top of page

Public Edition

Welcome

Underlined links are available to you. Scroll down for informatiion to access more stories

TOAST w line.png

        PROMOTING HISTORY

BECAUSE HISTORY DOES MATTER!**

** How do we know where we are going ... if we don't know where we have been?

  ​​​

 

T.O.A.S.T.

     NEWSLETTER      

      'Track Anxiety"

         at Geneva 

            Metra                           Station

​

                

​

     

​

 

DG 'Rusty' Alderson

  President & Editor

Gilded Age & Railroad Historian

Master Story Teller

   Amtrak Tour Guide & Tour Organizer 

           

     Robert Todd Lincoln reenactor

   

  Former 20 year Arizona resident

      

         President  T.O.A.S. T.

Growing up adjacent to train tracks started my love for trains. Over the years I have gathered rail stories, organized 60 train excursions (involving thousands of riders), served as an Amtrak tour guide and train museum docent in Arizona and Illinois.

During my day in Geneva, IL,  I engage with people and share a story or two.  Most often this happens at Geneva's Metra station, on 3rd Street and/or while walking in the parks.

I then give them my card with an invitation to 

visit my website for access to more stories .

                              INVITATION

​

  Rusty invites you for a "sidewalk conversation (5 -10 minutes)  over the telephone.as the first step to gain access to our stories

        

       You can email to schedule

a call or you can call me directly. 

I look forward to talking with you.

​

      GAstorybook@gmail.com

        

                224 449 1420

​        (10am - 8pm Mon-Sat)

No obligation.  Free, complimentary community service ... because history matters

Railroads David's Loco copy 2_edited.png

  ​Red Caboose​

TRAIN

 TOURS 

& TALKS​

  Yesterday/Today

Virtual & On the Train

        

Rail Logo .png

         Next Get Together

​

        Tuesday April 22, 2025

                     2 - 3:30

  

     Across from Geneva Station

​

              So. Parking Lot

​

                 No reservation needed 

                         Come anytime ...

                 stay as long or short as you want

Rail Fans Geneva Chapter

Important information

​

​

​

  Upcoming Get Togethers

  Topics and more

  

​

Interested? 

Email Rail Fans at 

GAstorybook@gmail.com

   LOCAL INTEREST

           Two                    Distinguished        Ladies associated

      with Fabyan

   Wheeler Park

  and the Great   Chicago Fire of

         1871

 Mary Todd Lincoln 

 visits Kane County

A tunnel under the Fox River? Really.

Rusty happily shares

these stories.

​

Links will be provided

based on your interest(s).

​

   LOCAL INTEREST

    Track Anxiety

   at Geneva Metra

       Station

    Walt Disney's

       Railroad 

    Connection to 

   MOOSEHEART

    Why an RR Underpass on Rt 31 and not at 3rd?

Why do St Charles

Metra passengers 

have to board

in Geneva?

     

Screenshot 2025-02-17 at 10.18.16 AM.png

FEATURED VIDEO

JJ Keigley, Mike Best, and Roger Wilhelmi, W. Chicago, Batavia, and Geneva residents, share their stories and experiences from their combined 135 years of working on the railroad.  Be ready for an entertaining and informative session and for Mark Llanuza's photos.

 

​

At the end of video, JJ Keigley, an immensely popular Metra conductor for 17 years, is shown being honored in a very moving ceremony on ABC 7 , Windy City Live, “Chicagoans you need to Know”.  Metra honors JJ by naming the UP West Corridor the “JJ Keigley Corridor” - .

Stories from 'When America Grew Up' (1830-19300)

also include

the Lincoln's family,

frontier Arizona and

early local railroad history.

  

                       

                    Who’s Who

                    of America's 

         Forgotten History Makers 

                           1830 -1930

   

              Read entertaining and informative stories

​               about history makers who our history

                 teachers didn’t have time to share

               Series 2    
            History Slices

 History Makers 1830 - 1930

​

​

​

He wanted to paint but his dad wanted him to be an engineer ... his painting today is worth millions, his invention was revolutionary.

​

Lincoln Family   1830 -1930

​

​

​

Why did Robert Todd Lincoln wished he never played golf on that January 1906 day in Wheaton, IL

Gilded Age Living   1830 -1930

​

​​

​

​​This doctor's method and prescription for dealing with stress ... well, let's say were interesting  

Early Railroads    1830 -1930

​

​

​

This railroad baron took on a mistress, who he eventually married.  Upon his death, he subsequently married his nephew (also a RR Baron) and together they  established a renowned museum.

Frontier Arizona 1830 -1930

​

 

 

 Going beyond the TV Westerns

Places and Events 1830-1930

 

 

 The first Las Vegas is not where

one would ever imagine

    
      Series  1
Stories by Theme   

                  Early Railroads &

       Gilded Age History Makers

 

How RR Barons Met Their Wives

​

Hist Makers Who Died Broke

​

They Impacted History

​

 Sons of Legendary Fathers

​

California Rail Barons 

​

Disgraced Powerful Men

​

Creative Frauds

​

Game Changers

​

Interesting Railroad Men

​

How They Found Their 'Gold'

​

Sons Who Were Duds

​

Unusual Events

​

​

.

     Rusty's Best Stories  

Podcast         Text   

​ .

    
           Series 3
      Monthly Stories
               

  1. He painted the Masters in the Louvre, but failed to sell his painting in America, thus having to turn to Plan B;  his invention changed communication.                                      .      

      

  

2.   The new railroad would put its future on t         he line when it accepted an dare to race

        a horse.

       

 

3.   Louise's father told George, an immigrant,        he wasn't good enough for his daughter.  

      George set out to prove him wrong.  

      

 

4.   What was so valuable 1000 years ago that        led cacao traders from Central America to

      trade with Native Americans  in the Four

       Corners Region (AZ, UT, CO, NM).

     

 

5.   The father’s assassination helped to create

      a company his son would become CEO

      some 30 years later at the age of 56 and

       would serve as CEO & Chairman of the

       Board  for 25 years before retiring  at

       age 79.

        

      

 

6.   The question of the day regarding horses

        led to an invention we enjoy today.

        

 

 

7.   No one realized that this new invention

       could some day shrink the nation.

 

 

8..  Beautiful, sophisticated women leading

      cause of  stress, among other conditions

      leads to Americanitis 

      Request Themes

      for the following:

​

     Gilded Age Women

     A. Lincoln Family

     Frontier Arizona

     

                  TEASERS   

For most of us, high school was boring .. as our teachers provided the 'foundation' (think dates, etc.).  

​

Thus, there was little time left for stories.

​

Rusty has been on the hunt for those entertaining and informative stories that would have made history class actually enjoyable.

HistMakers   18230 -1930

This Doctor's method for dealing with stress ... well, let's say were interesting  

Lincoln Family   18230 -1930

Why did Robert Todd Lincoln wished he never played golf on that January 1906 day in Wheaton, IL

Early Railroads    1830 -1930

Who started as his mistress, married him, and then married his nephew leading to the establishment of a famous musem?

 Name these Personalities

 History Maker 1830 - 1930

​

He wanted to paint but his dad wanted him to be an engineer ... his painting today is worth millions, his invention was revolutionary.  

​

 Lincoln Family 1830- 1930

 

​Waiting at a crowded train station, he was pushed by the crowd and about to fall in between two passenger cars, when someone grabbed his shirt. Who saved him from serious injury if not death?   

  ​​IRON HORSE

      NEWSLETTER      

Railroads David's Loco copy 2_edited.png

       Information and/or to 

    schedule your call with Rusty 

​

                     Email

       GAstorybook@gmail.com

​

         or call Rusty directly

              224 449 1420

​             (10am - 8pm Mon-Sat)

Railroads David's Loco copy 2_edited.png

  ​​IRON HORSE

TRAIN

TALKS & TOURS 

​

  Yesterday/Today

        

TOAST w line.png
bottom of page