In the beginning: American railroad dangers and safety, 1828-1873 -- Off the tracks: the changing pattern of derailments, 1873-1900 -- Collisions and the rise of regulation, 1873-1900 -- Major risks from minor accidents, 1873-1900 -- Engineering success and disaster: bridge design and failure, 1840-1900 -- Coping with casualties: companies, workers, and injuries, 1850-1900 -- Safety crisis and safety first, 1900-1920 -- Lobbying for regulation: transporting hazardous substances, 1903-1930 -- Private enterprise and public regulation: safety between the wars, 1922-1939 -- Safety in war and decline, 1940-1965 -- Conclusion: the political economy of railroad safety, 1830-1965 -- Appendix 1: nineteenth-century railroad accident and casualty statistics -- Appendix 2: Casulties and accidents from Interstate Commerce Commission statistics, 1888-1965
