RIDIN' THE RAILS: THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAIN STORY (TV)
Summary
Johnny Cash hosts this special in which the history of railroading is chronicled through story and song. Cash sings the following songs: "Ridin' the Rails," "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," "The Legend of John Henry's Hammer," "The Wreck of the Old 97," "The Railroad Corral," "Casey Jones," "Crystal Chandeliers and Burgundy," "Good Morning America," and "The Railroad Trains Don't Stop Here Anymore." The songs are matched to historical reenactments of significant moments in railroad history, such as the invention of the Tom Thumb steam locomotive; Abraham Lincoln signing the Railroad Act; the merging of tracks from the East and the West in 1869; "section gangs" building the rails and singing along; the era of train robbers like Jesse James; hobos riding the rails; and the decline in the popularity of trains as America reached the late 20th century. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: November 22, 1974 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:48:03
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:78503
- GENRE: Music; Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Country music; Folk songs; Railroads - U S
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1974
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Nicholas Webster … Producer, Director, Creator, Writer
- Dyann Rivkin … Producer, Creator, Writer
- Paul Asselin … Associate Producer
- Kent Gibson … Associate Producer
- Johnny Cash … Host, Performer
- Jesse James
- Abraham Lincoln