Popular Television Shows With Trains Prominently Featured

Television viewing occupies so much of Americans’ free time.

I remember when my family bought its first color tv.

And, I also remember tv shows I used to watch where trains were featured prominently.

The first that immediately pops into my mind is The Adventures of Superman. The famous line (introduced at the same time as the showing of said train, of course) was: “More powerful than a locomotive.” But, there was more than just a locomotive depicted in that scene which came at each show’s beginning.

What you might not be aware of is that for the show’s earlier episodes, a steam locomotive-pulled train was shown. In later episodes, this had been replaced by a diesel-locomotive-hauled train. What I cannot tell you at this time is which railroad’s trains were featured, but I would have to assume that they belonged to either the Santa Fe or Southern Pacific or perhaps both.

Moving on, next there was the show The Wild, Wild West.

I watch old reruns of the show and when I do that today, what has dawned on me mind is how corny the tv drama is. Of course, a lot of shows were and are that way, in my opinion.

At any rate, James West (played by actor Robert Conrad) and his sidekick Artemis Gordon (played by actor Ross Martin), were Secret Service agents working for the President of the United States. Their main means of transportation were horses — ones of the four-legged kind and one fashioned of iron.

Another was named simply Casey Jones, the actor in that role is perhaps more well-known for playing the part of the ship captain in the sitcom Gilligan’s Island, in this case Alan Hale, Jr.

There were probably some other “westerns” where trains were prominently featured, but off the top of my head, I can’t think of any.

Another show I would watch quite frequently where a train featured prominently, was Petticoat Junction, a tv sitcom. The train in that show had a name: it was the Hooterville Cannonball.

There was one episode in particular whose main theme revolved around the train itself and how the parent company’s executives were intent on shutting this landlocked railroad down.

By the end of the program, the one railroad big-wig who went to get a first-hand look, decided ultimately that the train was an asset and the line was ultimately kept operational and intact.

Then there are shows like Blue Bloods where trains are very often shown. These are mostly subway or elevated transit lines. The trains are often shown in a kind of a segueing capacity, meaning they are inserted between the more main scenes.

I notice that when I watch the show and during the action happening inside the NYPD’s 54th Precinct station (prior to the camera taking viewers inside), there are scenes of trains running past on elevated track which presumably is located adjacent to the building that houses that precinct itself.

And, last but not least is the kids show Shining Time Station. The train station was the center — or at the center — of all onscreen activity. Two famous personalities played the part of Mr. Conductor: Comedian George Carlin and Rock-N-Roll legend, British Pop icon and Beatles drummer, Ringo Starr.

The one character, “Schemer,” was the show’s antagonist; he was always up to something of ill-repute, hence, the character name, Schemer. I’m not sure who he was played by but the character added to the show’s interest.

And, in bringing up the rear in a manner of speaking, I’d certainly be remiss if I didn’t add the chart-topper tunes of The City of New Orleans by Arlo Guthrie; My Baby Thinks He’s A Train by Roseanne Cash; Casey Jones by The Grateful Dead; Driver 8 by R.E.M. and perhaps the most famous song of all: The Chattanooga Choo Choo, which was also the name of a feature-length film.

Updated: Dec. 27, 2024 at 6:10 p.m. PST.

Image credits: U.S. Treasury Department via Wikimedia Commons (upper); U.S. War Department via Wikimedia Commons (lower)

All material copyrighted 2024, Alan Kandel. All Rights Reserved.