Re: Australian railway songs

["steamfreak" <steamfreak711@yahoo.com>]

> Getting back on topic, I recall that Patsy Adam-Smith in her book
> "Folklore of Australian Railways" in the early 70s reproduced the
> lyrics of various poems and songs.  One of them was about the end of
> steam on the QR, and included a verse describing how the local vicar
> had the measels, meaning he couldn't bless the stinking diesels.
> Unfortunately the book is archived on the other side of the world in my
> parent's house (in Tassie) so I can't provide any more than that.

The poem (not sure if it is a song as well) is called "The Blessing of the
Fleet".  From memory it went something like this (my copy is also half a
world away, but for some reason I remember this poem.  The second stanza
wasn't quite as reproduced below, not sure what classes the original poem
mentions) -

One Sunday at the shed I find
A truly wondrous vision.
The depot's locos are aligned
With military precision.

Those N's and K's are spic 'n span
And those 4 lovely S's
Are shining much more brightly than
Die Lorelei's gold tresses.

The railwaymen in Sunday best
Have started an invasion.
And the numbers who attend suggest
A wonderful occasion.

So why do all these rail blokes meet,
No charge made for admission,
Well it's the Blessing of the Fleet
A fine old railway tradition.

Just then a fireman says in jest
"T'would be a damn sight quicker,
In getting all these engines blessed,
If we could find the vicar"

A truth, they hear the fireman say,
Which makes the meeting shiver,
"The vicar can't be here today,
He's sick at Little River"

The meeting over, incomplete,
For the vicar's on a sickie.
And so the railwaymen decide
To go and have a quickie.

And as the railwaymen are plied
With alcoholic liquor,
They'll send, I hear the men decide,
Get well cards to the vicar.

Most railwaymen have good intent
But draw the line at writing.
On their behalf this card is sent,
To make your life exciting.

We hope that you may soon
Recover from the measles,
And come again some other day
And bless the stinking diesels...