What is "hell on wheels"

n. (context idiomatic English) tough, aggressive, lawless, wild.

The phrase "Hell on Wheels" was originally used to describe the itinerant collection of flimsily assembled gambling houses, dance halls, saloons, and brothels that followed the army of Union Pacific railroad workers westward as they constructed the First Transcontinental Railroad in 1860s North America. The huge numbers of wage-earning young men working in what was a remote wilderness, far from the constraints of home, proved to be a lucrative opportunity for those with expertise at separating such men from their money. As the end of the line continually moved westward, Hell on Wheels followed along, reconstructing itself on the outskirts of each town that became, in turn, the center of activity for the Union Pacific's construction work.

"Hell on Wheels" is a disco song performed by American singer-actress Cher from her sixteenth studio album, Prisoner. It was written by Bob Esty and Michele Aller and produced by Esty. It was released as the album's first and only international single in late 1979. The song was also added to the " Roller Boogie" soundtrack in 1979. Lyrically, the track is about "follow what you like".

"Hell on Wheels" initially received mixed reviews from critics, but in 1999 Randy Cordova from The Arizona Republic praised the song, calling it a "roller-disco anthem". Cher starred in one of the very first music videos, a short film that Casablanca Records wanted to promote her single with. After releasing the promotional film, Cher began making music videos.

Hell on Wheels is a documentary film telling the story of a group of Texas women who band together to resurrect roller derby for the 21st century. Emerging from the Austin music and arts scene, these women create a rock-and-roll fueled version of all-girl roller derby that has spawned the derby craze that's sweeping the nation.

Hell on Wheels is the ninth album by heavy metal band Manowar and is also the band's first live album.

Hell on Wheels is a phrase that originally described the collection of business locations, such as gambling houses, which followed the builders of the American transcontinental railroad in the 1860s.

Hell on Wheels may also refer to:

Höllentour (literally meaning "Hell Tour") is a 2004 German film. The US release (with English subtitles) was titled Hell on Wheels. The film is a record of the 100th anniversary Tour de France in 2003 from the perspective of Germany's Team Telekom, focusing on rider Erik Zabel. The film is directed by Pepe Danquart who won an Academy Award for Live Action Short Film in 1993 for Black Rider (Schwarzfahrer).

In 2004, Mona Bräuer won a German Film Critics Award for Best Editing (Bester Schnitt).

Hell on Wheels is an indie rockband from Sweden. The band was formed in the autumn of 1994 and soon established themselves. Hell on Wheels first release was the Power bubbles blown by big bitch 7" single on the Make it Happen label. The first full-length album called There is a Generation of Handicapped People to Carry on was released in 2001, followed by Oh my god! What have I done? in 2003. 2006 saw the release of Hell on Wheels third album entitled the Odd Church.

Hell on Wheels is an American Western television series about the construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad across the United States. The series, which featured Anson Mount, Colm Meaney, Common, and Dominique McElligott, chronicled the Union Pacific Railroad and its laborers, mercenaries, prostitutes, surveyors, and others who lived, worked, and died in the mobile encampment, called " Hell on Wheels", that followed the railhead west across the Great Plains. In particular, the story focused on Cullen Bohannon (Mount), a former Confederate soldier who, while working as foreman and chief engineer on the railroad, initially attempted to track down the Union soldiers who murdered his wife and young son during the American Civil War. The series, which broadcast in the United States and Canada on the cable channel AMC, aired from November 6, 2011, through July 23, 2016.

The series was created and produced by Joe and Tony Gayton, and developed by Endemol USA, under the stewardship of senior vice-president of scripted programming Jeremy Gold, and it is produced by Entertainment One and Nomadic Pictures. In 2012, AMC announced creators Joe and Tony Gayton were no longer involved in the day-to-day production of the series. On December 12, 2012, AMC announced that writer John Wirth would take over as showrunner for the third season.

Season one (2011–12) began in 1865, shortly after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, season two (2012) covered 1866, seasons three (2013) and four (2014) opened in 1867, season five (2015–16) carries the series into 1869. On November 7, 2014, Hell on Wheels was renewed for a fifth and final season comprising 14 episodes, split between 2015 and 2016.

The third season of the AMC television series Hell on Wheels aired from August 10 through October 5, 2013, and consists of 10 episodes. The season follows Cullen Bohannon as he abandons seeking revenge for the deaths in his family in order to continue to drive the westward expansion of Union Pacific Railroad, while battling Thomas "Doc" Durant for control.

"Hell on Wheels" or "Pilot" is the pilot and first episode of the first season of American television drama series Hell on Wheels, which premiered November 6, 2011, on AMC in the United States and on TCM in the UK. The episode was written by developers Tony Gayton & Joe Gayton, and directed by David Von Ancken. The pilot introduces the series' protagonist, Cullen Bohannon ( Anson Mount), a former Confederate soldier whose quest for vengeance has led him to the Union Pacific Railroad's westward construction of the first transcontinental railroad.

The pilot episode was filmed entirely in Alberta ( Canada), with assistance from the provincial government of Alberta's film-development program. "Hell on Wheels" garnered a 3.1 HH rating, attracting 4.4 million viewers (2.4 million, aged 18–49; 2.3 million, aged 25–54) to become the second highest series premiere in AMC’s history. Critical reception of the pilot was mediocre. The Los Angeles Times said the show "gathers steam as it goes on," The Wall Street Journal called it "a bag of unpolished stones," and Variety pegged it as "a diluted, herky-jerky ride."

The first season of the AMC western-drama television series Hell on Wheels premiered on November 6, 2011 and concluded on January 15, 2012, comprising 10 episodes. The series was created and produced by Joe and Tony Gayton, who wrote four episodes. They also served as the series' showrunners. The series' executive producers include the Gaytons, Jeremy Gold, John Shiban, and David Von Ancken.

The season follows Cullen Bohannon, a former Confederate soldier who works as a foreman on the railroad as he tries to track down the Union soldiers who murdered his wife. His quest leads him to the settlement that accompanied the construction of First Transcontinental Railroad, referred to as " Hell on Wheels" by the Union Pacific company men, laborers, mercenaries, prostitutes, support workers, surveyors, and others who make the mobile encampment their home.

The first season was met with favorable reviews from critics, and the premiere was watched by 4.4 million viewers – AMC’s second most watched series premiere in history, following The Walking Dead. In January 2012, following the season one finale, AMC put out a press release confirming Hell on Wheels as the network's second-highest rated original series behind The Walking Dead, averaging three million viewers per episode.

The second season of the AMC western-drama television series Hell on Wheels premiered on August 12, 2012 and concluded on October 7, 2012. The series was created and produced by Joe and Tony Gayton who wrote and co-wrote two episodes. They also serve as the show's showrunners. In addition to the Gaytons, Jeremy Gold, John Shiban, and David Von Ancken also serve as series executive producers.

The season follows Cullen Bohannon, who joined a group of Rebel bandits robbing trains and planning to start a new Confederate colony in Mexico. While attacking Thomas Durant’s payroll train, Cullen is captured by authorities and sentenced to death, but Durant intervenes with a pardon on the condition that Cullen returns to Hell on Wheels to help oversee railroad construction.

The second season was met with favorable reviews from critics with the premiered watched by just over 2.5 million viewers. The numbers were down significantly from the first season's premiere and finale.

Hell on Wheels is a 1967 American car racing film.

The fourth season of the AMC television series Hell on Wheels premiered on August 2, 2014 and comprised 13 episodes. This season continued to focus on the westward expansion of the Union Pacific Railroad. Conflicts among the government, businesses, ranchers, homesteaders, and the railroad are also depicted, as all of those interests compete with one another for control of Cheyenne, Wyoming, the most important railroad hub in 1867.

The fifth and final season of the AMC television series Hell on Wheels premiered on July 18, 2015 and comprised 14 episodes. The season was evenly split; the first half aired in late-2015, and the second half aired in mid-2016. This season, set in California and Laramie, Wyoming, focused on the race to complete America's First Transcontinental Railroad, as Cullen Bohannon switched from working with the Union Pacific to the Central Pacific Railroad, upon the CP developer's promise to help find Cullen's family.