"This article explores early railroad expansion in this country and the ways new railroad technologies contributed to the development of the United States, particularly in the western states. The activities presented will help students understand how a steam engine works and why stopping a train can be a lengthy proposition. Students will also learn why magnets will figure prominently in future trains, why train derailments can be caused by hot weather, and why, as legend holds, train robbers put their ears to the track to detect oncoming trains"--Page 33.