In the words of Alexander McCall Smith: 'You feel the rocking of the train, you hear the sound of its wheels on the rails; you are in the world rather than suspended somewhere above it. And sometimes there are conversations to be had, which is what the overarching story in this collection is all about. It is a simple device: people brought together entertain one another with tales of what happened to them on trains. It takes place on a journey I frequently...

Two teens, Hugo and Mae, are strangers until they share a cross-country train trip that teaches them about love, each other, and the futures they can build for themselves.

Among the people aboard the 97 Silver Meteor are Andie Crystal, a lonely young woman hiding from her youth as a reality TV star; Matthew Scofield, a widower trying to escape his responsibilities to his two young children; and Janette Turlington, a middle-aged mother running from a situation that has destroyed the peace in her home and marriage. These three form a makeshift family on an Amtrak tour through the Southern seaboard, a journey that just...

"These days, if it wasn't for bad luck, John Slocum would have no luck at all. He's got no horse and is only one step ahead of vicious bounty hunters-- meaning that his only way out of San Diego is to stow away on the trouble-plagued Yuma Bullet express. And when he's unexpectedly hired to guard a railroad magnate's beautiful daughter, he finds himself facing down her outlaw fiancé-- and marauding Apache war parties. Surviving this disastrous train...

Disillusioned journalist Tom Langdon must get from Washington, D.C., to L.A. in time for Christmas. Forced to travel by train, he begins a journey of rude awakenings, thrilling adventures, and holiday magic. He has no idea that the locomotives pulling him across America will actually take him into the rugged terrain of his own heart, as he rediscovers people's essential goodness and someone very special he believed he had lost.

"Spring, 1858. The route of the Caledonian Railway through the southern uplands of the Scottish countryside is disrupted by a fatal crash. Inspector Robert Colbeck and Sergeant Victor Leeming are called from the crime of London to investigate, and must contend with old enemy Superintendent Rory McTurk to uncover the criminals behind the disaster. The motive for the crash is unclear, with suspects including the North British Railway, a group of sabbatarians...

When the luxurious Blue Train arrives at Nice, a guard attempts to wake serene Ruth Kettering from her slumbers. But she will never wake again--for a heavy blow has killed her, disfiguring her features almost beyond recognition. What is more, her precious rubies are missing. The prime suspect is Ruth's estranged husband, Derek. Yet Hercule Poirot is not convinced, so he stages an eerie reenactment of the journey, complete with the murderer on board....

Pete the cat and the bad banana. Pete the Cat bites into a bad banana and vows never to eat bananas again, even though he generally likes the fruit. Go, Pete, go! A groovy Pete the Cat adaptation of "The Tortoise and the Hare" finds a bike-riding Pete accepting a challenge from Turtle, who has a new racing car with cool gadgets. Sir Pete the brave. When a dragon kidnaps Lady Callie, Sir Pete the Brave must come to her rescue. Rock on, mom and dad!...