This Train Is Bound for Glory

Bol Partner

"Railroad history and church history intertwine creatively in this saga of national westward expansion and settlement. Personalities and events come alive in the descriptions of developing towns and cities within diverse regional landscapes wherever chapel cars visited. This history, told here in its full parameters and in detail for the first time, is the book's explicit story. The other story implicit in the text, one that surfaces here and there and gives added life to the historical narrative, follows the Taylors' travels along the routes of the thirteen chapel cars over their several decades of accumulated service. The narration of the stories brings railroad chapel car history alive to its readers".-- from the Foreword"Rawlins, Wyoming, 1867 -- The flap of the muddy canvas tent swung open. Through its smoky hole flew the drunken form a young man, little more than twenty years of age -- a Union Pacific railhand, blood spurting from his nostrils, face battered by someone's fist. A farm boy, perhaps from Indiana or Ohio, raised on his pa's corn-fed bacon and his ma's biscuits an' gravy and worn family Bible. As a Union recruit at sixteen, he might have fought valiantly at Antietam, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania. Surviving the Civil War that made him a man, he, like so many others, thought workin' on the railroad would bring him fame and fortune. Instead, it had brought him to the vices of this hell-on-wheels town".-- from Chapter 1Western Railroads: "Hell on Wheels" or HeavenThis extraordinary collection of the history of thirteen "churches on wheels" from the Baptist, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic churches as the chapel cars traveled throughout thewestern United States between the 1890s and the 1930s is a must-have resource for any train, railroad, or church history enthusiast. Spectacular photography, train logs, car floor plans, detailed data about the churches developed, and in-depth interviews with survivors and descendants of those who experienced the chapel cars' missions firsthand -- all provide for extraordinary glimpses into these mission-bound vehicles.

Bol

All aboard! Rooted in the tradition of an African American spiritual, this mesmerizing picture book takes readers on a cosmic journey to heaven, celebrating the diversity of life at every stop along the way. The vivid illustrations and snappy text in This Train Is Bound for Glory bring the Glory Train to life as it welcomes singing passengers. The excitement is palpable as the train clicks and clacks through scenic deserts, over lush mountains, and across sparkling bridges. Under the guidance of the watchful Conductor, the heaven-bound train bops and bounces from Earth to the stars until it reaches the pearly gates, where passengers dance with thrilling joy. This train is bound for Glory—this train! This train is bound for Glory—this train! This train is bound for Glory. Everybody here is a-rocking and a-rolling. This train is bound for Glory—this train! The history of “This Train is Bound for Glory” dates back to 1922 as a popular recording. The lyrics have evolved across the ages. At the end of the book, readers are invited to write their own version of the song in a spirit of hope, joy, and love for a new generation. The world needs more light. Sing on!