"The Great Rock Island Route" (Roud 4228), popularized as "Wabash Cannonball" and also known by various other titles, is a 19th-century American folk song that describes the scenic beauty and predicaments of a fictional train, the Wabash Cannonball Express, as it travels on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad.

The tune is most famously associated with Kansas State University athletics and ESPN in 2016 named it the top Big 12 football pregame ritual.

[3] Notably, The Original 1936 story Titled Cal Bunyan's Ireland, Jerusalem, Australia & Southern Indiana Railroad does not mention the Wabash Cannonball.

A more modern version of this chorus (these lyrics sung by Boxcar Willie) is:[5] Listen to the jingle, the rumble and the roar As she glides along the woodland o'er the hills and by the shore Hear the mighty rush of the engine hear the lonesome hobo's call As you travel across the country on the Wabash Cannonball A rewritten version by William Kindt appeared in 1904 under the title "Wabash Cannon Ball".

On October 26 and 27, 2013, Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society's Nickel Plate Road 765, in conjunction with the Norfolk Southern Railway's "21st Century Steam" program, pulled a 225-mile round-trip excursion retracing the Cannon Ball's former route between Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Lafayette, Indiana.

"The Wabash Cannonball" (arranged by Joel Leach) is known as the unofficial "second" fight song of Kansas State University, having been played since the late 1960s.

The Kansas State University Marching Band says that "the Wabash Cannonball has come to represent the survival of the underdog in the hearts and minds of all true K-State fans, and has earned a secure place in the KSUMB's history and traditions.

At Stephen F. Austin State University, the Twirl-O-Jacks traditionally perform to the tune as played by the Lumberjack Marching Band at the beginning of each football game.

[10] Alistair Cooke noted some verses: Lumberjacks and teamsters, And sailors from the sea, And there's fighting boys from Texas And the hills of Tennessee, There's miners from Kentucky And there's fishermen from Maine, All a-ridin' with us On this Wallace-Taylor train.

[11] Baseball pitcher / "Game of the Week" sportscaster Dizzy Dean, while on the air during rain delays was famous for off-key renditions of the "Wabash Cannonball."