The train song of the day today is Queen of the Rails, performed here by Dan Schatz. This song was written by the late U. Utah Phillips, the Golden Voice of the Great Southwest. Who else could have written about Boomer Bill and his dog Queen of the Rails this beautifully? It’s a dog song and you know they always turn out bad. And, it’s a hobo song and it’s a train song.

The first time I heard it, many years ago, it stopped me in my tracks. “The black smoke choo-choo’s gone away, bummin’ it’s just not the same, dreams are few and far between but memories seldom fail. There’s a place for some old friend who sits and waits ’til journey’s end and Boomer Bill will be glad to see old Queen of the Rails.”

I confess I’ve been saving this one up. I didn’t want to post all the very best train songs right away.