There are few things you can't find out about on the internet, so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised that there is more than one website devoted to the late Jimmie Rodgers, aka "the singing brakeman. Rodgers began as a water boy on the track gang at a very early age and was indeed a brakeman on about three railroads until TB forced him to quit. At that time, he began his short musical career, which ended with his death in 1933. That short career influenced many later singers, and amazingly there is still a cult following of Rodgers' scratchy but likeable songs some 70 years after his death. His hometown of Meridian, Mississippi has created a whole festival scene based on the singer and even has a Singing Brakeman Park. The below website has a good bio and complete listing of his songs:

http://www.jimmierodgers.com/home.html
ryarger@rypn.org