It was early in the fall and a blowin' up a squall

From the trestle you could hear the weirdest moans

With a mighty lonesome cry came a whistle from the sky

And it chilled the very marrow in my bones

Then a loud rushing roar like you never heard before

Turned the blood to icy water in my veins

As I watched with rising fear

Something strange was drawing near

And I saw in the clouds ghost trains

The Cannonball and No nine were racing through the night

Just as they passed me by I heard the engineer cry

Giver her coal give her coal shovel it on

You could see the fireman grinnin'

In the engine that was winnin'

But I knew before the finish they'd be gone

You could see the drivers roll as they shoveled on the coal

And the black smoke came pouring from the stacks

As they thundered through the sky I am here to testify

You could hear the wheel a clickin' on the tracks

Through the smoke and the steam

You could see the headlights gleam

Now I have no proof but still the fact remains

You may doubt it but I swear there were cinders in my hair

When I saw in the clouds ghost trains

The Cannonball and No nine were racing through the night

Just as they passed me by I heard the engineer cry

Giver her coal give her coal shovel it on

You could see the fireman grinnin'

In the engine that was winnin'

As I watched I saw them fade into the dawn