Interesting. Mr. Norman Blake's version of the song (which is the absolutely, unarguable, perfect version of how it should be played on the guitar, and anyone who disagrees with me on that point is an idiot; I'm willing to allow others the right to their own opinions, but this is a matter of obvious empirical fact)uses a verse very close to the third verse in the version above as his opening verse, then his second verse goes:

97 was the fastest train
that the south had ever seen.
But she ran so fast on that Sunday morning,
that the death toll numbered 14.

then he goes on into the "standard" verses.

Peter.