Art, I see what you mean. I did not have Cohen's book to hand when I made the above posting. Having now retrieved it, I note most of his 'Longest Train' chapter is a discussion of McCulloh's findings, and he gives her full credit for lightening his burden in annotating the song. He gives a full transcription of the Peg Leg Howell recording. I have it on an old Matchbox Bluesmaster LP (MSE 205), but it has probably been reissued on CD by Document.

For those who may not have ready access to Cohen or a recording, the rest of Howell's song is:

I didn't bring nothing to this old world
And I won't carry nothing away

It's late last night when my honey come home
I heard a rapping on her door

She got up in her stocking feet
Went tipping 'cross the floor

Tell me, pretty mama, what evil have I done
That make you treat me cold

I've killed no man and I've robbed no train
And I've done no hanging crime

The last sweet word I heard my baby say,
'What more babe can I do?

'I've done more for you than I'll ever do again
Goodbye, my love, goodbye'

Thus, Howell's lyric has components from a number of song themes.

More pertinent to the specific focus of this thread, Cohen gives a transcription of Dock Walsh's 1926 recording of 'In the Pines'. It includes the following couplets:

Now darling, now darling, don't tell me no lie
Where did you stay last night

I stayed in the pines, where the sun never shine
And I shivered when the cold wind blow

The train run back one mile from town
And killed my girl, you know

Her head was caught in the driver wheel
Her body I never could find

Walsh's text also later implies that a mining train was involved:

Oh, transportation has brought me here,
Take a money for to carry me away

Workers who signed up for the mines were given free transportation to the mine site, but had to pay their own way if they left.

--Stewie.