"Iron Horse" was a television Western series which ran on the ABC Television network from 1966 to 1968. The series is about a man in the 1870's who owns a railroad company and the problems that he has in extending his railroad starting from Kansas City, Missouri westward. The episode is titled "The Rail Runs West" and was first broadcast on September 12, 1966. It was the first episode of the series and is also titled "A Joy Unconfined." The episode opens with two men violently dissolving their partnership followed by a poker game where the stakes include the ownership of a railroad company. The poker game scenes shows currency and gold coins on a table. The coins are prop coins of course.

Ben Calhoun (Dale Robertson) and Lucas Joy (Steve Ihnat) were partners in a cattle drive. Lucas attempts to cheat Ben out of some money and Ben beats up Lucas and severs the partnership. Ben is invited to a poker game with some other men. Two women of the town watch the men, the woman on the right is Joanna Royce (Sandra Smith) who will appear again. On the table there are stacks of gold coins and loose coins.

An aerial shot of the game shows the four men participating along with the money on the table.

One man runs out of money and puts up some stock certificates for a railroad.

More stock certificates land on the table.

This scene shows one of the prop coins and it appears to be a good imitation of a real gold coin. Ben wins the "pot", the money, and the railroad, the "Buffalo Pass, Scalplock, and Defiance Railroad." Ben visits a telegraph office in Kansas City and sends telegrams to various officials announcing that he owns the railroad. He purchases an ornate private rail car and finds that the car comes with the mistress of the former owner.

Marta Grenier (Diana Hyland) suggests to Ben that he has purchased her along with the car.

Marta's cat soon disappears and is not seen again. Lucas meets with saloon girl Joanna.

Lucas, Ben's former cattle partner, recruits Joanna to follow Ben and report to Lucas. Ben needs to continue the construction of the railroad to the town of Scalplock to win a government contract. Ben hires railroad men and succeeds although Lucas uses various dirty tricks to slow the work.

The train arrives in Scalplock and Lucas sneaks aboard.

Lucas implies that he plans to assault Marta but then plants a small bomb in the car. Ben enters the car, beats up Lucas, unties Marta, and throws the bomb out of a window.

Ben's railroad project is moving along and Marta decides to move on also.

The series ran for two television seasons.

Dale Robertson as Ben Calhoun
Diana Hyland as Marta Grenier
Todd Armstrong as Dave Tarrant
Sandra Smith as Joanna Royce
Director: James Goldstone
Writers: Stephen Kandel, James Goldstone, Stephen Kandel