Railroads and Music – Trains in today’s Music Videos 1

This article will cover 5 music videos that I enjoy that all have a locomotive in them that is identifiable and that I really enjoy! Lets start!

Hardhat and a Hammer – Alan Jackson

Terminal Railway of Alabama State Docks #803 in Alan Jackson's "Hardhat and a Hammer"

Alan Jackson in released this song about the working man, and has footage of Railroading, Logging, Mining and trucking. The locomotive featured in this song is Terminal Railway of Alabama State Docks MP15AC #803. She was constructed for the TASD by the Electro Motive Division of General Motors in October 1980 with Frame #806003-1, with an unknown Serial #. She has worked for the same railroad since she was delivered, and is still in everyday use, working the State Docks in Mobile, Alabama.

Here is a photo of the TASD #803 as she looks today:                                                                     http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1223433

Here is the music video that she is featured in

Living on the Edge -Aerosmith

McCloud River SD38-2 #39 in Aerosmith's "Living on the Edge"

Aerosmith’s 1980’s music video “Living on the Edge” has a spectacular shot of McCloud River #39. The scene in witch this shot takes place is the same location that was seen in the movie “Stand By Me” that was already covered by The CineTrains Project. The locomotive was built for the McCloud River in August 1974 by EMD with Frame #74623-1, with an unknown Serial #. The unit stayed on the McCloud River until 1997, when the unit was traded to the Union Pacific railroad in exchange for 5 end cab switchers. When she was released for service by the UP in late 1997, the locomotive became UP 2824. She kept this number until the UP had to put all yard power into the new UPY reporting marks, where she became UPY 824. She is currently in service as a hump locomotive in Southern California.

Here’s a photo of the McCloud 39 as she looked in the music video:                                      http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1932753

Here’s the same locomotive after she was released for service on the UP as UP 2824: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=631704

Here’s she is again, with the UPY #, working as #824:                                                                  http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2384045

Here’s the music video that she appeared in:

Little Pink Houses – John Mellencamp 

Conrail 7841 in "Little Pink Houses" by John Mellencamp

Little Pink Houses by John Mellencamp has two different trains in them, first is this quick shot of Conrail GP38#7841, still in Penn Central paint. The locomotive was built by EMD in May 1970 for the ill-fated Penn Central, as PC #7841. When PC and 7 other railroads merged to form Conrail, she became Conrail 7841.  She was retired from the Conrail roster in 1985, after spending 2 years in Conrail blue paint, and was sold to National Railway Equipment, who stored the locomotive until she was eventually sold to the BNSF railway in 1998. There, she became BNSF #2169, and is currently in everyday service on the vast BNSF system.

Here’s a photo of the 7841 in her Penn Central Days:                                                                  http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=965853

Here’s a photo of the same locomotive a year before being retired, in full Conrail paint (She is the 2nd unit):  http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1588558

Here is the same locomotive after being sold to the BNSF Railway:                                       http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=619685

B&O GP40-2 #4310

The next train we see is Chessie System (B&O) GP40-2 #4310. Built by EMD in March 1978, she carries the Frame #777051-2, and was delivered in the beautiful Chessie Paint scheme. When the Chessie System and the Seaboard System merged in the mid 1980’s, she became CSXT 6209, and is today, currently in service under that same number.

Here’s a photo of the unit as she looked in the music video:                                         http://www.flickr.com/photos/8226029@N06/2434347259/

Here’s a photo of the unit after she was patched to become CSXT 6209 (CSXT marked under the B&O): http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1975850

Here’s a photo of the unit in the classic CSX Grey-Blue-Yellow YN2 paint scheme: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=676561

Here’s a photo of the unit as looks today in the current CSX Navy Blue-Yellow YN3 scheme: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2733867

Heres the music video:

1000 Miles from No where – Dave Yoakam

Copper Basin Railway 208 in 1000 Miles from No where

Dave Yoakam’s 1000 Miles From No Where was filmed in 1994 on Arizona’s Copper Basin Railway. The locomotive used in the film is Copper Basin Railway GP9 #208. She was built by EMD in June of 1954 for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy as their #279. Built with Serial #19163 and frame #5354-5, she was the 5th unit of the Burlington’s 1954 GP9 order. She stayed with the Burlington until 1970, when the CB&Q, Northern Pacific, Great Northern and the Spokane, Portland and Seattle railroads all merged to form the Burlington Northern.  The BN retired her from active service in December 1985 and she was sold to NRE in Silvis, IL, where she had her high short hut lowered and was sold to the Copper Basin Railway. She is still there, lugging copper concentrate out of the mines and to an online smelter for copper production.

UPDATE AS OF 7-7-2013! The Locomotive used in this music video is no longer owned by the Copper Basin Railway. The CBRY traded all their GP9’s in to Metro East Industries in East St. Louis, Missouri in March, 2013. This includes the 208. The units were traded in for several ex-Iowa, Chicago and Eastern GP40-2’s. Metro East Industries has since re-sold the locomotives to Foster-Townsend Rail Logistics (FTRL, aar FTRX). The 208 was last reported at MEI’s Ex-Manufactures Railway Shop in St. Louis, Missouri for shopping and repainting into FTRL’s Orange and Brown scheme. According to an inside source, the Locomotive will be working on FTRL’s Cleveland Terminal Operation in Ohio once shopped.

Here’s a photo of the unit as she looked on the BN:                                                                 http://www.trainpix.com/BN/EMDORIG/GP9/1959.HTM

Here’s a photo of how she looks today:                                                                                                       http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1445133

Every Light in the House is On – Trace Atkins

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