“Songs of the Rail” by Alexander Anderson, London, 1878. Dedicated to My Fellow-Workers on the Railway.

First of all, listen to the Song:“City of New Orleans”

Then to the right and to the left one can see a book of poems dedicated to the railwayworkers.

That is what the author writes at the beginning; “I send out this volume, like former ones, in the hope that it may interest my fellow-workers on the railway, and heighten to some degree their pride in the service, however humble may be their position. I trust that its perusal may lead the engine-driver, among others, to look upon his “iron horse’ as the embodiment of a force as noble as gigantic-a force which has opened up for commerce and industry a thousand paths that otherwise would have remained undiscovered: a power destined, beyond doubt, to be one of the civilisers of the world” A.A.

Sharp 133 years ago at the dawn of the development of railway traffic there appeared this amazing book of hymns to the railway people.

Watch photo show from old times:

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“To My Readers” by Alexander Anderson:

“A WORKER on the rail, where, day by day,

The engine storms along,

And sends forth, as he thunders on his way,

Wild strains of eagle song.

Or toiling on with heavy pant and strain,

As if within his breast

A god, bound by some splendid doom to pain,

Lies in his wild unrest;

And struggles like Enceladus, until,

Through all his shining length,

Each fire-fed sinew answers with a thrill,

And shakes and gleams with strength…”

The poet finishes his poem :

“What marvel, then, that seeing, day by day,

The engine rush along,

That I send you, from out the “four-feet way”,

This book of railway song.”

To glorify the hard workers from the railway, listen to the music:“The Platelayer’s Song”