Casey Jones 1957-1958

The Complete TV series of 32 Episodes on 4 DVD's

** Episode 6 guest stars Russell Johnson who, along with the series star Alan Hale Jr. was also a regular on Gilligan's Island years later. **

The series is set in the late 19th century, featuring the adventures of railroad engineer Casey Jones and the crew of the Cannonball Express steam locomotive, fireman Wallie Sims and conductor Redrock Smith, working for the Midwest and Central Railroad. Casey lived in Midvale, a fictional town within commuting distance of St. Louis, Missouri, with his wife, Alice, their young son, Casey, Jr., and their dog Cinders. Although there really was a famous locomotive engineer named Casey Jones of the Illinois Central, the television series is only very loosely based on him. However, it uses the real names of his train, the Cannonball Express, and his fireman, Wallie.

Kenneth Gamet, the producer of Casey Jones, offers a gentler Western series against the more violent adult shows of the time. Casey Jones features the same classical types of plots as other westerns such as train robbers and vandals, but the episodes center as much on Casey's interaction with his family, particularly Casey, Jr.

Cast list

Alan Hale, Jr. - Casey Jones
Dub Taylor - Wallie Sims (the fireman)
Bobby Clark - Casey Jones, Jr. (Casey's son)
Mary Lawrence - Alice Jones (Casey's wife)
Eddy Waller - Red Rock Smith (the train conductor)