Do you have songs that trigger warm feelings or wonderful memories? For me, it’s The City of New Orleans sung by Arlo Guthrie and written by Steve Goodman. It is a nostalgic and autobiographical song written about Goodwin’s trip on the Illinois Central train called City of New Orleans train to visit his wife’s family.
I, too, took a long train trip to visit relatives: my aunt, uncle, and cousins in Falls Church, Va. (close to Washington, D.C.). My beloved grandmother took me on the trip for my grade school graduation. The route most likely would have been from O’Fallon, IL through Indianapolis, IN, Columbus, OH and Pittsburgh, Pa. As Arlo mentioned in his song, we rolled past houses, farms and fields – mostly farms and fields.
During the day, grandma and I played Canasta, her favorite card game. At night, I remember the train cutting a swath through downtown areas. I’d look out the window at the blinking lights on the railroad gates and the cars waiting just a few feet from my window.
My grandmother was able to take the family on such rail adventures because she had a lifetime railroad pass. That pass was a death settlement when her husband, a railroad engineer, tragically died of a heat stroke at the age of 43 on a scorching day as he sat in front of the blazing fire box that kept the engines fueled. Her father, also a railroad engineer, was killed when his train skidded off an icy bridge. He was 53. As Robert Frost would say, their world ended of Fire and Ice.
So not only is The City of New Orleans a nostalgic song for Goodwin, it conjures memories of my summer trip with grandma and reminds me of my ancestors who ‘rode their father’s magic carpets made of steel.’
If you haven’t heard the song, or if you don’t remember it, it’s a lovely, lyrical song. Take your own trip and listen to The City of New Orleans.
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For another article about a nostalgic train ride see Riding on the City of New Orleans, The Seattle Times, Stephen Bugno
What a bittersweet memory Sue. I have parallels in my life. I am very nostalgic and study my family history. What tragic ends for your grandfather and great grandfather... Yet your grandma still took advantage of the pass and gave you the memory of a lifetime. My parents didn’t fly so we always drove or took trains on family vacations. We drove to DC the Summer after my 8th grade graduation. I really enjoyed that trip seeing government buildings after studying about just studying about them. My grandma lived in the Los Angeles area. We took the train there to visit her when I was about 10. I learned how to play Hearts on that train.
Thanks for the memories.
Oh how I remember this also. As I recall, I rode that down south with my dad when my brother got shipped off to Viet Nam and we had to collect his car and drive it home. Great train trips are something that this generation is missing out on!