The Night Operator - Frank L. Packard;Anthony Uyl

Across a treacherous mountain railroad, courage is measured in seconds-and a single mistake can send tons of steel hurtling toward disaster.

On the Hill Division, the railway twists through tunnels, clings to canyon walls, battles brutal grades, and crosses a landscape where mountains, storms, wrecks, and human error constantly threaten the men who keep the trains moving. From Toddles, the determined young night operator struggling to earn his place among seasoned railroaders, to engineers, dispatchers, mechanics, wrecking crews, and officials confronting crises of their own, every man who works the line knows that responsibility comes with danger.

Through ten dramatic railroad stories, Frank L. Packard brings the world of the early railway vividly to life. Runaway locomotives, wrecks, dangerous orders, desperate rescues, divided loyalties, personal sacrifice, and split-second decisions test the skill and character of the men of Big Cloud. Filled with action, humour, camaraderie, and authentic railroad atmosphere, The Night Operator is a spirited portrait of the people who worked the rails when courage, experience, and a steady hand were sometimes all that stood between an ordinary run and catastrophe.