The song in this thread is credited to Carson J Robison (1889-1957). Dalhart first recorded this in March 1925, with Robison in his combo, and cut it at least 10 times thereafter, though only once after his acrimonious breakup with Robison in 1928.

But cf the May 1922 issue, p 46, of "Captain Billy's Whiz-Bang," a popular low-brow magazine of the day, which contains "The Old Time Runaway Train, Slowed Down by Nation Jones."

A runaway train came down the track
And she flew, she flew
A runaway train came down the track
And she flew, she flew
A runaway train came down the track
She hit a freight and broke her back
And she flew, flew, flew, flew
The son of a gun she flew.

Subsequent verses are given in shorter form (the reader is directed to "Continue the motions as above")

The fireman he was shoveling coal
And the coal ran into the fiery bowl

The porter's name was Ebony Jones
He was a high-faluter with a pair of bones

The switchman he was turning the switch
The heavy old freight ran into a ditch

So a predecessor, perhaps anonymous, lies beneath the Robison copyright. But the popularity of the Dalhart recording seems to have driven it out of circulation.