Jay Wilsey, aka Buffalo Bill Jr in westerns, wears overalls instead of Levis and has a throttle, rather than a horse's reins, in his hands but still ends up riding to the rescue, albeit on a faster track and a straighter line than usual.
He is a straight-arrow railroad locomotive engineer who, when Matthew Betz stirs up the employees and leads a strike against the company, refuses to join the revolt, and scabs on down the line. This upsets Betz no end, which is nothing new for a Betz character and especially since Betz's agitation-mongering is hiding a personal agenda that has nothing to do with the welfare of the working class.
William V. Mong, the railroad president, decides to disguise himself as an itinerant fireman and go mingle amongst the workers and see what is causing all this unrest. This brings an immediate contrast in acting styles as Wilsey couldn't act, and Mong never saw a piece of scenery he couldn't chew, up to and including the rolling stock locomotives and several miles of tracks and ties in this one.
By and by, Betz, and co-villain Walter Perry, get wise and clunk old Mong on the head and throw him into an empty locomotive, set it on a full-steam-ahead course which does not bode well for Mong or the locomotive.
But...wait...what's this steaming down the line right behind the run-away engine. Why it's "Dynamite" Denny, hand on the throttle and riding to the rescue.
Blanche Mehaffey is on hand as Mong's daughter and Denny's squeeze.
