ROCKOLLECTIONS: NATIONAL TRAIN DAY PT.1

[Mike Pell]

It is understandable if you missed National Train Day this past Saturday, what with Mothers Day being Sunday and far more important.

Hell, I am even late by a few days with this show, lol!

Some background- National Train Day is a holiday started by Amtrak in 2008 as a method to spread information to the general public about the advantages of Rail Travel and the History of Trains in the United States.

It is held each year on the Saturday closest to May 10th, the anniversary of the Pounding of the Golden Spike in Promontory, Utah- which marked the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad.

In short, a self-serving pseudo-holiday invented by Amtrak!

But affording me the opportunity to play some of the great and varied Train Songs produced in Rock & Roll over the years.

All Aboard!!!

 

Here are those links to listen, and Riding The Rails is still the best way to see the country, at Mike Pell Rockollections:

 

At Podomatic:

 

http://radiopell.podomatic.com/entry/2013-05-12T19_35_26-07_00

 

At Soundcloud:

 

http://soundcloud.com/radiopell/01-trains-2013

 

 

Mike

[Scott]

Still extremely viable, they run all over down here and back home.  Trains are still a major factor in moving materials, not sure that they are people movers any more but they are huge in Mining, farming, automotive, etc...

[RJhog (Admin)]

Don't know how viable it is,  but a couple of trains still run through Augusta.  I've never jumped on one like a hobo or anything.  The track is actually close enough that you can hear the train whistle in the distance at night when it's quiet.  One of my wif'e's favorite sounds.  

[Jon]

I'm back. Had to have dinner. Anyhoo, recently (hell it might been this past Saturday), I was thinking about trains and if they were a thing of the past. There used to be train traks around here, but they were torn out last year, so no choo-choo's near me any longer. But is the train basically done with, or is it still a viable means of transportation? Discuss!

[Jon]

Hey. CHOO CHOO CHOO! I like this a lot. One thing that bugged the crap out of me was that Elvis song. I have heard it and it was bugging me all day long and then VOILA! It hit me. UFO covered that song on their "No Place To Run" album! Yes! They did!

Who knew traing songs could be so cool. But....where's Blackfoot? Coming up? 

[RJhog (Admin)]

Mike, you played mostly unknown songs to me today.  Good job.  The only song I was familiar with before you closed the show with The Doobie Brothers was the Elvis song.

You also played some staples today.  By the way, I've listened to you long enough now to say who I think is one of your staples.  So I'll add Harry Nilsson, The Kinks, Elvis and The Stones to your list of staples.  And you can't change that list, it's written in stone (that sounds like something Jon would say).

I must give the Golden Pell for today's show to those very same Rolling Stones.  There is a tremendous amount going on musically in that song.  It sounds like they have about 15 band members playing some kind of instrument.  Did you notice that?

Anyway, I thought this was a repeat at first, but I realized the last show you did regarding trains was about getting home for Thanksgiving.

Enjoyed it.

[Scott]

Train, Train, take me on out of this town!  My family heritage is railroad.  My grandpas' were both railroaders, my father-in-law was an engineer and, brother just retired and several members still run the railways with the Union Pacific...  So this topic caught my attention!

 

Clearly I care about the railroads!  hahaha...

 

Though your technically correct, it is in fact Promontory Utah where they drove the golden spike in, however, we've always called it Promontory Point.  Since I grew up slightly north of that location (on the Idaho side) I'm more correct.  LOL!

 

The Golden Pell Spike goes to Two Trains Runnin' for the geetar work...

 

Nice show...