Subject:
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Re: Question for you knowledgeable Train-heads
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Tue, 26 Dec 2006 19:36:17 GMT
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Viewed:
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2835 times
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In lugnet.trains, John Neal wrote:
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In lugnet.trains, Dave Schuler wrote:
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At this point I am forced to admit that nearly everything I know about
trains comes from “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” and “The Little Red
Caboose,” with additional blanks filled in by Thomas the Tank Engine.
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Well, confession is good for the soul, but I’m curious as to what exactly
you have learned from these sources, Dave!
Some possiblities from “I’ve Been Working On The Railroad”:
- “I’ve been working on the railroad, all the live-long day” (a job with a railroad entails loong hours)
- “I’ve been working on the railroad, just to pass the time away” (Curious. Implies that working for the railroad is voluntary without pay, and for the presumably rich and bored.)
- “Can’t you hear the whistle blowing, rise up so early in the morn’” (loong ROTTEN hours)
- “Can’t you hear the captain shouting, Dinah, blow your horn!” (whoa, who is “Dinah”)
- “Someone’s in the kitchen with Dinah, someone’s in the kitchen I kno-o-o-ow” (Hello! Who’s with Dinah, and how’d they both suddenly get into a kitchen??)
- “Someone’s in the kitchen with Dinah, strummin’ on the ol’ banjo” (Well, whoever this someone is, they are apparently quite musical)
- “Singing fee fie fiddly eye o, fee fie fiddly eye O O O O, fee fie fiddly eye OOOO, strummin’ on the ol’ banjo!” (He either: a. isn’t too good with writing lyrics, or 2. forgot them).
Frankly, this song actually raises more questions for me than it really
answers.
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Well, I’ve always suspected that it’s a sort of mnemonic code, like “Ring a Ring
of Roses” or “The Pied Piper of Hamlin.”
As for the “working without pay” bit, I fear that many of the bottom-rung
“employees” did exactly that, alas.
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As for the The Little Red Caboose; this story is rife with misinformation!
Chiefly, the brakes on a caboose wouldn’t prevent a train from slipping down
a long, tall mountain. Careful with that dubious source material, Dave!
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Of course, that weighty tome does point out that the Big Black Engine is
puffing and chuffing at the front of the train, while the Little Red Caboose
always came last. I also love the non-pc illustrations that probably wouldn’t
have made it into the book if it were to debut in today’s market...
But I was referring to the song The Little Red Caboose:
Little Red Caboose chug chug chug
Little Red Caboose chug chug chug
Little Red Caboose behind the train train train train
Smokestack on its back back back back
Comin’ ‘round the track track track track
Little Red Caboose behind the train
Woo woo!
and so on.
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As for Thomas and his friends; they provide a lot of insight into the human
condition, but I’m not sure how reliable they are at providing useful
information about railroads. You might want to do some fact checking with
data gleaned from this source as well.
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I’ll keep that in mind. At any rate, I’ve learned not to trust those
Troublesome Trucks, that’s for sure.
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But overall, I’m glad that you are introducing your son to the world of
trainstrainstrains, Dave! One doesn’t really want one’s son growing up with
his head in the clouds (of space:-)
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So far Matthew’s imaginings are decidedly terrestrial, though he’s fond of boats
as well.
We’ll see where Justin’s interests take him. Right now he’s mostly focused on
nursing, sleeping, pooping, and screaming.
Dave!
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Question for you knowledgeable Train-heads
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| (...) I'd heard that "Ring a Ring of Roses" referred to the markings produced by bubonic plague :-) (...) The original books were based firmly on various railways in the UK (my daughter was ecstatic when we visited the Talyllyn Railway in 1991 and (...) (18 years ago, 27-Dec-06, to lugnet.trains)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Question for you knowledgeable Train-heads
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| (...) Well, confession is good for the soul, but I'm curious as to what exactly you have learned from these sources, Dave! Some possiblities from "I've Been Working On The Railroad": "I've been working on the railroad, all the live-long day" (a job (...) (18 years ago, 26-Dec-06, to lugnet.trains, FTX)
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