I need a playlist for a cross country train trip!

[nolabear]

Mr. Bear and I are going from Seattle to D.C. In a couple of weeks. Empire Builder to Chicago and Capitol Ltd. to D.C. Three days of sleeping car bliss...I hope. Give me your train, state, landscape, traveling, American Plains, Big Sky Country,WindyCity etc. songs!

[ret5hd]

1. Well, 'City of New Orleans' should be a "must listen"...at least once.

[nolabear]

11. Absolutely! Thanks.

[ret5hd]

2. And 'Casey Jones'..."Ridin' that train, high on cocaine..."

[nolabear]

12. Always!

[rzemanfl]

3. Pat Metheny Group. "Last Train Home."

[nolabear]

13. I wouldn't have thought of that. Thanks.

[rzemanfl]

22. You're welcome. Your trip sounds like fun except for all the ****ing Repukes in D.C. n/t

[Mrs. Overall]

4. America by Simon and Garfunkel.

[nolabear]

14. Yes. Such a fine cross country song.

[Glorfindel]

5. Steve Reich: "Different Trains" parts 1, 2, and 3

played by the Kronos Quartet.

Enjoy the trip!

[nolabear]

15. Oh nice. I love them.

[Brainstormy]

6. Audiobooks! n/t

[nolabear]

16. That too.

[Kali]

7. ...

https://www.discogs.com/Various-Freight-Train-Blues-Classic-Railroad-Songs-Volume-4/release/6029531

http://michael-hyatt.com/railroadsongs/index_rail.php

[nolabear]

17. I knew I could count on you.

[doc03]

8. Have a safe trip. Amtrac not for me they wreck too damn much. nt

[nolabear]

10. Well gee thanks. What a thing to say.

[doc03]

21. Not trying to be mean I would like to do the same if we had

a safe rail system. I wish you a safe and happy trip.

[unc70]

9. C & N W Railroad Blues

Byron Parker and the Mountaineers, recorded around 1939.

I knew the last couple of the Mountaineers when they were up in their 80s. They still could really play.

The Chicago & Northwestern has a great 150 year history, finally being acquired by Union Pacific in 1995.

[nolabear]

19. I'll look for them. Thank you.

[Binkie The Clown]

18. "I've been working on the railroad... all the live long day..." nt

[nolabear]

20. *snort!*

[Ptah]

23. If it is daylight when you are near Glacier National Park,

find a seat in an observation car!



For music I suggest This Land Is Your Land

[nolabear]

25. I'm trying to figure that out. YouTube is amazing.

Many videos of the trip. It's possible we'll see it by dawn.

[jmowreader]

62. I did the trip you're about to take in October 2015

First, PLEASE tell me you built one day in Chicago into your itinerary. At this time of year, the line the Empire Builder runs on is packed with grain trains and coal trains - which have precedence on the line over passenger trains. The train is scheduled to reach Chicago at 3:55 pm, and you'll be lucky if it gets there by 6. If you are arriving and departing Chicago the same day, you will have to run straight from the platform to the Great Hall to wait for your next train. Going west is no problem; you have several hours between the Capitol Limited's arrival at Union Station and the Empire Builder's departure for Seattle.

You pass through Glacier National Park in the early hours. It's gloomy then. After about 11am, you're into wheat fields and not a hell of a lot else. I recommend taking books. (I REALLY recommend a different route - Coast Starlight to Emeryville, stay one night in San Francisco then California Zephyr to Chicago...but you might not have time for that and you already have tickets.) If you have an e-reader, your seat has an AC outlet to plug the charger into.

[msongs]

24. scrabble, shuffelboard, hearts, I spy nt

[nolabear]

26. Hadn't thought about games. Good idea.

[fierywoman]

27. Watch "North by Northwest" once again -- just because!

[chia]

28. I'll Be Here in the Morning - Townes Van Zandt

[JDC]

29. Special Consensus - "Wild Montana Skies"

It’s a John Denver original re-recorded on a tribute album. I used to go to Montana monthly for work and played it everytime I got into my rental car. Bozeman, Billings, and Missoula airport parking lots have all had to put up with my musical whimsy...many times

Safe travels.

[nolabear]

34. Lovely! Thanks so much.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

50. Hey they played my buddies wedding in the early 90s

I remember their bluegrass Viva Las Vegas!!

[JDC]

54. The best shows are those that are unexpected

Saw Bare Naked Ladies at a bar in Scottsdale in the early 90s. Same with Jason Miraz. Both times I could not believe how good they were and were just playing in a bar....

[FuzzyRabbit]

30. Night Train

My favorite version

[nolabear]

35. Yessssssss...

[FuzzyRabbit]

31. Hank Snow - I've Been Everywhere

[nolabear]

36. The lesser known, great Hank. Perfect.

[stevil]

32. If you like some hard rock....

My soundtrack traveling from California to Toronto.

[nolabear]

38. Man, I haven't thought of that in forever. Great one!

[OriginalGeek]

58. I Saw them open for Iron Maiden and Saxon in the 80s

great show all around.


and for fun:

[FuzzyRabbit]

33. Wabash Cannonball

[nolabear]

39. I grew up with that one. I guess most of us Southern kids did.

I'm going to use I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry too, because of the midnight train whinin' low. And because I think it's the saddest song ever written.

[whistler162]

37. That is a fun trip.....

Did both at different times.

[FuzzyRabbit]

40. Chattanooga Choo Choo

Glenn Miller Orchestra, Tex Beneke, the Modernaires with Paula Kelly, the Nicholas Brothers and Dorothy Dandridge.

[nolabear]

41. Wow. That's an oldie but goodie. Wouldn't be right not to have it!

[FuzzyRabbit]

42. Orange Blossom Special

I hope you have a great trip!

[nolabear]

43. Thank you. And thanks for the quintessential train song.

[Tikki]

44. These two...both quintessential travel instrumentals...

Tikki

[nolabear]

47. Good stuff.

[rurallib]

45. How about "The Midnight Special"

here is one version - bet there are better ones:

[nolabear]

46. Oh yeah. Creedence.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

49. Look for these versions too!

[BluesRunTheGame]

48. "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry"

[Stonepounder]

51. Duke Ellington - Take the A Train

[NBachers]

52. Dwight Yoakam A Thousand Miles From Nowhere

[NBachers]

53. "Lonesome Drifter" Royal Wade Kimes

[FSogol]

55. "Truck, Train, Tractor" by the Pastels

[Nay]

56. Wichita Lineman - Glenn Campbell; Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys -

Willie Nelson; Downtown - Petula Clark; Rocky Mountain High - John Denver

[Tikki]

57. "Another Journey By Train"...an awesome instrumental by The Cure.

Tikki

[mahatmakanejeeves]

59. The Capitol Limited takes the old Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) mainline over the Alleghenies.

It's a scenic route. I have an Amtrak Winter-Spring 2013 timetable open now. I don't have the 2017 times at hand, but they shouldn't be too far off. That timetable shows the eastbound Capitol, train Number 30, leaving Connellsville, Pennsylvania, 6:29 a.m. -- if it's on time. If it runs late, which happens, you should have daylight over the Alleghenies. The actual high point is at Sand Patch, Pennsylvania. There's a two-track tunnel there.

I used to go up there in the 70s to watch trains. I'd have the place all to myself. Since, it's become discovered. Here's some footage of what the terrain looks like.

This is an eastbound train nearly at the top:

If you take a phone or tablet with you, install the Scanner 5-0 app. You'll be able to listen to railroad radio traffic. You'll know what's going on. You can hear a scanner running in the second video.

Great footage of Hyndman, PA, at night. Look for the westbound Capitol Limited at 6:08:

[nolabear]

60. OOhh, thank you about the scanner! I'm hoping leaves are nice in PA.

We used to live there and I miss the gorgeous foliage here in the PWN. It's not bad, buttoning like back East.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

61. The frequencies are easily found online.

If it should happen that your train is just sitting and sitting in a siding, the scanner will let you know what's up.

Also, if you have inTune on your mobile device, you can listen to what you want.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

63. More videos of the Capitol Limited in the Alleghenies:

Last edited Fri Oct 27, 2017, 01:32 PM - Edit history (1)

And here's a tune for you: