Last of The Gandy Dancers 1970’s Mississippi Export Railroad

Before modern technology, Gandy Dancers could be heard singing from wherever there was a railroad. Rail maintenance crews were once led by track callers, or lead singers, whose purpose was to uplift their men, physically and emotionally, while overseeing the coordination of the work at hand.

The crews became known as the Gandy Dancers because when they all began pulling the lining bars together while singing, they also looked to be dancing in sync. Eventually replaced by machines, MSE had one of the last crews of Gandy Dancers in American History. Watch Charles Kuralt’s 1970s “On the Road" segment featuring the MSE team. #MSE100