The Boy Who Rode the Rails

In the sleepy town of Paxton, Alabama, 1961, seventeen-year-old narrator lives in the shadow of a father he never knew-a railroad stationmaster who died in WWII before he was born. When a twist of legal fortune grants his family ownership of an abandoned rail yard, he discovers an incredible secret: a forgotten Civil War-era locomotive, the Tullahoma, hidden away in an old repair shop. With the help of his spirited girlfriend Samantha and his history teacher Mr. Smith, he embarks on an ambitious restoration project that becomes more than just salvaging a piece of history-it's his chance to connect with the father he never met, who had begun the locomotive's restoration decades earlier. As the trio works to bring the Tullahoma back to life in time for the town's centennial celebration, the young man navigates first love, small-town politics, and his uncertain future beyond high school. Each turn of a wrench, each brushstroke of paint brings him closer to understanding his father's legacy and his own potential. But when disaster strikes on the day of the big reveal, an unlikely alliance becomes their only hope to share their triumph with the town. In this heartwarming tale of history, heritage, and healing, a boy finds that sometimes the most important journeys are the ones that lead us home-to ourselves, to our past, and to the people we love.