Wheels of War: History of Railroads in Wartime

Railroads are vulnerable: They follow a fixed path that is impossible to disguise, and their moving parts are always visible. And yet railroads have played an important role in every American conflict since 1860. During the Civil War, World Wars I and II, and the Gulf War, railroads transported soldiers and everything they needed, ranging from tanks to uniforms. 

Patricia LaBounty, curator of the Union Pacific Collection at the Union Pacific Museum, draws from the photographic archives to survey the unique ways that railroaders supported American war efforts, including the transportation of soldiers across the country and the operation of railway operating battalions abroad. Join us on Thursday, November 21 at 6:00 p.m. at the Council Bluffs Public Library to learn about this fascinating topic!