"Engine One-Forty-Three" is a ballad in the tradition of early American train wreck songs, based on the true story of the wreck of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway's Fast Flying Virginian near Hinton, West Virginia on 23 October 1890. The train was on its way to Clifton Forge, Virginia, when it hit a rock slide. Early accounts record that the engineer, George Alley, remained on the train to try to slow it and save the lives of its passengers. Alley died at the scene, his fireman, Lewis Withrow, was badly burned. Robert Foster, a fireman who had been substituting for Withrow and was deadheading home jumped to safety. The ballad elaborates the story, including a mother, excessive speed, and a motive. Like many Anglo-American ballads, there are numerous versions of this song. For instance, a number of versions have the train going west, from Clifton Forge, and approaching Hinton at the time of the accident. The engineer, George Alley is, in several versions, renamed John Alley, or George Allen, or George Hinton. The song begins in Sewell Yard, or in some versions Sou'ville, or Seville. The cause of the accident might be given as a landslide blocking the rails, a washout of a section of track, or another train in the opposite direction. In several versions, Alley says goodbye to his wife, instead of his mother, sometimes at Sewell Yard, sometimes at Clifton Forge, sometimes at Covington. A search for the song in a card catalog can even be troublesome, as the ballad has been presented under various titles, such as "Wreck on the C & O," "Wreck of the Old Number Five," or "Wreck of the FFV." The author of the song is unknown, but is attributed amongst others to a worker at the Hinton rail yard and to a C&O engineer.
Recordings
The best-known version of the song was written down by A. P. Carter and recorded by the Carter Family either in 1927 and/or February 15, 1929, released in 2009 on JSP Records 2001, JSPCD7701B. However, these may be the same recording. It is also available on the 1993 Rounder compilation . It is also the last song recorded by country music singerJohnny Cash in its entirety, according to his son John Carter Cash. Cash performed the song for the tribute albumThe Unbroken Circle - The Musical Heritage of the Carter Family, released in 2004. Cash recorded the song on August 21, 2003, only two weeks before his death. Joan Baez included the song on her second solo album, Joan Baez, Vol. 2, released in 1961. The back cover gives it the title Engine 143 . Dave Alvin included it on his album Public Domain Townes Van Zandt performed a version titled "FFV" on his album Delta Momma Blues The television showShining Time Station did a rendition of the song in the episode Bad Luck Day At Shining Time Station.
