Railroading on the Great Divide
(Sara Carter Bayes, 1952 or before)
Nineteen and sixteen I started to roam
Out in the West, no money, no home;
I went drifting along with the tide,
I landed on the Great Divide.
cho: Railroading on the Great Divide,
Nothing around me but Rockies and sky:
There you'll find me as years go by,
Railroading on the Great Divide.
Ask any old-timer from Old Cheyenne,
Railroad in Wyoming, the best in the land
The long steel rails, the short crossties
I laid across the Great Divide.
As I looked out across the breeze
Number Three coming, the fastest on wheels;
Through old Laramie (Lamar) she glides with pride,
And rolls across the Great Divide.
The following text is from Norm Cohen's book, Long Steel Rail. He says
it was written by Sara Carter Bayes and recorded in 1952 by the A. P.
Carter Family (A P Carter, Sara Carter Bayes and children Joe and
Janette). Cohen transcribed the words from the recording, but made
One geographical correction. The recording mentions the town of Lamar,
which is in Colorado. The town of Laramie is in Wyoming.RR
RR
APR99
Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!