Life’s Railway to Heaven
I’ve always loved trains, so this hymn was a favorite of mine the moment I ran across it in an old hymnal. The authors were obviously familiar enough with trains and the Bible to spot the similarities. Like John Bunyan through Pilgrim’s Progress, the author provides a wonderful allegory for the Christian life, comparing it to a mountain railway. Our “conductor” is Christ, we must watch the “curves, the fills, the tunnels”—trouble spots in our life, and we must always keep our “eye upon the rail”—or the course that is set before us. One can imagine some engineer on the Mt. Washington Cog Railway in New Hampshire singing this as he navigates his engine up the slope! Here are the complete words.

1. Life is like a mountain railway,
With an engineer that’s brave;
We must make the run successful,
From the cradle to the grave;
Watch the curves, the fills, the tunnels;
Never falter, never quail;
Keep your hand upon the throttle,
And your eye upon the rail.

2. You will roll up grades of trials;
You will cross the bridge of strife;
See that Christ is your conductor
On this lightning train of life;
Always mindful of obstruction,
Do your duty, never fail;
Keep your hand upon the throttle,
And your eye upon the rail.

3. You will often find obstructions,
Look for storms of wind and rain;
On a fill, or curve, or trestle,
They will almost ditch your train;
Put your trust alone in Jesus,
Never falter, never fail;
Keep your hand upon the throttle,
And your eye upon the rail.

4. As you roll across the trestle,
Spanning Jordan’s swelling tide,
You behold the Union Depot
Into which your train will glide;
There you’ll meet the Superintendent,
God, the Father, God the Son,
With the hearty, joyous plaudit,
“Weary pilgrim, welcome home.”

Chorus: Blessed Savior, Thou wilt guide us,
Till we reach that blissful shore,
Where the angels wait to join us
In Thy praise forevermore.