"Down by the Station", also known as "Down at the Station", is a popular song written by Paul Mills andSlim Gaillard and first recorded by The Slim Gaillard Trio in 1947.^[1] The song was most famously recorded byTommy Dorsey in 1948.

"Station" remains popular today as achildren's music standard, a simple song about a railroad station master seeing the steam locomotives off to work. The lyrics are:

Down by the station early in the morning,
See the little pufferbellies all in a row.
See the engine driver pull the little handle,
Puff, puff, Toot! Toot! Off we go.

The song itself predates 1948; it was reportedly seen in a 1931 issue ofRecreation.^[2]

Whether deliberately copied or not, the melody of "Down by the Station" is closely related to the chorus of theFrench-Canadian folk song "Alouette".^{[3][better source needed]} Some have pointed out that though the first line is similar to "Alouette", it is closer to the tune of "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider," with the first two lines being similar.^{[original research?]} The third line of "Down By the Station" is higher in pitch than the second, and the fourth line returns to the pitch of the first line (except for a higher pitched or onomatopoetic "Toot! Toot!").^{[original research?]}

• The Four Preps recorded a version of "Down By the Station" in 1959, featuring an entirely different set of lyrics by group membersBruce Belland andGlen Larson. It peaked at #13 on the BillboardHot 100^[4] and #10 inCanada.^[5]

• The lyrics may have inspired ReverendWilbert Awdry to write his firstRailway Series story,Edward's Day Out.^[6]

List of train songs