The coming of the railroad to America in the 1830s was one of the most significant events in its history. Enabling towns, industries, and farms to spring up away from the waterways, it transformed the social and economic face of the nation. Albro Martin's history is a colourful chronicle of the great railroad founders and builders, famous trains, and classic stations. It is, however, much more than a romance of the rails: it also explores the corruption and greed of the pioneers, the too-frequent sacrifice of safety for speed, and the threat posed by other forms of transport.