Railroad Life

Ruth’s beau died - simply because he was a slave.She is determined to help other enslaved people as she assists with the Underground Railroad. Recently freed and illiterate, Ruth is hired to bake mouth-watering delicious bread in a Philadelphia bakery. Her boss Joseph is kind, handsome, and determined to put an end to slavery. She feels emotionally connected to him as they work together for a common cause. His presence is like a fresh splash of spring rain on her parched soul. However, Joseph has plans. He’s determined to make some major changes in his life. He desperately wants to ...

This compilation of dozens of incredible true stories gathered over a 39 year railroad career, spotlights the unexpected hilarity involved in working in public transportation. Personal experiences run the gamut from sexual escapades to train accidents and even hijackings, almost all of which culminate with laughter. Chapters include: Light at the End of the Tunnel, Not Quite the Mile High Club, I Could Have Slept with Sandra Bullock, My Homosexual Years (sort of ;), How I Met Your Mother, Mr. Poopy Pants, Do Not Hump, I Was Lost But Now I'm Found, and many more. Commuters, train enthusiasts...

Two hundred years ago, slavery had the Southern United States firmly in its evil grip. Around four million African Americans languished in the most appalling of living conditions, their lives controlled by people who saw them as objects. They were starved, whipped, and put to work despite being pregnant, sick, or so young that they could barely walk.

Named one of the "75 People You Should Know" by Trains Magazine, Jim McClellan was a railroading legend and one of the railroad industry’s titans. An iconic and innovative executive, McClellan participated in the creation of both Amtrak and Conrail and worked for the Norfolk Southern, the New York Central, US Railway Association, and the Federal Railroad Administration. My Life with Trains combines a world-class photographer’s love of railroading with the insights of a government and railroad official.

A hidden ledger. A corrupt railroad empire. A woman willing to risk everything to expose the truth. In The Last Ride of the Midnight Queen, Lucy Carter uncovers a dangerous secret—one that powerful men will kill to keep buried. A stolen ledger reveals a massive conspiracy involving bribed judges, stolen land, burned ranches, and a railroad empire built on corruption. Now Lucy is running for her life. Hunted by railroad gunmen and pursued by powerful enemies determined to silence her forever, Lucy must ride across the frontier to deliver the evidence that could bring down one of the most ...

Of all the men labeled as robber barons during the Gilded Age, nobody was as notorious during his time as Jason Gould, known to his few friends as Jay and his many enemies by names not suitable to print. Famed editor Joseph Pulitzer called Gould “[o]ne of the most sinister figures that ever flitted, bat-like, across the vision of the American people,” and Robert G. Ingersoll said of him, “I do not believe that since man was in the habit of living on this planet anyone has ever lived possessed of the impudence of Jay Gould.”

This book is a work of historical fiction. It is a story of my great, great grandfather Clinton Price born a Georgia slave in 1814. Through a series of miracles, Clinton was able to keep his entire family together first in Georgia and then in Texas. Though we do not know his exact words, this book is a result of more than 25 years of research so that it's depiction of slave life is accurate to the last detail. You will better understand where they lived, what they wore, what they ate, their superstitions, how they spent their limited free time and how they cured their illnesses. Perhaps ...

One of the most amazing characters in American history was John Fairfield, a member of the Underground Railroad who helped slaves to freedom before the Civil War. His exploits are mentioned by notables such as Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Levi Coffin (the “President” of the Underground Railroad). All greatly admired him but were shocked by his tactics. Fairfield was the only high-profile abolitionist to charge people for his work. Some assert Fairfield exploited the slaves because he charged relatives in Canada to get their family members to safety, but he used the fees to ...

"The employee is regarded by the employer merely in the light of his value as an operative. His productive capacity alone is taken into account." (Stanford) Leland Stanford: The Life and Legacy of the Railroad Executive Who Became California’s Governor and the West’s Most Famous Robber Baron chronicles the remarkable life of Stanford.

During the Gilded Age in 1868, following the death of the woman he loved and their unborn child, HARKE De JONG flees his Dutch homeland with only a packet of old love letters and a promissory note from George Washington to claim his heritage in the New World. Harke DeJong had loved Lainie Van Huel since the moment he first saw her, but their family members were at the oposiher family were members of the liberal elite who ruled the Dutch government, and Harke's father was the leader of a group of Dutch Seceders who secretly opposed the liberal views of the state church. When Lainie's body is...

Conducting Chaos: A Hilarious Commuter Railroad Experience Get ready to laugh and be entertained with "Conducting Chaos: A Hilarious Commuter Railroad Experience". Written from the perspective of a train conductor, this book takes you on a journey through the chaotic and often absurd world of commuter rail life. Filled with humorous anecdotes and real-life experiences, this book delves into the behind-the-scenes antics of daily rail operations, from the mischief and sensuality to the unexpected events and crisis management. From the interactions with coworkers, management, and passengers, ...

The remarkable and inspiring story of William Still, an unknown abolitionist who dedicated his life to managing a critical section of the Underground Railroad in Philadelphia—the free state directly north of the Mason-Dixon Line—helping hundreds of people escape from slavery. Born free in...

It's 1838, and May Bedloe works as a seamstress for her cousin, the famous actress Comfort Vertue - until their steamboat sinks on the Ohio River. Though they both survive, both must find new employment. Comfort is hired to give lectures by noted abolitionist Flora Howard, and May finds work on a small flatboat, Hugo and Helena's Floating Theatre, as it cruises the border between the northern states and the southern slave-holding states.

Paul and Anna McAllister begin to implement their plans to bring a railroad and other trappings of civilization to New Mexico Territory while continuing to build Estancia Dos Santos, reduce the animosity between the Apache and White men, and fight the shadowy foe known as "the Boss". Long trips, spies in their ranks, and increasing violence between anti-slavery and pro-slavery groups stretch Paul and Anna's resources in every direction. With the help of their family and friends, they race against time to complete their plans before the incessant drumbeats of war begin in the east.

The term robber baron has largely fallen into disuse in the 21st century but there was a time when it was a popular epithet that described the kind of man who, it was believed, built his fortune by taking things belonging to others. Of all the men labeled as robber barons during the Gilded Age, few were as influential as Henry Clay Frick, who rubbed shoulders with men like J.P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie while overseeing some of the era’s biggest companies.

When a toy train locomotive—a chilling replica—is discovered at a gruesome homicide scene, Special Agent Sandra Rose finds herself pulled into an investigation that's off the rails. To crack this enigmatic case, she enlists the help of Samuel Lynch, a railroad expert and former FBI agent. Together, they embark on a perilous journey, tracking a killer whose gruesome tableau unfolds along the railway lines between Chicago and San Antonio, the very route of the Texas Eagle train line.

A homage to trains, storytelling, and the art of imagination. From childhood Christmas sets to running a business designing and selling model railroad scenery, All Trains Great and Small is the inspiring, funny, and heartfelt story of one man’s lifelong passion for model trains—and the creative life lessons they inspired along the way. Author Dominic Villari, owner of Scenery Sheets model train products, invites readers on a nostalgic journey through the miniature worlds that shaped his imagination. Along the tracks, we meet the people, stories, and moments that transformed a simple ...

Self-taught slave and underground railroad worker James Williams' memoir of his escape, time during the Gold Rush, and observations of the world around him. He starts with his birth and then escape - feeling the pull of the California Gold Rush. In these few pages, James gives a fascinating account of the people he met and events he witnessed.

In this witty and entertaining collection of travel tales, an acclaimed journalist explores his obsession with trains--and what his rail journeys have taught him about culture and identity. "I've gone around the world in installments. Every trip has been a revelation. I've watched regions...

Before the rails bound a nation, before love defied all barriers, there was a foundation laid in quiet longing and impossible dreams. Xiulan, the daughter of Chinese immigrants serving the Hastings family, has grown up in the shadow of wealth and privilege, her every day intertwined with the grandeur of the estate. But within her heart lies a secret: an unspoken affection for Robert Hastings, the heir who left for the Civil War when she was just a girl. Now, as the household eagerly anticipates his return, Xiulan’s quiet admiration blossoms into something deeper—something dangerous. ...