Ralph, the Train Dispatcher; Or, The Mystery of the Pay Car

On the Great Northern Railroad, young engineer Ralph Fairbanks is about to learn that the rails hide more than just steel and timber. When three suspicious characters board the Overland Express, Ralph's routine run becomes anything but routine. A freight train wreck, a mysterious plot targeting the railroad's pay car, and a cast of unsavory characters determined to strike it rich at the railroad's expense set the stakes high. Alongside his seasoned fireman Fogg, Ralph must rely on quick thinking and railroad know-how to thwart whoever is threatening the payroll shipments that keep the line running. Written in the breathless, patriotic style of early 20th-century boys' adventure fiction, this novel captures an era when trains were wonders of the modern world, and the men who drove them were heroes. The mystery builds steadily, the action comes fast, and the camaraderie between Ralph and Fogg provides heart beneath the intrigue.