Time Era

Historic time period: 1801–1861

All Aboard the Train!

Railroads have moved people and cargo around America for more than 180 years.

Jingle the Brass is a book about a young boy who learns words used by railroad workers of the steam-engine era while on an exciting train trip. Explore the story by reading together and then try some of these fun activities to learn more about trains and the impact they had on American history.

The National Museum of American History has a rich collection of objects related to the story of transportation in America. Explore the collections in two online exhibitions, America on the Move and On the Water.

Read This Book

You can learn more about trains by reading these books. Click on the book titles below for more information, or visit our complete bibliography.

jingle the Brass book cover

Featured Book

Jingle the Brass

by Patricia Newman

Jingle the Brass. Copyright Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

Activities

Need the Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® ? Download it here.

Need the Adobe® Flash® Player? Download it here.

See all OurStory activities »

Smithsonian's History Explorer