OUT OF PRINT

Merle Haggard loved and recorded dozens of great train songs, even some of his own compositions, including White Man Singin’ The Blues, found on this compilation. Historically country music’s love affair with trains became official when Vernon Dalhart’s recording “Wreck of the Old 97” sold close to a million 78s in the late 1920s. Former brakeman Jimmie Rodgers successfully combined the music he learned from black railroad workers with his unique yodel to popularize the blues and train songs nationwide. Merle Haggard’s interest in railroadiana stems from his father’s work for the Santa Fe and from his discovery of Jimmie’s music through his idol, Lefty Frizzell. Merle would later record the Rodgers tribute, Same Train, A Different Time, build an extensive model railroad and produce the album My Love Affair with Trains.