History Main / RailroadBaron

-->'''Morton:''' How does it feel sitting behind that desk, Frank?
-->'''Frank:''' Almost like holding a gun... only much more powerful.
--->-- ''Film/OnceUponATimeInTheWest''

* E. H. Harriman: Owned the Union Pacific and the Southern Pacific.

* Collis P. Huntington, Mark Hopkins, Leland Stanford (who founded Stanford University in memory of his deceased son) and Charles Crocker, the "Big Four" of the Central Pacific Railroad. They controlled California state politics in the late nineteenth century. For a few years in the early twentieth century, Huntington's son Henry controlled all the trolley lines in UsefulNotes/LosAngeles.

* Tom Garner in ''Literature/ThePowerAndTheGlory'' (tragic hero)

* The Fat Controller in TheRailwaySeries (Sir Topham Hatt in ''ThomasTheTankEngine'') fits the stereotypical appearance as [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a stout man in a top-hat]] but, while stern and businesslike, is also sympathetic to his engines and certainly not evil.

* One of these is the antagonist of the GrandFinale of ''Series/LittleHouseOnThePrairie'', and he gets a NearVillainVictory by purchasing the land Walnut Grove is built on right out from under its citizens. The reason this is a "near victory" is because [[XanatosGambit he was expecting the people of Walnut Grove to stay on the town (and so he would be able to make them his employees) or allow themselves to be kicked out by the U.S. Army (so he could populate Walnut Grove with his employees)]]... but instead the people of Walnut Grove decide to thumb up their noses to the baron [[TrashTheSet by blowing the whole town sky-high]] and leaving with whatever they can pack into a few carriages. The baron gets even more egg on his face when the Army refuses to arrest the citizens for the fact and people from other towns threaten to do the same if the baron buys ''their'' land.

* One of these is the antagonist of the GrandFinale of ''Series/LittleHouseOnThePrairie'', and he gets a NearVillainVictory by purchasing the land Walnut Grove is built on right out from under its citizens. The reason this is a "near victory" is because [[XanathosGambit he was expecting the people of Walnut Grove to stay on the town (and so he would be able to make them his employees) or allow themselves to be kicked out by the U.S. Army (so he could populate Walnut Grove with his employees)]]... but instead the people of Walnut Grove decide to thumb up their noses to the baron [[TrashTheSet by blowing the whole town sky-high]] and leaving with whatever they can pack into a few carriages. The baron gets even more egg on his face when the Army refuses to arrest the citizens for the fact and people from other towns threaten to do the same if the baron buys ''their'' land.

* Cheryl/Carol in ''Series/{{Archer}}'' is an heiress of the Tunt family, an expy of the Vanderbilts (see below) in owning a large railway system, a mansion and opulent hotel in [[BigApplesauce Midtown Manhattan]], and "several Cornelii".

* While not literally a railroad baron, in the Discworld novel ''GoingPostal'', Reacher Gilt is definitely a clacks baron (clacks is like a telegraph) and very much dresses and acts the part.
* ''Discworld/RaisingSteam'': Harry King becomes the Disc's first RailroadBaron, much to his delight, as it allows him to leave a legacy other than his night soil business.

* Sir Harry Percival in ''CatBallou'' (villain)

* [=McCabe=] in ''McCabeAndMrsMiller'' is attacked by agents of a crooked railway baron's company after refusing to sell land to them.

* Cornelius "The Commodore" Vanderbilt (so called because he also owned a vast steamboat network as well). This is also why the sports teams of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanderbilt_University Vanderbilt University]] (which is named after him; he provided the then-huge million-dollar endowment) are called the "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanderbilt_Commodores Commodores]]." The guy never liked his trains however, and he kept refering to them as "them things that go on land".

* In the ''Comicbook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' WeirdWest {{Elseworld}} ''Justice Riders'', Maxwell Lord is a ruthless railroad baron who uses alien technology to create robot railworkers, and employs Felix Faust to wipe out any town that's in his way. Unfortunately for him, one of these towns is the home of Sheriff [[Comicbook/WonderWoman Diana Prince]].

* In the ''Comicbook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' WeirdWest {{Elseworld}} ''Justice Riders'', Maxwell Lord is a ruthless railroad baron who uses alien technology to create robot railworkers, and employs Felix Faust to ruthlessly wipe out any town that's in his way. Unfortunately for him, one of these towns is the home of Sheriff [[Comicbook/WonderWoman Diana Prince]].

* Cheryl/Carol in ''Series/Archer'' is an heiress of the Tunt family, an expy of the Vanderbilts (see below) in owning a large railway system, a mansion and opulent hotel in [[BigApplesauce Midtown Manhattan]], and "several Cornelii".

* Jay Gould
* Diamond Jim Fisk

* E. H. Harriman: Owned the Union Pacific and the Southern Pacific.

* The Fat Controller in TheRailwaySeries.

* There are several non-combat games revolving around a group of players choosing either to compete or to co-operate in driving strategic railway lines across North America. effectively the players take the roles of rail speculators and can come put at the end as either very rich or very bankrupt.

* Cornelius "The Commodore" Vanderbilt (so called because he also owned a vast steamboat network as well). This is also why the sports teams of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanderbilt_University Vanderbilt University]] (which is named after him; he provided the then-huge million-dollar endowment) are called the "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanderbilt_Commodores Commodores]]."

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents'': In "Dad Back in Time", Timmy learns that once of his ancestors, Ebenezer Turner, was offered a chance of becoming a railroad baron but turned it down because he thought [[ItWillNeverCatchOn trains were just a fad]]. As a result, Ebenezer became the town crier and spent his life [[Exact Words crying over the lost opportunity]] and Orville Buxaplenty became the town's local railroad baron. Timmy wishes Ebenezer had accepted the offer and it creates a timeline where Timmy's parents [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity carelessly destroyed the town with their trains]].

* The second series of ''Radio/BleakExpectations'' features Emmett Sternbeater, who dupes Pip into building an entire railway network to pursue Gently Benevolent.

* Collis P. Huntington, Mark Hopkins, Leland Stanford (who founded Stanford University in memory of his deceased son) and Charles Crocker, the "Big Four" of the Central Pacific Railroad. They controlled California state politics in the late nineteenth century.