Oscar Ogilvie Junior loves model trains and his dad more than anything else in the world. His hometown of Cairo, Illinois, is hit just as hard as the rest of small town America by the crash of 1929--the bank takes the Ogilvie house, and all the beloved trains--then Oscar's dad heads to California to find work, leaving Oscar with Aunt Carmen. Deeply unhappy, Oscar finds a friend in Mr. Applegate, a gentleman down on his luck, who tutors him in math and teaches him a trick for memorization. Then one night Oscar discovers his train set running through the lobby of the bank, and also that Mr. Applegate is the night watchman. Soon thereafter, when tragedy strikes, in a surprise plot twist, Oscar finds himself having the craziest adventure he could possibly imagine. This is a tightly written story with astonishing full-page illustrations and an interesting plot. Kids who enjoy time travel--and trains--will probably find something to like here. Not as powerful as Wells' other historical YA effort, this is nonetheless a lot of fun. Upper elementary, junior high.