The Meaning of New Year's Day's Theme Song
Many railfans and railroad employees may not be aware of the close connection between their vocation/avocation and the traditional song heard at New Years celebrations all around the western world.
Did you know that Guy Lombardo, founder and leader of the "Royal Canadians" orchestra, was a life-long railfan? Yep. For many years, of course, they stood in the cold at New York's Times Square the night of December 31, ready to perform their signature song.
This famous performance had its roots when Lombardo was on tour in Southern California in the 1930s, and spent one of his infrequent days off railfanning in the Los Angeles area. And that eventful day took him to a "golden spike" railroad landmark along the old Sierra Highway, that had a deep and lasting effect on him, his Orchestra, and all of us, even to this year.
For, as the famous Guy Lombardo toured the Southern Pacific right-of-way 40 miles out of town, he came across - and his life was forever changed by...
Yes, that's right...
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keep going...you're almost there...
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There it was, along the Espee right-of-way....
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Of COURSE! You KNEW it!
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That's right...the "old LANG sign !"
The sign reads:
LANG SOUTHERN PACIFIC STATION
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