Trains Unlimited

Discover how the great 19th-century peacetime invention developed into a powerful war machine, forever altering how, when, where, and why battles were fought.

Immortalized by ballad, the Wabash railroad bridged America's East and West Coasts, and became railroad slang for the Midwest's fastest trains. But its history of luxurious passenger and fast freight trains is rife with tales of financial ruin and constant rebuilding. Take a seat on the Cannonball and ride the rough rails of its legend.

In the early days of the railroads, as robber barons rushed to lay more track than their rivals and the lure of commerce pushed the rails further into the wilderness, accidents were commonplace. In 1890 alone, over 6,000 people were killed and 35,000 injured in train accidents. Today, rail travel is much safer, but a surprising number of train trips still end in disaster. GREAT TRAIN DISASTERS is a riveting, disturbing journey through the dark side of rail travel. Period reports and photographs detail the many problems that dogged railroads in their infancy, from exploding boilers to washed-out track. See stunning footage of more modern accidents and their aftermath, and explore what can be done to make trains safer with officials and experts. And hear harrowing tales of disaster from those lucky enough to survive.

Hop aboard the longest privately owned train in the world, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey's circus train.