RADIO RIDES THE RAILS 

Originally broadcast on WDCB
Saturday, June 7, 2003 

Celebrating the 50th   Anniversary of the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois where today’s program originates “live.” 

JACK BENNY PROGRAM (8-3-34) Excerpt.  The program takes place on the Twentieth Century Limited as Jack and the gang return to New York from Hollywood.

BOB ELSON ON BOARD THE CENTURY (1947) Sportscaster Bob Elson greets travelers at Chicago’s LaSalle Street Station.

THE MEANING OF AMERICA (10-3-52)  “Railroads of America” with Martin Maloney and Bill Griskey who offer descriptive pieces about railroads and railroading, including items about Casey Jones, John Henry and the Railroad Robber Barons.

FIBBER McGEE AND MOLLY (2-20-45) The McGees are at the Wistful Vista train station rushing to catch “The Squaw,”  the deluxe train to San Francisco.

EMPIRE BUILDERS (1-5-31) In this Depression-era episode, the entire story takes place aboard the Empire Builder train.  A man is planning to fire half the employees of his lumber mill because times are bad.

COLUMBIA PRESENTS CORWIN (3-21-44) “The Lonesome Train” produced and directed by Norman Corwin. Premiere performance of the folk cantata telling the story of the Abraham Lincoln Funeral Train traveling from Washington, D.C. to Springfield, Illinois. Raymond Massey stars as Lincoln.