Acoustic musicians gather for a jam session outside the Amtrak depot station early Saturday. The depot is undergoing a transition to save it and local musicians are planning a series of “On Time Performances” to greet passengers on the Southwest Chief as it stops over in Lawrence for about a half-hour between midnight and 12:32 a.m. Saturday was the first performance.

I hear the train a comin’

It’s rolling ’round the bend

And I ain’t seen the sunshine since

I don’t know when

— “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash

Stanley Engle hadn’t heard the train rolling around the bend just yet, but at least he was entertained while he waited for it.

Lawrence’s Depot Redux group hosted a jam session featuring several local musicians at Lawrence’s historic Santa Fe Depot at 11:30 p.m. Friday, the first of what the group hopes will be many “On Time Performances,” in an effort draw attention to the station and entertain train passengers awaiting the nightly westbound Amtrak train, which usually arrives just after midnight.

Engle was catching a train headed to Albuquerque, N.M., and was treated to Johnny Cash, bluegrass and other tunes while he waited.

“I was completely surprised. I’ve ridden the train from Lawrence to Albuquerque once before and they weren’t here, so it was nice,” said Engle, who is from Las Cruces, N.M., but moved to Lawrence six months ago.

More than 30 people were on hand to enjoy the fanfare. Carey Maynard-Moody, chairwoman of the depot group, was pleased with the turnout and hopes this won’t just be a one-time gig. She said the group would plan jam sessions as often as musicians were willing to perform.

“We hope to do more jam sessions. I think the appeal of On Time Performances here at the depot is that young people who have trouble finding venues that are open to them are welcome here,” said Maynard-Moody.

Judy Pierce, Lawrence, didn’t have a ticket to ride on Friday, but attended simply to enjoy the music and watch the train go by. She rode from Lawrence to Albuquerque four or five years ago and said she’d never had such a great time, so naturally she was enthusiastic about the group’s work and what it meant for the Lawrence community and the depot.

“I think this is a great idea. I like to see liveliness in Lawrence, so I think it’s great. Let’s keep it up,” said Pierce.

The Depot Redux group was created about a year ago with the intention of enhancing the deteriorating depot at Seventh and New Jersey streets and supporting passenger rail travel. Maynard-Moody said Amtrak recently promised the station a new, ADA-compliant platform thanks to the group’s work. The funding would be the highest Amtrak has ever given in Kansas, she said.