Here is a list of railroad songs you could have playing in the background when working on your railroad, or when showing visitors your layout, or when other operators drop by.

You could load them onto your iPod from your own collection of CD’s (or even vinyl records), or you could use iTunes downloads to build a library of songs.

Another idea is to use background sounds to add mood and atmosphere to an operating session. Build a library of sounds (downloaded from the internet) including street/city sounds, animal sounds, thunderstorms, car noises, people cattering, church bells rings etc. The key is to keep the sound levels low so that rather than distract, they add realism.

Sound can be recorded using a digital recorder including an iPod. Avoid recording sounds in windy conditions (a calm day is best). There is free downloadable software (freeware) on the Internet for cleaning up and editing sound. One freeware site is Audacity.

Here is that list of railroad songs – maybe you have some other suggestions:

Baggage coach ahead (Mac Wiseman)
Big freight carry me home (Boxcar Wille)
Blow that lonesome whistle, Casey (Al Dexter)
Boxcar blues (Boxcar Wille)
Boxcar Willie (Roy Acuff)
Boxcar’s my home (Boxcar Willie)
Bringin’ in the Georgia Mail (Bill Harrel and Don Reno Jone)
Bummin’ an old freight train (Lester Flatt and the Nashville Grass)
Canadian Railroad Trology (Gordon Lightfoot)
Cannonball Blues (Grandpa Jones)
Casey Jones (various artists)
Chattanooga Choo Choo (Glenn Miller)
Chick-a-choo (Bob Newman)
City of New Orleans (Wille Nelson and others)
Down by the station (various artists)
Drill ye tarriers (not sure)
East Bound Freight Train (Reno and Smiley)
Fast Train April Wine (not sure)
Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash and others)
Freight train (Elizabeth Cotton and others)
Freight train blues (Benny Martin)
Hank and the hobo (Boxcar Willie)
Heavenbound train (Carl Story)
Hey Porter (Johnny Cash)
Hob heaven (Boxcar Willie)
I thought of you ((not sure)
I’m a train (Albert Hammond)
I’ve been workin’ on the railroad (various artists)
In the pines (Mac Wiseman and Merle Tevis)
It might be you (Stephen Bishop)
Jesse James (Granpa Jones)
Jesus on the mainline (Randy Travis)
John Henry (Hylo Brown)
Last Train (music track from Music Loops)
Lazy Locomotive (Smiley Burnette)
Lonesome whistle (Johnny Cash)
Marrakesh Express (Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young)
Midnight Flyer (Mac Wiseman and Osborne Brothers)
Midnight Special (Jim Glaser)
Midnight Train to Georgia (Gladys Knight)
Mystery Train (Sleepy LeBeef and others)
Night Train (Count Basie and other artists)
Night train to Memphis (Joe Maphis)
Nine pound hammer (Merle Travis)
On the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe (Johnny Mercer)
Orange Blossom Special (Johnny Cash and others)
Paddy works on the railroad (not sure)
Rock Island Line (Johnny Cash and other artists)
Santa Fe all the way (Johnny McCallum)
Sentimental Journey (Jo Stafford)
Steel Rail Blues (Gordon Lightfoot)
Streamlined Cannonball (Mac Wiseman)
Take the A Train (Duke Ellington)
The Little Engine That Could (not sure)
The Train I’m On (Tony Joe White)
This Train [has left the station] (Randy Travis)
Throw Mama from the train (Patti page)
Train 45 (Mac Wiseman)
Train medley (Boxcar Wille)
Train of love (Johnny Cash)
Train Song (Murray McLaughlin)
Trains and boats and planes (Dionne Warwick and other artists)
Underneath the Arches (Andrew Sisters and others)
Wabash Cannonball (Roy Acuff and other artists)
Waiting for a train (Jerry Lee Lewis)
Wreck of the old 97 (Boxcar Wille)
Wreck of the 99 (Johnny Cash)