Gandy Dancers

[cookietwosweet]

For anyone who is interrested theres a short scene in The Color Purple of some Gandy Dancers. I knew what they were doing, but I didn't know what they were called. Thanks for posting.

[jrastacj]

now thats hard work!

[laidback4sho72]

my dad did this back in the 70s and 80s. i once saw him lift a man off the ground by the throat with one hand. the men who did this work were as tough as the spikes they drove.

[eriegamewell]

Very interesting stuff.

[miamivicepastels83]

ah......ty for posting this

[julioinglasses]

Great stuff to watch during wait in Dr. office to check my hurting back.

Now you have to check out the U Utah Phillips soliloquy on gandy dancers and the railroad meal car...

[princefoxx]

How the Hell you gone tell me who my ancestors are!!!My Great Grandmother father is a Gandy!!!!!You can FAceBook my relatives!!!!Good Day!!!!!

[afrothuder]

My great grandpapi use to do this in Mississippi

[darkyoda]

My great grandfather was a section foreman for the L&N for some forty odd years.

[61157Ottila]

Из России с Любовью!!!

[princefoxx]

These are my ancestors~ Mr Gandy is my great grandmothers father! That's why I can sing I know!

[flyinfingers1]

@princefoxx Son... Gandy was a company that made some of the tools the men used to allign the tracks and replace ties it's thought these guys were called Gandy dancers for the way they used those backing breaking implements of destruction in unison and in a timely manner. Oh by the way... there was no Mr. Gandy.

[offamychain]

*** Part II ***

Matter-of-fact, that love of cadence was one of the reasons why I decided to go to Drill Sgt School several years later. (Not the ONLY reason of course) I stayed there for 2 years, then 1 more by special extension. 3 years is about as long as you can mentally last as a Drill. That part will get you LONG before the physical part will. That EXTREMELY tough 3 year tour almost made me never desire to hear or call another cadence the rest of my life. :( :(

[offamychain]

*** Part I ***

I use to LOVE cadence such as this ..... didn't matter what exact type of work it came from, I just loved it all. I remember that marching & listening to the Drill Sergeants call cadence was my very favoritised (made a new word) part of basic training. Not sure I would have made it through as well as I did without that enjoyment of cadence.

[redfootwalking]

Amazing!

[sisi429502]

tu veux pas le faire en french



[7jack7]

Lost and gone forever

[crorivpro]

Hard working men, American Hero's in their own right.

[homegrowntomatoes1]

I had the pleasure of meeting some of these fellows at Boom Days 2009 in Fort Payne, AL. If you ever have that opportunity then you should take it. There aren't many left to teach that part of American history first hand.

[DammitDrag]

My Uncle C.R. Stevens was a section foreman for Seaboard Coast Line in Florida and iI had the good fortune of being able to go with the crew on a motor car and four bull floats behind.

The men that worked for him were never cursed nor were they abused in any way and if it was hot outside they got a break to catch their wind.

The amazing cadence they sung is still with me to this day, Thank God above I got to know the railroad and the men that worked on them.

[WildBluebonnet]

The Chinese did.

[jimjam69]

Excellant history...songs kept men working as one unit wow.

[ATimmeh33]

jelly roll )_(

[DammitDrag]

@ATimmeh33 Loves me some Jellyroll (!)

[cathy5072]

Thank You! I love this video.

[JGMusic40]

Gandy Tool Co. supplied the picks& shovels, the name dancers came from the crews singing and swinging with the music, I know, I worked on the railroad for forty years. Hi- Ball

[mrwoct30]

xxnoangelxx thanks we appreciate it. its probably the hardest physical labor in the world building track by hand

[DnvnQuinn]

The term Gandy Dancer came from Irish rail workers and then was applied to all rail workers.

[xxnoangelxx]

Wow I am just blown away. much love to all railway workers. Give it up to the track gangs!

[alstl04]

Following up on my other comment I want to mention one man in particular. John Turner was a huge man. A spike mall has a fat end and a skinny end, the only guy I ever saw use the skinny end was John. Two men drove a spike in unison and I would hit a spike and drive it down a little ways, John would hit it and drive it 3 or 4 times as far as I could. Another guy I remember is Harvey Green. Havey was in his late 60's and had biceps that young men who go to the gym every day wish they had.

[itsalexagain]

@alstl04 Interesting info, thanks for posting. Anyone who can do that job has my total respect.

[alstl04]

As a former gandy dancer from my teenage years in the 60's, I've been there. Unfortunately I was just a stupid kid and didn't know or appreciate the experience of the older men I worked with. But I heard the songs and lined track with men 50 years older than me. Most of the songs were not for family entertainment. One thing I knew was I needed to find easier work, that was as hard a job as I've ever had. I went from gandy dancer to boot camp and boot camp was far easier.

[TamarZucker]

@alstl04 This was very interesting. Thank you so much. Your personal recollections have added much for those of us who are interested in train lore and/or music history. That this was going on as late as the1960's. I did not realize. And sir, I think you should get these memories written down before they are lost forever and donate the stories of these experiences to a train or musical folkways historical society, even if it's just a page or two. -You right, those are some raunchy sexy lyrics!

[akytilop]

Most of the railroad workers in the North were Irish or Italian.

[monrovia3461]

I found much more buy going to Goggle to do a video search.

[monrovia3461]

too bad there is so much talking

[Draglineoperator]

any way let the songs tell the dam story.

[DNatureofDTrain]

I would sure love to see more Gandy Dancer songs... I always wanted to work for the railroad but since I can not. I would love to learn Gandy Dancers songs, and mimic their work movements in Dances.. - DNatureofDTrain

[monrovia3461]

@DNatureofDTrain

try  howstuffworks11086-railroad-re­volution-gandy-dancers

[monrovia3461]

@DNatureofDTrain

try alumniroundup/2010/02/gandy-da­ncers-documentary

[monrovia3461]

@DNatureofDTrain

try alumniroundup /2010/02/gandy-dancers-documen­tary

[rmbb10]

Awesome.

[DammitDrag]

I had the distinct pleasure of going with my uncle C.R. Stevenson on and section gang in south Florida as a kid, most memorable were the men that worked for uncle C.R., hard working and honorable men all of them.

[bencrazyo2]

they really do... the roots of the blues... I'm a gandy and i'm pretty sure that where i got my name

from

[Sherpa10zing]

thanx 4 posting this....you should put up more of this....i work at a university and am responsible for maintaining a black culture center and i am trying to figure out how to get some gandy dancers to come here for a performance....these men deserve our respek.

[amtraklover]

Try typing Gandy dancers in on Yahoo answers and somebody might be able to answer you're question about them. It good to see someone working to preserve and learn more about our culture.