Bernard Hi, re. "The Runaway Train" did you know this was a real incident. It happened in 1963 at Kirkcudbright (as in centipede) station when a train from Tarf failed to stop, ran through a buffer, across a main road, and crashed into a Mr Patterson's shop & house. Mr Maxwell was the station master and also Provest, he was non to chuffed, but as it happened at the begining of carnival week it was great free publicity. The branch was a victim of Beeching a couple of years later.

THE RUNAWAY TRAIN

The runaway train came over the hill and she blew
The runaway train came over the hill and she blew
The runaway train came down by the Dee
And headed straight for the deep blue sea
And she blew

The local inhabitants turned in their sleep as she blew
The local inhabitants turned in their sleep as she blew
The local inhabitants jumped to their feet
As the carriage charged across the street
And she blew

Bob Patterson lay in his bed with a snore, as she blew
Bob Patterson lay in his bed with a snore, as she blew
Bob Patterson lay in his bed with a snore
But he jumped as the carriages banged his door
And she blew

His daughters dreamed of the Carnival Ball as she blew
His daughters dreamed of the Carnival Ball as she blew
His daughters dreamed of the Carnival Ball
And the buffer went right through the restaurant wall
And she blew

The Porter stood with a smile of bliss as she blew
The Porter stood with a smile of bliss as she blew
He said as he stood with that smile of bliss
Castle Douglas had never a stunt like this
And she blew

The Provest he stood with his tongue in his cheek as she blew
The Provest he stood with his tongue in his cheek as she blew
The Provest he stood with his tongue in his cheek
And said "What a start to Carnival Week!" And she blew


ANON


Hope you found that interesting I found it in "The Lost Railway Lines Of Galloway" by Alasdair Wham. As part of a Uni course I am currently researching how text is (I feel) moving back towards orality. I'd be very interested to hear some background on "The Folk Train" history, organisers, how it's run etc. If you could PM me anything that would be brill.

Thanks

Nynia

:-)

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