A young train dispatcher who has worked his way up from the roundhouse becomes a crucial intermediary as labor unrest and petty grievances among railroad workers escalate into a dangerous crisis. Management orders and worker pride collide, leading to sabotage, strikes, and treachery that ignite a forest fire and imperil a midnight run through a mountain valley. Pursuing strange signals, suspected hold-ups, and the trail of a missing woman named Cherry, the protagonist faces discipline disputes, on-the-rails peril, and a catastrophic wreck before tracking events to their resolution.