Casey Jones

Casey Jones. Legendary Engineer. Railroads and railroading are an integral part of our nation's songbook. By the early 20th century, that included songs such as John Henry, the mythical steel-drivin' man;" The Wabash Cannonball, a locomotive with "no equal;” The Rock Island Line, "a mighty good road to ride;” and the ever popular, I've Been Working on the Railroad. Each commemorated a person, an engine, or a deed but none more so than Casey Jones: the Brave Engineer., This much is known for certain. On April 30, 1900, at 3:52 a.m. as "Ol'' 382" approached Vaughan, Mississippi with Jonathan Luther "Casey"Jones at the throttle, the fog lifted to reveal a train not fully on the sidetracks. Casey hit the air-brakes while urging his fireman, Sim, to jump and save his life. Although Casey had cut its speed from 75 mph to 35 mph, "Ol' 382" ploughed through a caboose and three freight cars before it derailed and overturned. All the passengers onboard the Illinois Central train that day were unhurt except for Casey, who was killed., Newspapers around the country ran the story of the heroic engineer. Shortly afterwards Wallace Saunders, Casey's buddy, wrote a ballad in honor of his now deceased friend. Recorded in 1912 as The Ballad of Casey Jones, it has been recorded by dozens of singers over the past century including Eddy Arnold, Pete Seeger, Johnny Cash, and the Grateful Dead who have made it into a legend., After the crash, the Schenectady-built ALCO locomotive was righted, repaired, and ran for another thirty-five years.,