The Kansas City Public Library welcomes railroad historian Peter A. Hansen for a presentation called Dreams of Empire: Kansas City and the Railroads on Tuesday, November 18, at 6:30 p.m. in the Truman Forum at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St.

More than any industry, railroads made Kansas City a regional metropolis. The story of railroading in this area is a richly human one, populated by important and visionary figures like Octave Chanute, Fred Harvey, and Arthur Stilwell. The industry continues to thrive in the present, thanks largely to its inherent fuel efficiency, which makes railroads a green option for the 21st century. 

Hansen, editor of the academic journal Railroad History, leads this exploration of how railroads changed Kansas City and the nation. 

This event is presented with the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in support of its Art in the Age of Steam exhibition, now on display at the museum.