The Gandy Dancers: And Work Songs From the American Railroad

The early Railroads became a sign of hope to American people. The work was dangerous. They were a close group who supported each other...men of great honor. By 1910 the railroads employed 1,699,420 Americans. They were conductors, brakemen, firemen, engineers, porters, telegraphers, switchmen and section gangs. Some of the hardest workers were the section gangs. One group called Gandy Dancers, sang songs that helped keep them working together to straighten the tracks. This is a story about the Gandy Dancers, a forgotten group of men like the Pullman Porters. This is our second book in our black history series that we should never forget.