7. ALL ABOARD!
(G. McElwain/R. Stark)

CHORUS:
When you hear that whistle blow
All aboard!
It's time to go

A train knows where it's going
A train can never lose its way
A train can roll on through the night
and get you there before the break of day
A train runs on a train track
A train track's made of two steel rails
Those rails are held in place on wooden ties
by spikes that work like giant nails

CHORUS

A train's pulled by an engine
That engine used to run on steam
But these days it's more likely pow'r'd
by diesel fuel or electricity
On board is the conductor
Who punches tickets or takes fares
The engineer's up front at the controls
in those striped overalls he wears

(The overall is a garment designed for hard work. It’s a single-piece trouser and apron combination that straps over the shoulder. They're called overalls ‘cause they're worn over top of everyday clothes to protect them from dirt, grease, and wear.)

CHORUS

If you go on a train trip
in coach class you'll get your own seat
But in a sleeper car you'll get a fold-down bed
On long trips, that's a treat!
On trains if you get hungry
Or want to stretch your legs a while
There's coffee in the lounge car
In the dining car they serve full meals with style

CHORUS

On trains, look out the window
To get a unique point of view:
Embankments, fence lines, frontage roads,
The backsides of each town that you pass through
A train stops at a station
Some folks get off, new folks get on
And then it takes off down the line
The whistle blows, next thing you know, it's gone

CHORUS

(On my father's train, there are many cars. If it were not so, would I have told you that you can get a ticket from St. Louis to Grand Rapids for $54?)