The 2007 North Platte Rail Fest is officially history, and everyone involved feels it was a great success. Judging from some of the comments I’ve heard from Union Pacific Bailey Yard employees (my husband included), the #1 goal of the festival was achieved – that of making local UP employees feel appreciated. The secondary goal was showcasing the Railroad itself and capitalizing on the popularity of all things Railroad among a segment of the population, and that was accomplished as well.

More… http://www.visitnorthplatte.com/blog/2007/09/2007-rail-fest-is-history.html

The stories of the Orphan Train Riders
by: D. Bruce Ayler (Descendant)

The following rider information was obtained from reunions talks, magazine articles, and newspaper articles. Occasionally, there is a personal letter from the rider or descendant. More detailed information is available in the five volumes produced by the national organization, Orphan Train Heritage Society of America. These biographic volumes were written by the riders, themselves, or by a descendant of the riders.

As the various riders tell their stories, several things become clear about their common experience:

1. They all thought that they rode the only orphan train. Very few realized that they were part of a major migration into the western parts of the United States. Nor were they aware that other countries were also moving their children.

More…http://www.orphantrainriders.com/riders11.html

Outline of Railroad History
by: Mary Bellis

Roads of rails called Wagonways were being used in Germany as early as 1550. These primitive railed roads consisted of wooden rails over which horse-drawn wagons or carts moved with greater ease than over dirt roads. Wagonways were the beginnings of modern railroads.

By 1776, iron had replaced the wood in the rails and wheels on the carts. Wagonways evolved into Tramways and spread though out Europe. Horses still provided all the pulling power. In 1789, Englishman, William Jessup designed the first wagons with flanged wheels. The flange was a groove that allowed the wheels to better grip the rail, this was an important design that carried over to later locomotives.

More… http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blrailroad.htm