Explains how the birth of the railroad forever changed how wars were fought, from the Crimean War and American Civil War through both world wars, the Korean War, and the Cold War and its mysterious missile trains.

War before railways -- The railways called into action -- Slavery loses out to the Iron Road -- Lessons not learnt -- The new weapon of war -- The war the world anticipated -- The great railway war on the Western Front -- Eastern contrasts -- Here we go again -- Blood on the tracks.