I am reading Railroads and the American People by H. Roger Grant, a professor at Clemson. Unlike many train books, it doesn’t deal with the big story of the people that built the railroads. Instead, Grant focuses on train travel and the trains themselves, which is what I want to read about. It also has nice photographs. I recommend it.

There are an incredible amount of songs about trains. Here are ten (with a bonus from Mr. Ellington, above).

• The Grateful Dead, Casey Jones
• Roy Acuff, Wabash Cannonball
• Arlo Guthrie, City of New Orleans
• Glenn Miller, Chattanooga Choo Choo
• Oscar Peterson Trio, Night Train
• Louis Jordan, Cho-Cho-Cha’Boogie
• Gordon Lightfoot, Canadian Railroad Trilogy
• Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, Orange Blossom Special
• The Wailers, Stop that Train
• Doobie Brothers, Long Train Running

Too good not to include: I’ve Been Working on the Railroad by the Rooftop Singers.

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