“Like a long freight train rumbling past a rural grade crossing, its cars emblazoned with names and slogans from every region, this wonderful anthology shakes the very ground of American culture, demonstrating the fierce and enduring grasp of the railroad on poets and songwriters.”—John R. Stilgoe

“Hedin's imaginative and thorough work fills a void. This volume should please a range of readers: academics, folklorists, railroad enthusiasts, and everyone interested in the literary and cultural impact of the iron horse and flanged wheel.”—H. Roger Grant

“What a plum pudding this is. What raisins! What plums! All the railroad songs and poems I know are here, plus about three times as many more. A feast for railroad lovers.”—Noel Perrin