Sir Henry Thornton was a railroad man. He grew up in the shadow of a switch yard and after studying at University of Pennsylvania would eventually go to work for the Pennsylvania Rail Road rising from the “lowest rung on the ladder” to the Superintendent of the Long Island Rail Road. His ascent caught the eye of the Great Eastern Railway, who recruited him to work in the U.K. When world War I broke out he served as the nation’s “railroad czar” coordinating the movement of troops, supplies and regular passenger and freight traffic. He was knighted for his efforts. After the war, he moved on to Canada where he transformed the Canadian National Railway from a loose collection of unprofitable railroads into a national powerhouse.

And then came his downfall. Scandals involving divorce, bankruptcy, financial malfeasance and corruption at the beginning of the Great Depression drove him from the top of his profession to a short retirement and early grave.

The Pennsylvania Gazette chronicles his rise and fall in their latest issue.