We were treated to several meets, true whistle artists and more. Enjoy the sounds of Nathan M5 and P5's, Leslie S3 and S5's, most of which cannot be duplicated today.

Steam Railway Sound Effects delivers just what the title promises, collecting recordings of passenger, freight, express, and local steam engine locomotives. Trains at country and city railway stations, arriving in and departing from terminals, and accelerating and decelerating are all included in this comprehensive collection.

Trains In The Night delivers just what the title promises, collecting recordings of trains passing through moors, countryside, mountains, and stations in the wee hours.

Steam locomotives of the L.N.E.R., the former London and North Eastern Railway, at work on British Railways at various locations between 1956 and 1961.

Steam locomotives of the former L.M.S., the London, Midland & Scottish Railway, at work on British Railways at various locations between 1956 and 1961.

Steam locomotives of the former Great Western Railway, at work on British Railways at various locations between 1955 and 1963.

You'll be riding alongside the engineer in the cab of some of America's most famous steam locomotives. You'll hear the trains leave the stations, gradually pick up steam, cross bridges, and labor up mountains.

Imagine standing track side while a variety of passenger and freight trains pass by one at a time. These are original period recordings from the 40's and 50's of trains powered by American steam and diesel locomotives. It is a nostalgic and relaxing revisit to the way railroads use to sound. The collection includes steam passenger trains racing by at 75 mph with whistles blowing and diesel freights with horns sounding. The CD contains 72 minutes of uninterrupted train sounds. This is not a sound effects library, but original recordings made 60 years ago. The CD includes:

• Steam locomotives starting off, steam hissing and pistons chugging

• Engineers blowing their whistles in signature style

• Steam trains passing grade crossings while gates close and warning bells sound

• High speed steam passenger trains approaching and disappearing into the night

• Steam freights chugging out of the yard, pulling up to speed and rolling away

• Diesels with freight cars clanking and wheels clacking

• High and low speed diesels with horns blasting

• B&O steam locomotives roaring by as cinders fly

This packed soundtrack showcases the powerful work behind Montreal-born composer Hummie Mann. The two-time Emmy Award winner's previous work and credits include Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Sister Act, Jetsons: The Movie, Sleepless in Seattle, and The Addams Family. For a quirky and exciting take to the film, Mann called upon fellow Canadian Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies to sing "Really Useful Engine." Other artists included on Thomas and the Magic Railroad are Americana singer/songwriter Joe Henry, Marin Ord, Dayna Manning, Ben Wright, and many more. - All Music Guide

Features songs from the DVD titles, Day Of The Diesels and Misty Island Rescue, as well as never before released music from the popular television series, including the theme songs Roll Call and Go Go Thomas.

All aboard for a musical tour of the Island of Sodor with Thomas the Tank Engine and all of his friends. Sing along with songs about Thomas, Sir Topham Hatt, Harold, and Toby as well as other classic favorites.

Thomas’ Train Yard Tracks is the second collection of music from the popular children’s television and video series about Thomas, the world’s most famous tank engine. It’s a musical tour featuring favorite songs about Thomas, Percy, James, and all the well-loved characters who make up the Tank Engine crew. Train Yard Tracks gathers thirteen train-tastic tunes from kids’ favorite Thomas videos, including “Thomas Theme,” “James The Splendid Engine,” “Percy’s Seaside Trip,” and more. Also features “Down By The Docks” and “Boo Boo Choo Choo” from Thomas’ new Salty Secret video. The colorful package includes lyrics for family sing-alongs.

For more than a decade James Coffey has been delighting children and adults with his original music and modern arrangements of classic songs. James is known as a train song troubadour, with two award-winning CDs on his own Blue Vision Music label: "Come Ride Along with Me" and "My Mama Was a Train." Each of these collections of train songs won Parents’ Choice awards for "outstanding contribution toward enriching the lives of American children." The Wall Street Journal featured him as one of the nation’s top children’s recording artists, and Working Mother magazine named Come Ride Along with Me one of the best CDs of the year, among many other accolades. James’ recording "Animal Groove," a wild collection of original and favorite tunes in a range of musical styles, won awards from Parents’ Choice and the Children’s Music Web.

From America's heartland, an acclaimed family recording artist steams ahead with his second collection of railroad songs, "My Mama Was a Train." James Coffey includes 14 original and traditional songs, all relating to the magic and wonder of locomotives. Train lovers of all ages will delight at the real sounds and rhythms of locomotive engines accenting each of the 14 songs.

Coffey's signature piano, acoustic guitar and harmonica stylings help evoke the feeling of riding the rails on such traditional favorites as "Nine Hundred Miles", "Rock Island Line", "Casey Jones", "Wabash Cannonball", and "New River Train"A nd, with new songs like the theme "My Mama Was a Train", "What Do You Hear?" and "Workin' in the Railway Yard", he builds on the genre by including new jazzy arrangements and funky rhythms sure to get toes tapping and engines running.

This Parents' Choice award-winning CD is musical fun for the whole family. Travel along with James Coffey as we learn about railroad safety in "Stop, Look and Listen." Enjoy the tale of a dinosaur's desire for a choo-choo train ride. Dance to the funkiest "I've been workin' on the Railroad" you've ever heard. Featuring the songs from the "I Love Toy Trains" video series, the outstanding lyrics and performance is a hit for kid and families.

My CD titled "Train Songs & Other Tracks" was such a popular collection for me, that I decided to do another recording with brand new train tunes. The musicians and I had a great time recording this one. You can hear the fun on the 'tracks'...yes pun intended!! - Kevin Roth

Singer of the theme song to PBS/Fox's hit TV Show "Shining Time Station", this collection of songs are all about Trains! Young or old, this collection will fill your day with GREAT music. Folk, country, a little jazzy and a bit of rock-n-roll, this CD will leave you smiling. ALL ABOARD!

Join music sensation Genevieve Goings and her dancing engineer, DC, all aboard the Choo Choo Train! As seen on Playhouse Disney, Choo Choo Soul makes learning fun for preschoolers and parents alike. This exclusive special version includes a bonus DVD with 11 videos.

Promising to be this holiday season's family film blockbuster, the revolutionary computer-animated The Polar Express-based on a best-selling children's book, starring the voice of Tom Hanks and directed by Academy Award winner Robert Zemeckis-is a classic Christmas film with a modern look. The soundtrack album also mixes the classic with the contemporary, with immortal versions of the greatest Christmas songs ever penned, such as "White Christmas" from Bing Crosby and new recordings from Josh Groban "Believe", Aerosmith's Steven Tyler "Rockin' On Top Of The World" and others. This Christmas everyone will be getting on board The Polar Express.

Train Songs is a collection of songs about trains and railroad workers done in a broad generic style for a young audience. It includes sanitized versions of "Casey Jones" and "John Henry."