For well over a century and a half, the railroad has crisscrossed the continent in the ceaseless activity that keeps the economy moving. This never-ending workday unfolds hour by hour in "A Day in the Life of Modern Railroading", a remarkable photographic chronicle of North American railroading over twenty-four hours. On May 10, 2007, the anniversary of the Golden Spike ceremony marking the completion of the first U.S. transcontinental railroad, several of today's top railroad photographers set out for every corner of the continent to capture the railroad in action at all hours of the day and night.The result is a magnificent portrait of railroading across the vast canvas of North America, from rural outpost to urban center, port city to Great Plains, dawn to dusk to deepest night. The breathtaking photographs and detailed captions depict every type of railroading-heavy-haul unit trains, intermodal, modern passenger and commuter lines, short-line services, and more. Together they create a compelling picture of the motive power, rolling stock, workers, and operations that keep North American life and business on the rails.