The opening of the world’s first trans-continental railroad (in 1869) was the main inspiration for Jules Verne’s epic Around the World in 80 Days, so Accredited Lecturer Mark Ovenden uses Phileas Fogg's railroad journey across the United States as the launchpad for this surprisingly gripping talk on the mapping of railways across this vast country. You’ll hear about how the ‘West’ was opened up by the train, how engineers overcame complex natural barriers like the Rocky Mountains, and what Phileas Fogg’s journey to Medicine Bow looks like today.