In the movie, the trainmaster discovered a bottle of nitroglycerine in his laboratory
At age 13, Thomas Edison transformed a train’s baggage car into a mobile marketplace, publishing house, and experimental laboratory. He worked as a newsboy, selling newspapers, candy, and vegetables, but didn’t stop there—he installed a printing press and published his own newspaper, the Grand Trunk Herald. His publication not only entertained passengers but also showcased his ambition and ingenuity. Earning $50 a week (equivalent to $2,000 per week today) demonstrates that curiosity and initiative could turn opportunity into enterprise. But the awe of Edison’s story deepens. He converted the same baggage car into a chemistry lab, experimenting freely during train journeys. In the movie, the trainmaster discovered a bottle of nitroglycerine in his laboratory. Edison was forced to make an emergency disposal of the explosive over a bridge. The incident ended his train-based lab, but it did not extinguish his passion for discovery.