
DG 'Rusty' Alderson,
TOAST President
Mostly 1830 -1930
Rusty's
All American
Stories
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Not an official Metra Site
Gilded Age & Train Historian
Train Railfan
Historical Characters, Lincoln Family,
Frontier Arizona, Early Railroads

TOAST email: GAstorybook@gmail.com
Home page
Geneva Metra Passengers

Don't Miss Your Train!
Trains sometimes arrive on South Tracks (Platform 2)​
Expect Train
To Arrive on
Platform 1
UNLESS
Announcement says
PLATFORM 2
7 minutes before
scheduled arrival
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Virtual Rail Tour
Read in Metra News about about possible service cuts
Yesterday & Today
RECENT REQUESTS
Your page will be available for 2 weeks.
If you wish to access after that time,
please email me: GAstorybook@gmail.com

Stories You’ll Love
Local Area
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.
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FEATURED VIDEO

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” - .
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
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I invite 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.
​
224 449 1420
​ (10am - 8pm Mon-Sat)
No obligation. Free, complimentary community service ... because history matters

Gilded Age & Railroad Historian
DG 'Rusty' Alderson
Master Story Teller
Amtrak Tour Guide & Tour Organizer
Robert Todd Lincoln reenactor
Former 20 year Arizona resident
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.

President & Editor
224 449 1420.
STORIES BY REQUEST


Series 2
History Slices
History Makers 1830 - 1930
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He wanted to paint but his dad wanted him to be an engineer ... his painting today is worth millions, his invention was revolutionary.
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Lincoln Family 1830 -1930
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Why did Robert Todd Lincoln wished he never played golf on that January 1906 day in Wheaton, IL
Gilded Age Living 1830 -1930
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​​This doctor's method and prescription for dealing with stress ... well, let's say were interesting
Early Railroads 1830 -1930
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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
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Going beyond the TV Westerns
Series 1
Stories by Theme
Early Railroads &
Gilded Age History Makers
How RR Barons Met Their Wives
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Hist Makers Who Died Broke
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They Impacted History
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Sons of Legendary Fathers
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California Rail Barons
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Disgraced Powerful Men
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Creative Frauds
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Game Changers
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Interesting Railroad Men
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How They Found Their 'Gold'
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Sons Who Were Duds
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Unusual Events
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Series 3
Monthly Stories
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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
the line when it accepted a 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. A president's assassination helped
create a railroad company that would
lead to the president's son becoming
CEO some 30 years later. He would serve as CEO for 11 years & Chairman of the Board for 14 years before retiring
at age 79.
6. The question of the day in 1877: does a
galloping horse's hooves leave the ground
at the same time? Solving this led to an
invention we enjoy today.
7. No one realized that this new invention
would some day 'shrink' the nation.
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8.. Beautiful, sophisticated women along with
traveling on railroads were the leading
cause of stress, resulting in the disease
termed 'Americanitis'.
Information and/or to
schedule your call with Rusty
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or call Rusty directly
224 449 1420
​ (10am - 8pm Mon-Sat)


