My Grandfather was retired as a General Foreman on the Pennsylvania railroad at Youngstown,Ohio. He was proud of the fact that there was never a wreck on his watch. My Grandfather was a remarkable man! Joseph R. Miller.😊

My father was born in 1914, he worked for the railroad for 36 years. When I was just a kid, about 6 years old, my dad introduced me to the son of one of the survivors on that wreck, ( he was an old man by that time) I was familiar with the Johny cash version of the song back then. But, the story that man told od the wreck differs from both the songs and this recount. What this mans father told him, and what he related to me over 50 years ago was this... It was a "mail" train, they were way behind schedule and trying to make up time. They did top a hill that had a fairly steep grade with a curve and a tressel bridge at the bottom. They did loose their air brakes, but they still had the manual brakes on each car that could be used. The problem was they knew they could make that 1st curve and the bridge across the gorge, but their was a second curve that went by a school house and through town, they did not think they would make that one. It would mean the train would derail and take out many innocent lives. The conductor and engineer passed this information to all on board. The only other choice they had was to not touch the manual brakes and jump the tracks into the gorge. From what I was told, every man, without exception, agreed to that. I do not know how accurate this story I was told is. All I know is that this is what that mans father told him, and that is what he told me.

My dad used to play the guitar and sing this song to us when we were kids. Such a great memory for me. I never knew that it was an actual historical event. Then again most early country was inspired by history so I shouldn't be surprised.

It appears the speaker/singer is also the entire band? This is perfection personified- as beautiful/tasteful/ PERFECT a guitar solo as I have ever heard. What a wonderful gift God has given you Sir- Bless your heart.

When we were growing up, we had our own version of this song. "I was going down the hill making 90 miles and hour When the chain on my bicycle broke. I was battered and bruised by the rocks and the gravel A poked in the butt by the spoke."

@Pudentame

Ай бұрын

That's the CLEAN version ... not exactly the lyrics I learned growing up. 😉

My Mom who would have been 101 this year always told me how this is the first song she learned all the way through.

The Singer left out a verse in the Song. It goes as follows: "Well a telegram came to Washington Station, and this is what it read ... Oh that brave Engineer that runs Ole 97 is layin in Ole Danville dead"

I'm an Italian train engineer fond of country music and I can tell you sir that this is the best video I found about the old 97 wreck.

I used to sing this song with my friends in the back yard during the '70s. When I reached the last verse and sang "...he may leave you and never return," all of the ladies present would shout their approval!

Superbly told and superbly sung and played. Storytelling at its finest! Thank you!

Personally I think the best version of this song comes from Boxcar Willie. Great video!

My grandfather sang me this song as a tiny child,I'll never forget his love for me, I was always on his knee and this was the oldest song I remember him singing,he was born in 1910...Think it represents how events affected our lives even before we knew what it all meant...My grandfather passed away in 1972 and my life was never the same...

I have driven by where this occurred right off Highway 58 in Danville. I also used to dine frequently at The Old 97 Steakhouse in Danville which is no longer there.

@USA24541

4 ай бұрын

The Old 97 Steakhouse was in the old Whitt depot. The train went past there minutes before the crash occurred.

@johnharris8191

4 ай бұрын

@@USA24541 l miss that place, they had great food.

The first train I rode as a first grader was from Lynchburg to Monroe, Virginia. I always wondered the history this song as I drove to North Carolina through Danville.

@raramcgee4982

Жыл бұрын

You can see the old track still in danville. It's behind the new ymca on the river.

@jimbobf1

Жыл бұрын

My dad was born in Danville, VA in December 1901and his father was a nighttime round-house foreman in Spencer, NC. Dad ended up working at Hardiman's Hardware in Spencer. There was and still is also a Hardiman's furniture store in Salisbury. I think my grandad/dad moved to Spencer because of the railroad and Hardiman's.

Love my hometown Danville Virginia and trains. Thank you for sharing.

Dad was born in 1901 and sang this song.

I play it on the guitar all the time I live about 50 miles from Danville. Love the song.

FANTASTIC! My father sang this to me in 1947!

I'm here because Radio Classics just played an episode of "Suspense" which was based (very loosely) on the tale of the Old '97.

Wreck of the old 97, The Wabash Cannonball, City Of New Orleans there is a bunch of awesome train songs but the wreck of the old 97 has got to be my favorite

@darlenejohnson8864

2 жыл бұрын

As children we were fond of an old railroad conductor Roger kiger who sang wreck. Of old 97. Memories.

@virginiawolfe2581

6 ай бұрын

The Circus Train Wreck of 1918. Dutchman's Grade 1918

A nod to old 97 is Wasteland 2!!! How cool

My name is Steve also and 79 years to the day after this tragic event i had my own catastrophe. On September 27 1983. I GOT MARRIED. 😥😢😭😭😭

@Pudentame

Ай бұрын

Ya should'a slowed down before you got to that curve.

The other famous train wreck in about 1902 was when Casey Jones was killed in a crash near Vaughn, Mississippi. Many songs were written about this train wreck, just like the Wreck of Old 97.

Wow! Great performance of the ballad!!

Enjoyed that infomational video, I am the son of a Reading RR engineer, and proud of that.🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃👍🤠🇺🇸

Just great! Love the storytelling and music!

Excellent video, and wonderful performance of the song....well done

That guitar solo!

Thank you, great performance. Yes the N.C. Museum is also now listed for my next US trip.

Very nicely done! Thank you for the details in this tragic story that turned into a really cool song! Check out the finger pickin version Ed Phillips did with this song, it’s what led me to your video. 👍

Bravo ! very well done. I remember hearing somewhere an audio recording of a witness to the wreckage and he spoke about the canaries. That must have been a very eerie sight. - and a very cool rendition!

Great story! Thanks for sharing the facts about this song.

Mechanics up north used a substitute brake line fitting which leaked. Monroe yard was not given time to wrap the fittings in tape and metal ties, and, also the idler wheels, intended to engage the nested trestle rails to prevent sway, could not be installed under the engine in the yard or it would have hit against the crossed yard rails. Monroe's dispatcher asked Broady to stick to the allotted time for his segment between Monroe and Spencer, not to make up for time lost up north. Fast mail went yard to yard.

Well done and informative, thank you!

Well done and thanx.

Great performance

Mom sang that song to us everynight, as kids.

Good job! Thank you...🇺🇸 😎👍☕

Well done!

I like the wreck of old 97

Interesting,, I've been doing that song for years... NOW I know it's Spencer!! Thanks .. By The Way... The Kingston Trio heisted it for the MTA songs.... the two fit together very nicely! .... Nice job on the song !

Good video.👍🤠

I had a neighbor who had photos taken by a relative of this wreck

Boxcar Willie had the best version of this song

My mother always told us the engineer was her cousin but she never met him

Love Roy Acuff s version!

Now that I've seen the song being played on the video I picked up the chords and can play it on my guitar, 🎸👍🤠🛤🚂🚃🚃🚃

Old 97

I always wonders why there's a massive painting of the ol 97 on the building downtown right off the bridge 6:13

Inspired by Henry Clay Work''s "The Ship That Never Returned"

RIP Brody and the 10 others killed in the accident.🫡

As someone who worked on the railroad I will say they always blame it on the train crew no matter what actually causes the wreck. They'll egg yiu on to get on schedule, but claim you were disobeying speed limits. This in spite of their poor track maintenence to save a dollar on repair crews.

@leechjim8023

7 ай бұрын

Sounds like the same bullshit with trucking today!!!☹️

I have been looking for where to find these old train songs sing then with my uncle in early 60s. I believe there was a number 9, and i think one about 99 too these wewe such good songs. Could you help me thanks

Most importantly Brodie looks like the time-traveler in Star Trek Enterprise.

It is all right To be late

RIP to a brave engineer and his fellow workers. Thank you for this I thought this was just a Johnny Cash song - now I know what is behind it.

@hulkamania5071

Жыл бұрын

there are so many "Johnny cash songs" that aren't really his songs, blew my mind when i found out

2:16 that’s saluda grade

@rogerl4458

3 ай бұрын

I read these comments to see if anyone else recognized where that was. Worked up and down that grade more times than I can remember.

which one is the ol 97?

5:10

I think the singers that sung the classic "Snoopy vs. The Red Baron," stole most of this song.

Nobody has ever explained why old 97 was late & began the chain of events leading to the crash. Thoroughly documented & no one seems curious as to why?

@CraigBaughan-mg3hf

Жыл бұрын

Mechanical problems and heavy traffic in the Washington yard.

@CraigBaughan-mg3hf

Жыл бұрын

Each air brake required a separate flexible air hose from the engine. The postal baggage car carried fuel gas hoses to power the gas lamps and heaters in the post office car, and mechanics thought the hissing was coming from the gas line before they realized it was one of the brake lines.

Born In Danville Va Life Nothing But A Measure ment. ? USPS

Question I know Old 97 Was renumbered. Which one is 97 locomotive 1031 or Locomotive 542?

@nicholmansgarage3501

3 жыл бұрын

Locomotive 1102, leading train number 97 whennit derailed, was not renumbered, but scrapped in 1935 (courtesy of wikipedia)

@CraigBaughan-mg3hf

Жыл бұрын

Management thought Broady's 1102 was a jinx so they put 1102 on a more modern train in the 1920s which was intended as a pacesetter in rail safety. There's a good photo of the other 1102 in one of the music videos.

@makeshasatterwhite-tn2pz

11 ай бұрын

It’s 1102

@makeshasatterwhite-tn2pz

11 ай бұрын

Dummy

Some years ago I met an American, holidaying in England, and asked where he was from. "Oh," said he, "It's a little place you won't have heard of, called Danville, Kentucky." "You mean the place where Steve Broady wrecked the Fast Mail, the Old 97 on the Stillhouse Creek trestle?" "Heck," he replied, "I'd not have expected a Limey to know the song, never mind the story behind it." According to Katie Letchler Lyle, descendents of those canaries can still be found in Danville to this day!

@MorganOtt-ne1qj

8 ай бұрын

Danville KY? Umm, it was in VA where the wreck happened.

Wasn't the train behind schedule because the Southern brake lines didn't exactly fit the mail cars?

Kinda like "Casey Jones " for hippies.

Is the Locomotive still in existence?

@steve-ph9yg

2 жыл бұрын

That was my first question it earned a place of honor in a museum.

@sockshandle

2 жыл бұрын

@@steve-ph9yg sadly no it (the locomotive) was scrapped in 1935 (likely due to it being an elderly locomotive at the time)

@CraigBaughan-mg3hf

Жыл бұрын

A Southern retiree who knew my grandparents said that it was haunted and was moved to its final rusting place on a branch line siding in northern Virginia, built for the real estate investors who owned Southern, the engine was sold with the surplus property then the company downsized.

You forgot Hank 3...

@seaningram3285

2 жыл бұрын

and Boxcar Willie.

This is problem in all modes of transportation trying make up time. People will take short cuts. Can be train airplane truck ship the Titanic captain was making up time

however fast he was going, it was to fast

It was a "black" greasy fireman. Why change the lyrics? He was "black" from shoveling coal. Your political incorrectness is showing.

@daltondick5223

2 жыл бұрын

While I agree with the sentiment against being overly pc I believe it’s just a artists “customization” if you will. Many songs have different versions of the lyrics. For example song about Casey Jones. The original Version told a very fictional story it had different choruses after each verse but Johnny Cash‘s version use the same chorus each time and the lyrics are completely altered to be more factual. When I sing this song I personally say “big greasy fireman “ because I believe it just sounds cooler.

@sockshandle

2 жыл бұрын

@@daltondick5223 and arguably accurate considering to become an engine driver you needed to be a rather experienced fireman first (and on the engines that burned coal quickly well...)

Railroads have never been safe ways to go and they never will 🦉

Crappy band... 🙄