Prem Chand was a driver for a railroad company. He was a citizen of the Federated Commonwealths of America. His grandfather had been an Indian elephant-herder the British transferred to North America to herd hairy elephants. Chand was the third generation of his family to be an elephant-driver, a career that he realized would vanish within his lifetime.
Chand had and his train arrived in the railroad town of Springfield in 1782. While there, he and the trail boss Paul Tilak were able to observe the new steam-powered Iron Elephant, on tour with its inventor, Richard Trevithick. After some goading from the Springfield-station master, George Stephenson, Prem Chand challenged Trevithick to a race between his elephants and Trevithick's engine. Trevithick accepted, and Chand, rather than go to Carthage, prepared to return to Cairo.
While Chand and his team of hair elephants maintained a lead for the first day, Trevithick overtook Chand when the team stopped to rest for the night. However, on the second day, the Iron Elephant fell into a trap laid by a band of wild sims. The sims did not understand that the Iron Elephant was not suitable prey, but they were able to kill some of the men in the engine. Trevithick survived with a broken arm. Chand and his team arrived just in time, helping to drive the sims off. Trevithick conceded victory to Chand, although Chand realized Trevithick's engine was the way of the future.