The O & W Railroad had long been in decline
In the local parlance called the Old and Weary Line
When one autumn evening in 1955
Engine 803 began her fateful drive
She started in Oswego on her regular run
She was bound for Norwich, but destined for Hamilton
Furniture, steel and lumber she carried in her cars
And from the Nestle Factory a freight of chocolate bars
Someone flipped the track switch, they never found out who
It was too late to do anything once the train went through
She rose up on an incline - went sailing through the air
Crashed into Leland's coal shed some 90 feet from there.
The little ones of Hamilton were in for a surprise
They approached the wreckage cautiously and there before their eyes
Treasure all around them - more than they could eat
The Great Chocolate Train Wreck lay there at their feet
Families returned with wheelbarrows to gather up the loot
Nestle bars, cocoa, and chocolate chips to boot
500 grand in damages, sure, but nothing could be finer
Especially since the injuries were relatively minor
In 1957 the line shut down for good
And in Fulton there's an Aldi's where the chocolate factory stood
But the chocolate wreck lives on in local village lore
If you grew up in Hamilton, you've heard this tale before.
Many years later a stranger came to town
And made his home the site where the chocolate wreck went down
He was a former brakeman who had traveled near and far
His name was Ed Vollmer and he taught me to play guitar
Irish singer-songwriter Oisin Leech's acoustic folk music is characterized by its muted beauty and intimate, solitary quality. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 16, 2024
The latest album by Phill Reynolds, a project of Italian singer Silva Martino Cantele, takes listeners on an Americana-fueled musical ride. Bandcamp New & Notable Jul 8, 2022
Epic, immersive songs that you disappear into, with rich layers of keys and ghostly vocal melodies conjuring a misty dreamworld. Bandcamp New & Notable May 2, 2022
Singer-songwriter Henry Parker puts his own spin on the classic sounds of '60s and '70s British folk on this wilderness-inspired new LP. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 9, 2021
"Dustups" continues Body Surfer’s exploration of intimacy and personal history, rich acoustic folk deep in meaning. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 24, 2021
A collection of twinkling bedroom folk-pop demos from Fahim Rahman that arcs from hushed intimacy to sweeping cinematic emotionality. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 6, 2021