Hi all,
I thought I'd try and transcribe Robert Wilkins' "Streamline 'Frisco Limited". It's an amazing track, nine minutes and fifty-five seconds long, and it ends with a fade-out! I wonder how long Robert Wilkins kept going with it. If you hear any of it different let me know. Here's what I got for it:
INTRO
(SPOKEN) This 'Frisco left the shed . . . it's pulled out, behind time. The first thing the engineer told the fireman do, "Shevel [sic] in some coal." He reached and gets the scoop, he gonna shovel coal for 'im something like this: (guitar shovels coal). By that time, they have them a good hot fire. He leavin' town. He reached up and gets his whistle cord and blows for a fare-thee-well like this: (guitar blows fare-thee well). She gone! By that time she's at Mileage Junction bridge. She had been stoppin' every day, but she left town behind time that day. She didn't make no stop there. She give her highball whistle and kept on knockin'. Highball it like this: (guitar highballs). So she just struck across this bridge, and she left town behind time that day, she crossed in full speed. Crossed in full speed, you heard her jumpin' and jostlin' the rail like this: (guitar jumps and jostles). By that time she's at Mileage Junction Landing, she makes her blow and stops there. Blowed for it like this: (guitar blows). The fireman reaches up and gets his bell cord, begin to ring the bell for the station like this: (guitar rings bell). Soon as she leave there, she's on the main line. She water and make to the Boston track. Get off on the switch line before the wreck train leave the South Yard. So she gets around the curve, the engineer puts her into high. Put it in high and heard her change her speech somethin' like this: (guitar changes speech). At last got around that curve, she saw that wreck train, slowed right down into the South Yard like this: (guitar slows down). Whereas she saw she'd make that wreck anyway . . . she stopped and made her wrecker's blow, like this: (guitar blows). Well, after the wreck, some got killed, some got all wounded and broke up. Some good Christian sisters, only the Lord saved them! While they go 'round pickin' dead, one of them old sisters take a second thought, started one of them old-time church songs.
(SUNG) Lord, I wished I was in Heaven, sitting down
Lord, I wished I was in Heaven, sitting down
Oh, angels, oh my Lord,
Lord, I wished I was in Heaven (guitar finishes line)
Lord, I wished I was in Heaven, sitting down
Lord, I wished I was in Heaven, sitting down
Oh, angels, oh my Lord,
Lord, I wished I was in Heaven, sitting down
Lord, I ain't goin' to lay my religion down
Lord, I ain't gonna lay my religion down
Oh, angels, oh my Lord,
Lord, I ain't gonna lay my religion (guitar finishes line)
Lord, take away sin and give me grace
Lord, take away sin and give me grace
Oh, angels, oh my Lord
Lord, take away sin and give (guitar finishes line)
Lord, I wished I was in Heaven, sitting down
Lord, I wished I was in Heaven, sitting down
Oh, angels, oh my Lord
(Guitar finishes refrain)
(SPOKEN) She's on the road again. First, she pulls out from there, she makin' the sorry blow . . . and lettin' the people know she'd had a wreck for haulin' dead on the road. She made a sorry blow like this: (guitar blows sorry). 'Bout that time, she had to go over a hill. So when you get to this hill, she made two blows and had to cut her speed down to get over it. Made two blows like this: (guitar blows twice). She gets over the hill, she makes two blows and picks her speed back up. She's on her way to the roundyard, now. She roll up to the roundyard, she laid four long blows, callin' the flagman. He give 'em the board, he answered two short blows , and rolled on down to the roundyard. Four long blows like this: (guitar blows four long blows). Course, rollin' over in the roundyard didn't hear, put his brakes on to stop it. When he put on his brakes, they heard the drivewheel slide on the rail like this: (guitar slides). Coaches couplin' up at the end. Standin' exhaust, open the steam fire, let the steam off it cool it down.
All best,
Johnm
I thought I'd try and transcribe Robert Wilkins' "Streamline 'Frisco Limited". It's an amazing track, nine minutes and fifty-five seconds long, and it ends with a fade-out! I wonder how long Robert Wilkins kept going with it. If you hear any of it different let me know. Here's what I got for it:
INTRO
(SPOKEN) This 'Frisco left the shed . . . it's pulled out, behind time. The first thing the engineer told the fireman do, "Shevel [sic] in some coal." He reached and gets the scoop, he gonna shovel coal for 'im something like this: (guitar shovels coal). By that time, they have them a good hot fire. He leavin' town. He reached up and gets his whistle cord and blows for a fare-thee-well like this: (guitar blows fare-thee well). She gone! By that time she's at Mileage Junction bridge. She had been stoppin' every day, but she left town behind time that day. She didn't make no stop there. She give her highball whistle and kept on knockin'. Highball it like this: (guitar highballs). So she just struck across this bridge, and she left town behind time that day, she crossed in full speed. Crossed in full speed, you heard her jumpin' and jostlin' the rail like this: (guitar jumps and jostles). By that time she's at Mileage Junction Landing, she makes her blow and stops there. Blowed for it like this: (guitar blows). The fireman reaches up and gets his bell cord, begin to ring the bell for the station like this: (guitar rings bell). Soon as she leave there, she's on the main line. She water and make to the Boston track. Get off on the switch line before the wreck train leave the South Yard. So she gets around the curve, the engineer puts her into high. Put it in high and heard her change her speech somethin' like this: (guitar changes speech). At last got around that curve, she saw that wreck train, slowed right down into the South Yard like this: (guitar slows down). Whereas she saw she'd make that wreck anyway . . . she stopped and made her wrecker's blow, like this: (guitar blows). Well, after the wreck, some got killed, some got all wounded and broke up. Some good Christian sisters, only the Lord saved them! While they go 'round pickin' dead, one of them old sisters take a second thought, started one of them old-time church songs.
(SUNG) Lord, I wished I was in Heaven, sitting down
Lord, I wished I was in Heaven, sitting down
Oh, angels, oh my Lord,
Lord, I wished I was in Heaven (guitar finishes line)
Lord, I wished I was in Heaven, sitting down
Lord, I wished I was in Heaven, sitting down
Oh, angels, oh my Lord,
Lord, I wished I was in Heaven, sitting down
Lord, I ain't goin' to lay my religion down
Lord, I ain't gonna lay my religion down
Oh, angels, oh my Lord,
Lord, I ain't gonna lay my religion (guitar finishes line)
Lord, take away sin and give me grace
Lord, take away sin and give me grace
Oh, angels, oh my Lord
Lord, take away sin and give (guitar finishes line)
Lord, I wished I was in Heaven, sitting down
Lord, I wished I was in Heaven, sitting down
Oh, angels, oh my Lord
(Guitar finishes refrain)
(SPOKEN) She's on the road again. First, she pulls out from there, she makin' the sorry blow . . . and lettin' the people know she'd had a wreck for haulin' dead on the road. She made a sorry blow like this: (guitar blows sorry). 'Bout that time, she had to go over a hill. So when you get to this hill, she made two blows and had to cut her speed down to get over it. Made two blows like this: (guitar blows twice). She gets over the hill, she makes two blows and picks her speed back up. She's on her way to the roundyard, now. She roll up to the roundyard, she laid four long blows, callin' the flagman. He give 'em the board, he answered two short blows , and rolled on down to the roundyard. Four long blows like this: (guitar blows four long blows). Course, rollin' over in the roundyard didn't hear, put his brakes on to stop it. When he put on his brakes, they heard the drivewheel slide on the rail like this: (guitar slides). Coaches couplin' up at the end. Standin' exhaust, open the steam fire, let the steam off it cool it down.
All best,
Johnm