On the day of The Big Race, Alex and his friends line their homemade soapbox racers at the top of the steepest hill in the neighborhood. After a slow start, Alex deploys his secret fifth wheel and accelerates from last place to the front of the pack. But he loses control and crashes through an old wooden fence, only to discover a fully-functional steam locomotive, "The 587"--destined for the scrap heap. He and his sister Molly devise a plan to rescue the antique engine with the help of an old engineer, Russell, his dog, Sparky, and about every kid in the neighborhood.
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