After being found by the police with a gun at his side, Preston West is the prime suspect in the murder of his parents. He, however, saw someone running away from the scene and jumping a freight train. Temporarily leaving his life of wealth behind him, Preston decides that the only way he will ever beat the rap is if he rides the rails to find the killer, a rogue hobo known as Phantom 13. Seeking out his estranged uncle, the two set out to put things right, both in Preston"s life and in the life on the rails. Ernest Borgnine stars as "Steamtrain."