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79-443: The Carter Family made one of the first recordings of the song in 1929, though it was not released until 1932. Another popular version was recorded by Roy Acuff in 1936. The Acuff version is one of the fewer than 40 all-time singles to have sold 10 million physical copies worldwide. The tune is most famously associated with Kansas State University athletics and ESPN in 2016 named it the top Big Twelve football pregame ritual. It

158-625: A 225-mile round-trip excursion retracing the Cannon Ball's former route between Fort Wayne, Indiana , and Lafayette, Indiana . A roller coaster named for the song at the now-defunct Opryland USA theme park in Nashville operated from 1975 to 1997. In 1998, after Opryland's closing, it was relocated to Old Indiana Fun-n-Water Park in Thorntown, Indiana . In 2003, it was moved into storage. "The Wabash Cannonball" (arranged by Joel Leach)

237-535: A 300-mile (480 km) round-trip during peak fall color season, with passengers from around the world. In 1985, the FWRHS obtained ownership of 765. In August 1991, 765 was paired with the recently restored Pere Marquette No. 1225 for that year’s National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) convention in Huntington, West Virginia. No. 765 ran side-by-side with No. 1225 while pulling twenty-five CSX hopper cars on

316-497: A GPS tracker which was viewed over 120,000 times on August 20, 2012, with a mobile app version downloaded over 19,000 times. Of note, the locomotive is the first steam locomotive to maintain an active Twitter presence: a practice later followed by Union Pacific 's steam program. In 2013, No. 765 was officially included in Norfolk Southern's 21st Century Steam program: an effort to engage the general public and celebrate

395-550: A June 7 article that "the Nickel Plate's massive Berkshires – steam engines that look like an engine should – have always been the special pets of Fort Wayne and area rail buffs. But not for long. The famed Berkshires carved an enviable record in railroad history and were the most colorful engines in this part of the country. On the Nickel Plate they were just as economical as diesel power, but the Berkshires are giving up in

474-860: A copyright. On November 4, 1927, the Victor Talking Machine Company (later RCA Victor ) released a double-sided 78 rpm record of the group performing "Wandering Boy" and "Poor Orphan Child". On December 2, 1928, Victor released "The Storms Are on the Ocean" / " Single Girl, Married Girl ", which became very popular. By the end of 1930, the Carter Family had sold 300,000 records in the United States. Realizing that he would benefit financially with each new song he collected and copyrighted , A.P. traveled around southwestern Virginia to find new songs; he also composed new songs. In

553-592: A group, these engines were referred to as the "Seven Hundreds." An additional number of Berkshires (S-4 class) were acquired when the Nickel Plate Road leased the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad in 1949. As a direct result of the Berkshire class, the railroad earned a reputation for high-speed service, which later became its motto. No. 765's construction was completed on September 8, 1944. No. 765

632-545: A hallmark of the group. Her Carter Scratch (a method for playing both lead and rhythm on the guitar) has become one of the most copied styles of guitar playing. The group (in all its incarnations, see below) recorded for a number of labels, including RCA Victor (and subsidiary label, Bluebird), ARC group, Columbia, Okeh and various imprint labels. The Carter Family made their first recordings on August 1, 1927. The previous day, A.P. Carter had persuaded his wife Sara Carter and his sister-in-law Maybelle Carter to make

711-494: A higher technical level, but all acknowledge Maybelle's playing as their inspiration. It has been noted that "by the end of the twenties, Maybelle Carter scratch ... was the most widely imitated guitar style in music. Nobody did as much to popularize the guitar, because from the beginning, her playing was distinctive as any voice." The Carter Family was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1970 and were given

790-561: A line once owned by the Wabash Railroad (and the route of the "Wabash Cannonball"). This was the first time since 1993 that a steam excursion had operated out of Fort Wayne. The 2015 schedule for No. 765 consisted of: July 18–19: Fort Wayne, Indiana , to Lafayette, Indiana , on the route of the old Wabash Cannonball . On the weekend of July 25–26, the Berkshire hauled excursions from Youngstown, Ohio , to Ashtabula, Ohio . On

869-424: A multi-year partnership between them and the FWRHS. On average, the locomotive experiences 3,000 visitors a day when operating, with visitor and passenger numbers running between 40,000 and 60,000 ticket buyers in 2009 and 2011 in less than 30 days, respectively. Typical passenger trains carry anywhere from 600 to 1,000 people at a time, with tickets for many trips selling out in 24 hours. Press reports indicate

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948-451: A new wheel arrangement to accommodate an increase in the size of the locomotive's firebox. An increase in the firebox size allowed more coal combustion and subsequent heat output, improving the amount of steam developed and increasing horsepower. These and other modifications created the concept of "horsepower at speed" or "Super-power" in Lima's parlance. In 1925, this "Super-power" technology

1027-472: A railroad known as the Ireland, Jerusalem, Australian & Southern Michigan Line. After two months of service, the 700-car train was traveling so fast that it arrived at its destination an hour before its departure. Finally, the train took off so fast that it rushed into outer space and where, for all that is known, it is still traveling. Over many years, this popular song's music has remained unchanged while

1106-637: Is a class "S-2" 2-8-4 " Berkshire " type steam locomotive built for the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, commonly referred to as the " Nickel Plate Road ". In 1963, No. 765, renumbered as 767, was donated to the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana , where it sat on display at the Lawton Park, while the real No. 767 was scrapped at Chicago in 1964. In the early 1970s, the newly formed Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society (FWRHS) restored No. 765 and operate it in main line excursion service . During

1185-1134: Is also a signature song of the Indiana State University Marching Sycamores and the Purdue All-American Marching Band as the ISU and Purdue campuses are adjacent to the Mighty Wabash River . It is also associated with the Stephen F. Austin State University Lumberjack Marching Band, the Kansas State University Marching Band , the Texas Tech University Goin' Band from Raiderland , and the University of Texas Longhorn Band . It

1264-582: Is known as the unofficial "second" fight song of Kansas State University , having been played since the late 1960s. It was the only piece of sheet music rescued from the KSU music department in the Nichols Hall fire of 1968, and grew in popularity with students and fans. The Kansas State University Marching Band says that "the Wabash Cannonball has come to represent the survival of the underdog in

1343-515: Is maintained in a restoration shop in New Haven by a crew of 70–100 volunteers throughout the year. The shop is open to the public and houses a variety of other railroad equipment, including vintage steam and diesel locomotives , passenger cars , cabooses and more. The operation of the locomotive is underwritten primarily by memberships to the FWRHS, donations and revenue from ticket sales. In addition to passenger excursion service , No. 765

1422-543: Is the centerpiece to a proposed riverfront development project called Headwaters Junction, in the locomotive's hometown of Fort Wayne. The plan, endorsed as "big, bold, and transformational" by city leaders and civic groups, calls for the locomotive and FWRHS operations to be based in a mixed-use attraction combining railroad tourism, river access, walking trails and "retail, restaurant, residential, recreational and entertainment businesses." A local task force recommended that Headwaters Junction "not be overlooked...when developing

1501-816: The 21st Century Steam program. In 2016, it ran excursions on Metra 's Milwaukee District North Line and even the Rock Island District Line in 2017 and 2018. Since 2022, it visited the Indiana Northeastern Railroad for the Indiana Rail Experience excursions. At the turn of the 20th century, railroads faced a surmounting problem: an increase in traffic and limited steam technology. Railroads commonly relied on drag freights with engines that could pull heavy tonnage but at low speeds. Following experiments with existing designs, Lima Locomotive Works developed

1580-636: The Chesapeake and Indiana , Great Lakes Central , Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and Iowa Interstate , the latter of which enabled the 765 to traverse the Mississippi River for the first time. In 2012, Norfolk Southern leased No. 765 to operate a series of employee appreciation specials in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Missouri, to mark the company's 30th anniversary. The FWRHS, celebrating its own 40th anniversary, outfitted No. 765 with

1659-755: The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award . Keep on the Sunny Side , a musical play chronicling the Carter Family's rise to stardom, premiered at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia , in 2001. Conceived and written by Douglas Pote, the play enjoyed a multiyear run, a national tour spanning 23 states, and an original cast recording ; the Barter has also mounted numerous revivals amid lasting popularity. Renewed attention to

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1738-641: The Joliet Rocket over Metra's Rock Island District between Chicago and Joliet , with music and food being provided for passengers at Chicago's LaSalle Street Station , which was originally the Chicago terminus for the NKP. In 2020, No. 765 was unable to pull any excursions due to the Fire Outbreak! and was only steamed up on the weekend of October 2-4th, 2020. In September 2021, No. 765 returned to

1817-581: The National Register of Historic Places as components of the Carter Family Thematic Resource. In 2017, the Carter Family's story was told in the award-winning documentary series American Epic . The film featured unseen film footage of The Carter Family performing and being interviewed, and radically improved restorations of their 1920s recordings. Director Bernard MacMahon commented that "we first came to

1896-524: The Victor Talking Machine Company under producer Ralph Peer on August 1, 1927. This was the day before country singer Jimmie Rodgers made his initial recordings for Victor under Peer. The success of the Carter Family's recordings of songs such as " Wabash Cannonball ", " Can the Circle Be Unbroken ", " Wildwood Flower ", " Keep on the Sunny Side ", and " I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes " made these songs country standards. The melody of

1975-416: The "Great Rock-Island Route." A more modern version of this chorus (these lyrics sung by Boxcar Willie ) is: Listen to the jingle, the rumble and the roar As she glides along the woodland o'er the hills and by the shore Hear the mighty rush of the engine hear the lonesome hobo's call As you travel across the country on the Wabash Cannonball A rewritten version by William Kindt appeared in 1904 under

2054-494: The 1960s during the height of folk music 's popularity. A film documentary about the family, Sunny Side of Life , was released in 1985. In 1987, reunited sisters June Carter Cash and Helen and Anita Carter, along with June's daughter Carlene Carter , appeared as the Carter Family. They were featured on a 1987 television episode of Austin City Limits , along with June's husband Johnny Cash . The Carter Family name

2133-762: The 1980s to early 90s, No. 765 ran excursion trains on the ex- Southern Railway 's CNO&TP division and ex- Chesapeake and Ohio 's New River Gorge route. Taken out of service in 1993, No. 765 was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 12, 1996. The No. 765 locomotive was completely overhauled and returned to service in 2005. Since 2010, it visited the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, hauling several excursions every year. From 2012 to 2015, No. 765 ran excursions on Norfolk Southern trackage in Indiana , Missouri , New York , Ohio , Pennsylvania , and West Virginia , for

2212-619: The CSX mainline between Huntington and St. Albans . On September 19 and 20, 1992, No. 765 pulled excursion trips on former Illinois Central (IC) rails between Paducah and Central City, Kentucky , on the Paducah & Louisville Railway . In July 1993, No. 765 and NKP 2-8-2 locomotive No. 587 performed a doubleheader while pulling an excursion train, which arrived from Richlands, Virginia , by N&W 611 at Fort Wayne, bound for Chicago, Illinois, for that year’s NRHS Convention. Shortly after,

2291-543: The Carter Family tune "When I'm Gone" occurred after several covers performed a cappella with a cup used to provide percussion, as in the cup game and dubbed the Cups song , went viral and culminated with a short performance in the movie Pitch Perfect . Afterwards it was released as a single by Anna Kendrick . The A. P. and Sara Carter House , A. P. Carter Homeplace , A. P. Carter Store , Maybelle and Ezra Carter House , and Mt. Vernon Methodist Church are listed on

2370-465: The Carter Family. In the winter of 1938–39, the Carter Family traveled to Texas , where they had a twice-daily program on the border radio station XERA (later XERF ) in Villa Acuña (now Ciudad Acuña, Mexico ), across the border from Del Rio, Texas . In the 1939–40 season, the children of A.P. and Sara ( Janette and Joe Carter ) and those of Maybelle ( Helen , June , and Anita ) joined

2449-946: The Carter Sisters" or "Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters"). In 1943, Maybelle Carter and her daughters, using the name "the Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle" had a program on WRNL in Richmond, Virginia . Maybelle's brother, Hugh Jack (Doc) Addington Jr., and Carl McConnell, known as the Original Virginia Boys, also played music and sang on the radio show. Chet Atkins joined them playing electric guitar in 1949 at WNOX radio in Knoxville, Tennessee . He moved with them in October 1949 to KWTO radio in Springfield, Missouri . Opry management didn't want

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2528-536: The Carters through their records, but one of the other things that struck us about them is that they were involved in both of the main waves of America hearing itself for the first time. They made their first impact in that early wave of rural recordings, and then the next stage was the arrival of radio, and in the late 1930s, they went to Texas and were on XERA, a border station based in Mexico that could be heard all over

2607-622: The Carters to bring Chet when they were offered a regular spot on the Grand Ole Opry but Ezra Carter (their father and manager) insisted that Chet come with them, as he was a part of their troupe or band now. Finally the Opry management agreed and Chet went with them when they were hired by WSM and the Grand Ole Opry; their first day was May 29, 1950. Chet worked with them when they did "personals" off and on for 8 years, but mostly on

2686-686: The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic once more to pull more excursion trains on their trackage, and during the final days of this visit, the locomotive reunited in Bellevue with another fellow NKP 2-8-4 No. 757, which recently received a cosmetic restoration by the Mad River and NKP Railroad Museum. Since 2022, the No. 765 locomotive visited the Indiana Northeastern Railroad to haul the Indiana Rail Experience excursions on their trackage as part of

2765-545: The FWRHS was initially unable to secure a host railroad on which to operate No. 765, as mounting liability costs and busy, profitable railroads had all but curtailed the majority of mainline steam excursions during the 765's overhaul. Despite these unfavorable logistics, the FWRHS planned and executed No. 765's first trips in sixteen years at Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum on May 21, 2009. From 2009 to 2011, No. 765 largely operated passenger excursions, photo charters and public events on regional and short line railroads, including

2844-596: The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, Inc. By 1973, FWRHS undertook a 25-year lease of 765/767 and in 1974 moved the engine to New Haven, Indiana to begin what was now a restoration to operation. On October 25, the locomotive was returned to its original number and restoration officially began. From 1975 to 1979, No. 765 was restored to operating condition at the corner of Ryan and Edgerton Roads in New Haven. The restoration site lacked conventional shop facilities and protection from

2923-450: The NKP maintained the locomotive indoors until 1961. In a move to honor the success of Fort Wayne's "Elevate the Nickel Plate" project, the city requested S-2 No. 767 for display in Lawton Park in recognition of it being the first ceremonial train to open the overpass. However, the No. 767 locomotive was discovered to be in deteriorated condition and was scrapped. So the NKP instead donated the No. 765 locomotive, now renumbered as No. 767, to

3002-478: The Norfolk Southern by 1994. No. 765 was given the title of "veteran excursion engine" by TRAINS Magazine in 1992 and named the reason "why boys still leave home" by Railfan & Railroad Magazine in 1994. By 1993, the locomotive had accumulated 115,000 miles (185,000 km) since its last major overhaul by the Nickel Plate Road, 52,000 miles (84,000 km) of which were incurred during its excursion career alone. The locomotive had developed signs of wear and

3081-786: The Twirl-O-Jacks traditionally perform to the tune as played by the Lumberjack Marching Band at the beginning of each football game. The band has also been known to play excerpts from the song during various sporting events. Woody Guthrie , as the Dustbowl Balladeer, adapted the song for his " Grand Coulee Dam ", one of several songs he wrote about the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington. He also composed another song, " Farmer-Labor Train", with

3160-554: The annual convention of the Nickel Plate Historical & Technical Society, Wayne York, Glenn Brendel and Walter Sassmannshausen, Jr. met to discuss forming a group to cosmetically restore former Nickel no. 765/767 and Wabash no. 534, another locomotive that had been installed for display in Swinney Park in 1957. By November 1972, York, Brendel, Sassmannshausen, and John Eichman signed incorporation papers for

3239-546: The central and western United States." The Carter Family's story was profiled in the accompanying book, American Epic: The First Time America Heard Itself . Selected 78 rpm records: The Carter Family's career predated any sort of best-selling chart of country music records. ( Billboard did not have a country best sellers chart until 1944.) Below is a select list of their 78 rpm releases. Victor Records Montgomery Ward Records Decca Records Vocalion Records Nickel Plate 765 Nickel Plate Road 765

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3318-485: The city on May 4, 1963, for display at 4th and Clinton Streets. A plaque commemorating the occasion read: "Nickel Plate Road Berkshire No. 767, used to break ribbon at dedication of track elevation on October 4th, 1955, donated by the New York, Chicago, and St. Louis Railroad company to the City of Fort Wayne as a monument to a great period in the development of our country – the era of steam railroading." In September 1971 at

3397-477: The continuous presence of large crowds of "locals and out-of-towners" and on 765's ability to boost tourism in the towns that it travels through. In 2012, the Pittsburgh Tribune's headline photo proclaimed that No. 765 was the "engine that still can", and later in 2013 called it a "crowd favorite", with CBS Pittsburgh describing it as "400 tons of Americana." When not operating excursions, No. 765

3476-455: The death of a hobo to carry his soul to its reward. The song was then created with the lyrics and music telling the story of the train. When the hobos learned of this train, they called her the "Wabash Cannonball" and said that every station in America had heard her whistle. Another story states that the song is based on a tall tale in which Cal S. Bunyan, Paul Bunyan 's brother, constructed

3555-574: The early 1930s, he befriended Lesley "Esley" Riddle , a black guitar player from Kingsport, Tennessee . Lesley accompanied A.P. on his song-collecting trips. In June 1931, the Carters did a recording session in Benton, Kentucky , along with Jimmie Rodgers . In 1933, Maybelle met the Speer Family at a fair in Ceredo, West Virginia , fell in love with their signature sound, and asked them to tour with

3634-487: The elements, but on September 1, 1979, No. 765 made its first move under its own power. Later that winter it ran under its own power to Bellevue and Sandusky, Ohio for heated, indoor winter storage. In spring of 1980, No. 765 underwent a series of break-in runs and its first public excursion, making No. 765 the first mainline steam locomotive to be restored and operated by an all volunteer non-profit organization . The popularity of restoring and operating steam locomotives on

3713-619: The engine was briefly re-lettered and renumbered to Chesapeake & Ohio No. 2765 (as a C&O Kanawha of her own) in recognition of the heritage of the route on which the New River Trains traveled. No. 765 successfully operated over several Class 1 railroads in the Midwest and East Coast, including Conrail , CSX and Norfolk Southern; pulled the New River Train a record of 32 times by 1993; and headlined 124 trips over

3792-411: The family's repertoire of songs was Maybelle's guitar playing. She developed her innovative guitar technique largely in isolation; her style is today widely known as the "Carter scratch" or " Carter Family picking ". While Maybelle did use a flatpick on occasion, her major method of guitar playing was the use of her thumb (with a thumbpick) along with one or two fingers. What her guitar style accomplished

3871-494: The general railroad system as marketing tools increased with Class 1 and regional railroads in the decades after steam was retired. Before its merger with Norfolk and Western Railway , the Southern Railway , following firebox problems with its former Chesapeake and Ohio 2716 , another 2-8-4 steam locomotive, leased No. 765 in 1982 for a series of successful trips that would pave the way for Norfolk Southern to continue

3950-980: The group for radio performances, by then in San Antonio, Texas . Here the programs were prerecorded and distributed to multiple border radio stations. (The children did not, however, perform on the group's records.) In the fall of 1942, the Carters moved their program to WBT radio in Charlotte, North Carolina , for a one-year contract. They occupied the sunrise slot, with the program airing between 5:15 and 6:15 a.m. By 1936, A.P. and Sara's marriage had dissolved. After Sara married A.P.'s cousin, Coy Bayes, they moved to California . The Carter Family disbanded in 1944. Maybelle continued to perform with her daughters Anita Carter , June Carter , and Helen Carter and recorded on 3 labels (RCA Victor, Columbia and Coronet) as " The Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle " (sometimes billed as "The Carter Sisters" or "Maybelle Carter and

4029-573: The hearts and minds of all true K-State fans, and has earned a secure place in the KSUMB's history and traditions." Currently Kansas State is the prime contributing player of the song and most noted with Big 12 fans and spectators. The University of Texas Longhorn Band plays the song at the beginning of every fourth quarter during football season. The tradition began when Texas was in the Southwest Conference and Kansas State University

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4108-446: The inevitable face of progress." Though the Berkshires had competed with encroaching diesel-electric technology, they were largely retired by 1958 and kept in serviceable condition by the NKP. With the traffic reduction and the acquisition of new diesel locomotives, the steam locomotives were retired to be stored outdoors and scrapped by 1964. Because of No. 765's excellent mechanical condition and favorable reputation among local crews,

4187-466: The journey from Maces Spring, Virginia , to Bristol, Tennessee , to audition for record producer Ralph Peer . Peer was seeking new talent for the relatively embryonic recording industry. The initial sessions are part of what are now called the Bristol Sessions . The band received $ 50 for each song recorded, plus a half-cent royalty on every copy sold of each song for which they had registered

4266-526: The last was used for Roy Acuff 's " The Great Speckled Bird ", Hank Thompson 's " The Wild Side of Life " and Kitty Wells ' " It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels ". The song became a hit all over again in these other incarnations. The original group consisted of Sara Carter , her husband A. P. Carter , and her sister-in-law Maybelle Carter . Maybelle was Sara's first cousin, and was married to A.P.'s brother Ezra Carter (Eck). All three were born and raised in southwest Virginia . They were immersed in

4345-431: The live Grand Ole Opry performances. A.P., Sara, and their children Joe and Janette recorded 3 albums in the 1950s under the name of The A.P. Carter Family. After the death of A.P. Carter in 1960, Mother Maybelle Carter and the Carter Sisters began using the name "the Carter Family" for their act during the 1960s and 1970s. Maybelle and Sara briefly reunited, recorded a reunion album ( An Historic Reunion ), and toured in

4424-684: The locomotive completed a series of test runs on the Chicago, Fort Wayne, and Eastern Railroad in March 2006. Overall, the rebuild consumed more than 15,000 hours and cost over $ 772,000. In 2006, the FWRHS was given an "Locomotive Restoration Award" by the Tourist Railway Association, Inc. and the "Outstanding Restoration Award" from the Architecture and Community Heritage Foundation of Fort Wayne. Despite several attempts,

4503-489: The locomotive was housed in the roundhouse alongside Nickel Plate Road 759 . Between 2016 and 2018, the FWRHS teamed up with Metra , Chicago's commuter rail system, to pull excursions; the 765 pulled excursions between the North Glenview station , on Metra's Milwaukee District / North Line , and Janesville, Wisconsin , with the train being called the Varsity in June 2016. At that time in August, No. 765 regained its original mars light. In 2017 and 2018, No. 765 pulled

4582-413: The nickname "The First Family of Country Music". In 1988, the Carter Family was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and received its Award for the song "Will the Circle Be Unbroken". In 1993, the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative postage stamp honoring A.P., Sara, and Maybelle . In 2001, the group was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor . In 2005, the group received

4661-431: The railroad's heritage through steam locomotive operations. It operated public trips in Ohio and Pennsylvania in May, 2013. Memorial Day Weekend marked the first public steam-powered excursions over Horseshoe Curve since 1977. In August 2013, the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society announced plans to run two 225-mile (362 km) round-trip excursions in mid-October, 2013 between Fort Wayne and Lafayette, Indiana, along

4740-458: The rebuild work administered by FWRHS volunteers. Over a period of five years, No. 765 was completely disassembled, with its boiler, frame and running-gear separated and major components re-machined or rebuilt completely. In July 2005, the locomotive underwent a successful steam test and was later rolled-out the following October for the general public. Fort Wayne and Allen County Commissioners designated October 28, 2005, as "Engine no. 765 Day" and

4819-440: The same melody. On August 29, 1942, he performed "The Farmer-Labor Train" on the AFL - and CIO -sponsored NBC radio show "Labor for Victory". In 1948, he transformed the "Wabash Cannonball" again into "The Wallace-Taylor Train" for the 1948 Progressive National Convention , which nominated former U.S. Vice President Henry A. Wallace for president. Alistair Cooke noted some verses: Lumberjacks and teamsters, And sailors from

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4898-416: The sea, And there's fighting boys from Texas And the hills of Tennessee, There's miners from Kentucky And there's fishermen from Maine, All a-ridin' with us On this Wallace-Taylor train. Baseball pitcher / "Game of the Week" sportscaster Dizzy Dean , while on the air during rain delays was famous for off-key renditions of the "Wabash Cannonball." Carter Family The Carter Family

4977-423: The song was also recorded by Piedmont blues musician Blind Willie McTell . Bing Crosby recorded the song for his album Bing Crosby Sings The Great Country Hits . The song increased in popularity during this time. There are many theories of the origin of "The Wabash Cannonball". Utah Phillips states that hobos imagined a mythical train called the "Wabash Cannonball" which was a "death coach" that appeared at

5056-409: The steam program with larger mainline locomotives like 4-8-4 Norfolk and Western 611 . In the 1980s, the locomotive appeared in the movies Four Friends and Matewan , and became an annual attraction in the New River Gorge operating the New River Trains from 1985 to 1988 and again from 1990 to 1993. These trips regularly saw the 765 with close to and sometimes over 30 passenger cars traveling

5135-468: The tight harmonies of mountain gospel music and shape note singing. The latter dated to the early 19th century and revivals in the South. Throughout the group's career, Sara Carter sang lead vocals and played rhythm guitar or autoharp . Maybelle sang harmony and played lead guitar. On some songs A.P. did not perform at all; on some songs he sang harmony and background vocals, and occasionally he sang lead. Maybelle's distinctive guitar-playing style became

5214-401: The time, the railroad historical society decided that it would fully invest its resources into a complete rebuild of No. 765. Following a series of grant requests, the FWRHS was awarded an 80% match through the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century , which at the time included historic structures. The remaining 20% was raised through donations and contributions, with a large portion of

5293-467: The title "Wabash Cannon Ball". Due to the song's popularity, the Wabash Railroad renamed its daytime express run between Detroit and St. Louis as the Wabash Cannon Ball in 1949. The train carried that name until its discontinuation in 1971 during the creation of Amtrak . On October 26 and 27, 2013, Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society's Nickel Plate Road 765 , in conjunction with the Norfolk Southern Railway's " 21st Century Steam " program, pulled

5372-438: The verses have been updated by song artists. As early as 1882, sheet music titled "The Great Rock Island Route" was credited to J. A. Roff. This version and all subsequent versions contain a variation of this chorus: Now listen to the jingle, and the rumble, and the roar, As she dashes thro' the woodland, and speeds along the shore, See the mighty rushing engine, hear her merry bell ring out, As they speed along in safety, on

5451-425: The weekend of August 1–2, it traveled on the former Erie Railroad from Buffalo, New York , to Corning, New York ; the highlight of the trip was the run over the Portage Viaduct at Letchworth State Park . On the weekend of August 22–23, No. 765 ran from Allentown, Pennsylvania , to Pittston, Pennsylvania . While in Scranton, Pennsylvania , in August–September for Steamtown National Historic Site's RailFest 2015,

5530-447: Was a traditional American folk music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. Their music had a profound influence on bluegrass , country , Southern Gospel , pop and rock music , as well as on the U.S. folk revival of the 1960s. They were the first vocal group to become country music stars, and were among the first groups to record commercially produced country music. Their first recordings were made in Bristol, Tennessee , for

5609-436: Was able to eventually employ 80 Berkshires on high-speed freight and passenger trains with the first order (designated S Class) 15 were supplied by the American Locomotive Works (ALCO) in 1934 based on Lima's design. Eight years later, Lima began producing three more sub-classes, which differed from the S class in little more than weight. Class S-1 (715–739) in 1942, class S-2 (740–769) in 1944 and class S-3 (770–779) in 1949. As

5688-459: Was also a semi-regular performing member of the Carter Family. Third Generation family member Carlene Carter (granddaughter of Maybelle Carter) had ventured into pop music before becoming part of the 1987 Carter Family's second generation revival. June Carter and her sisters were distant cousins of U.S. president Jimmy Carter . This family tree shows the extended Carter family back four generations. Notes: As important to country music as

5767-477: Was also used as the theme song by USS  Wabash . The song "The Wabash Cannonball" is part of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list. It is the oldest song on the list. In addition to the Carter Family 's 1929 recording and Roy Acuff 's 1936 recording, many hillbilly artists recorded "The Wabash Cannonball" during the Great Depression era of the 1930s, and

5846-511: Was first assigned to Bellevue, Ohio , where it was used primarily on NKP's fast freight trains. After World War II , the locomotive worked primarily out of a classification yard in the east side of Fort Wayne, Indiana . Its final revenue run came on June 14, 1958, but was activated one final time to supply steam heat to a stranded passenger train that December, becoming the last Nickel Plate Road Berkshire under steam. As evidence of their reputation, Fort Wayne's The News-Sentinel remarked in

5925-664: Was in the Big Eight Conference . Texas band director Vincent R. DiNino once asked football coach Darrell K. Royal if he had any songs he would like to hear the Longhorn Band play. His response was that they did not play enough country music and that he would like to hear Wabash Cannonball. Band rivalry has developed since both schools joined the Big 12 Conference . At Stephen F. Austin State University ,

6004-705: Was originally slated for a running-gear overhaul upon completion of the excursion season that year. Between 1993 and 2001, No. 765 was largely a static exhibit until a complete overhaul was commenced. In the meantime, the FWRHS operated Milwaukee Road 261 and restored C&O 2716, the same locomotive which had developed firebox problems while on the Southern Railway, under lease from the Kentucky Railway Museum. After initial operations in 1996, No. 2716 required new tubes and flues per newly enacted Federal Railroad Administration regulations. At

6083-452: Was revived for a third time, under the name Carter Family III . It was a project of descendants of the original Carter Family, John Carter Cash (grandson of Maybelle Carter, son of June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash) and Dale Jett (grandson of A.P. and Sara Carter), along with John's wife Laura (Weber) Cash . They released their first album, Past & Present , in 2010. Rosie Nix Adams , daughter of June Carter Cash and her second husband,

6162-713: Was successfully realized in a prototype designated the A-1, which was tested in the Berkshire Mountains of the Boston & Albany Railroad , hence the common name of the locomotive type. The 2-8-4 design was quickly adopted by the New York Central , Erie Railroad , Illinois Central , Pere Marquette , Boston & Maine , Chesapeake & Ohio and the Nickel Plate Road . The Nickel Plate Road

6241-553: Was to allow her to play melody lines (on the low strings of the guitar) while still maintaining rhythm using her fingers, brushing across the higher strings. Before the Carter family's recordings, the guitar was rarely used as a lead or solo instrument among musicians. Maybelle's interweaving of a melodic line on the bass strings with intermittent strums is now a staple of steel string guitar technique. Flatpickers such as Doc Watson , Clarence White and Norman Blake took flatpicking to

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