Dummy Line (I), The

DESCRIPTION: Concerning possibly the worst, slowest train in history, which comes "Across the prairie on a streak of rust." Passengers who complain are instructed to get out and walk, but point out that they are not expected until the train arrives
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1927 (Harbin-Parodology)
KEYWORDS: humorous railroading train
FOUND IN: US
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Pankake/Pankake-PrairieHomeCompanionFolkSongBook, pp. 254-255, "The Rummy Dummy Line" (1 text, 1 tune)
Cohen-LongSteelRail, pp. 485-490, "On the Dummy Line" (the main text and tune are "The Dummy Line (II)," but there are selections from and discussion of this song)
Harbin-Parodology, #105, p. 31; #399, p. 97 "The Dummy Line" (2 texts; one is "The Dummy Line (I)," the other "The Dummy Line (II)"
Averill-CampSongsFolkSongs, pp. 107-108, "(Three little girls all dressed in brown, Got on the train at Hillsdale town)" (1 fragment, said by Averill to be from "On the Dummy Line"; it looks as if it was played as a game); pp. 283, 284, 289, 322,"The Dummy Line" (notes only)
DT, DUMYLINE
Roud #15359
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "On the Dummy Line (I)" (lyrics)
NOTES [147 words]: There is a song called "Riding on the Dummy," by Sam Booth & Frederick Carnes, published in 1855. It's not this song. See Norm Cohen's Long Steel Rail for a full discussion. [There is also another "Dummy Line" song; see "On the Dummy Line (II)" for discussion. - RBW]
Uncle Dave Macon's "On the Dixie Bee Line," about a Ford car, is a parody of this song. - PJS
This song may have had some historical influence. The Newfoundland Railway, which was an extremely slow line (18 miles an hour at the best of times, according to Les Harding, The Newfoundland Railway 1898-1969: A History, McFarland & Company, 2008, p. 13), was known as "the streak of rust"; also the "Bullet." Presumably a spent bullet.
Averill-CampSongsFolkSongs, p. 284, points out that a "dummy line" was a urban spur line with a small, quiet (perhaps muffled) engine; it was kept quiet to avoid scaring horses.- RBW
Last updated in version 6.3
File: DTdumyli

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