The Original Old-Time Radio BBS

Why was the Railroad Hour called "The Railroad Hour"?
All episode I have heard are either 45 minutes or 30 minutes.

Any other show billed with Hour in the title but was really a 30 minute show?

It's very simple, Scotty, it was called "The Railroad Hour" because the sponsor picked the title. Simple addage: You pay the bills; you name your show. The actual time of the each program, as you've pointed out was either 45 or 30 minutes.

Calling a show of less than 60 minutes, an hour of something was very common in the Golden Age of Broadcasting. There are countless examples; here's just a few:

Hour of Charm (half hour), Hour of Faith (half hour), and Hour of St. Francis (15 minutes.) However, Hour of Mystery was 60 minutes as was Fred Allen's Hour of Smiles.

Jack French
Editor: RADIO RECALL
www.mwotrc.com

The RR Hour was a terrific show. One of my favorites was El Capital by Sousa. (Hal Evans)