It's 1901, and the fading bayside town of Nevis, Maryland is about to become home to a grand amusement park. As track foreman for the Chesapeake Railway Express, Irishman Patrick Byrne is doing his part, but what he really wants is a desk job with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. A promised bonus could make his dream a reality. He just needs to keep the rail line open so uppity Lawrence Carr and the Bayside Partnership can bring in freight, build their Bayland Park and beat the opening of the amusement park at Sandy Point. A seemingly straightforward task becomes complicated as unrelenting rain, maintenance of way issues, and an uneasy peace with the Germans in town threaten to keep Byrne permanently walking the rails.