This, of course, is the famous "Linin' Track," first brought to public consciousness by Alan Lomax's folk-study "field" recordings of Leadbelly, and since covered by everyone from Taj Mahal to John Denver (in his train-themed final album).

Folk music and its study quickly becomes its own obsession. There are reasons why the Buckingham Lining Bar Gang was pretty much unique in this vocation, and even role-playing re-enactors who can do this kind of thing right--proper period clothing, assuming a character's role for hours on end--are still a rare breed, worth paying if you find a really good one.

I think both David Dewey and M Secco are refering to the Buckingham Lining Bar Gang from Virginia, they were at Railfair 99 there is a photo here http://www.mdshs.org/picture_library/Ra ... 99_007.jpg
There are some videos of them from the Virginia Folklife Project on YouTube

Paul

Take this Hammer is also named, Railroad Work Song. Here is a live performance from The Notting Hillbillies, sung by Brendan Croker. It was also done by Mark Knopfler:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj2N-9JzBz8

Here is a better sound quality of Railroad Work Song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzumKzjzJp4

Here is Jesse Fuller with two songs. I particularly like the first one called Lining up the Track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sXpYAZb2-s

Here is a live performance of Take This Hammer by Leadbelly in 1948:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmGjxWKLo7M

These simple songs say so much about the spirit of railroading in their era.