History Main / RacingTheTrain

* ''Film/StandByMe'' has the boys racing a train on foot.

* One of the robotic bosses of ''{{Contra}} Hard Corps'' and ''Contra: Shattered Soldier'' makes his entrance by outrunning the train you're on, pushes it to a stop, lifts the end of it, then climbs on top. This turns out to be a bad idea in the end- upon defeat, he falls backwards off the front of the train, and gets hit by it!

* In HayateTheCombatButler, our titular butler winds up taking Nishizawa to the Shimoda hot springs using her bike while the rest of the crew takes the train. At first Nishizawa remarks on the nice weather and the breeze before realizing that they are going waaay too fast. Hayate casually tells her that they caught up to the train and to wave to the others. Nishizawa hangs on for dear life and points out that they are ''ahead'' of the train. This was a bullet train mind you, and he's riding an ordinary bicycle. Apparently this is because he used to be a bike courier.

* [[http://www.puffingbilly.com.au/news-events/great-train-race/ The Great Train Race]] in UsefulNotes/{{Melbourne}} is between people on foot and a narrow gauge train called Puffing Billy up a hill.

->''He saw the train\\

And then the bucket''

* There are plenty of stories about people in cars (or on bikes, or on foot) who [[{{Too Dumb To Live}} try to beat trains to crossings.]] [[{{Downer Ending}} Most of them end up dead]]. Remember, when you race a train, [[AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle if it's a tie, you lose]].

* [[http://www.puffingbilly.com.au/news-events/great-train-race/ The Great Train Race]] in {{Melbourne}} is between people on foot and a narrow gauge train called Puffing Billy up a hill.

-->[[MemeticMutation "All you had to do was]] [[MostAnnoyingSound follow the damn train, CJ!"]]

* Cowboy Troy's "I Play Chicken With The Train"

* Some UK heritage railways have organised 'race the train' events, with a designated route near the line. In this case the trains are slow enough that it's achievable.

* In ''[[MegamanX Megaman X4]]'', Slash Beast shows up to the TraintopBattle by running parallel up to, then jumping onto the train car used as his boss room when X or Zero get to it.

* An episode of the 80's TV cop show ''Hunter'' had the title character jump onto a train traveling from Los Angeles to San Francisco in order to tail a suspect, with his partner [=DeeDee McCall=] having to chase after him by car to provide backup.

* There are plenty of stories about people in cars (or on bikes, or on foot) who [[{{Too Dumb To Live}} try to beat trains to crossings.]] [[{{Downer Ending}} Most of them end up dead]]. Remember, when you race a train, if it's a tie, you lose.

* ''EverythingOrNothing'', another Bond example. Here, you have to race a train that carries the kidnapped [[HotScientist Dr. Nadanova]]. You can choose between the [[CoolCar Porsche Cayenne Turbo]] or the [[CoolBike Chimera]].

* A [[SilentFilms silent]] {{PSA}} showed several men in a car racing a train, while a man gambled with the GrimReaper. [[CaptainObvious It doesn't end well]].

->-- '''Advertising/BurmaShave'''

* ''StandByMe'' has the boys racing a train on foot.

->-- '''BurmaShave'''

* BurmaShave had a rhyme that is the page quote.

* ''Operation:Livesaver'': The public safety awareness campaign's "These are the next 60 seconds of your life ..." series of commercials often depicted the consequencs of racing a train, always with deadly results. One common example showed a Volkswagen Cabriolet, filled with five teen-agers joyriding, speeding and trying to race an oncoming train to the crossing; needless to say, they didn't make it and the community where they lived was thrown into sudden and deep mourning.

* Occurs in the original ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious''. They both make it.

* A {{chase scene}} between Trey and Ford in ''Film/{{Torque}}'' ends on this note.
* A version of this happens in ''LegendOfZorro'' when the horse, Tornado, is racing to catch up to the train.
* The famous ChaseScene in ''Film/TheFrenchConnection''.

* In ''[[MegamanX Megaman X4]]'', Slash Beast shows up to the TraintopBattle by running parallel up to, then jumping onto the train car used as his boss room when X or Zero get to it

* The level "Wrong Side of the Tracks" in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' involves you and Big Smoke trying to chase a train while on a dirt bike so that he can shoot the rival gang members atop the train. It's ThatOneLevel, due to the fact that [[GuideDangIt the game never tells you]] that you need to be at least another train's width away from the train so that Big Smoke can hit them.

* In the Road Runner cartoon "Zipping Along," the establishing scene features the bird zipping along a train, although he leaves the road and never attempts to beat the train to the crossing.

* The MGM cartoon ''One Cab's Family'', starting around 5:15

* A version of this happens in Legend of Zorro when the horse, Tornado, is racing to catch up to the train

* '''Operation:Livesaver''': The public safety awareness campaign's "These are the next 60 seconds of your life ..." series of commercials often depicted the consequencs of racing a train, always with deadly results. One common example showed a Volkswagen Cabriolet, filled with five teen-agers joyriding, speeding and trying to race an oncoming train to the crossing; needless to say, they didn't make it and the community where they lived was thrown into sudden and deep mourning.
* ''TopGear'' has used the format several times with Jeremy Clarkson in a car vs. James May and Richard Hammond riding the train. In Europe the train was the Eurostar and TGV, and in Japan it was the ''Shinkansen''.

--> "... the tie goes to the train." (Old [[{{Trainspotter}} railfan]] saying)

->He saw the train\\

And then the bucket
-->'''BurmaShave'''

* Occurs in the original ''TheFastAndTheFurious''. They both make it.

* A young Clark Kent does this in the movie ''{{Superman}}''.
* A {{chase scene}} between Trey and Ford in ''{{Torque}}'' ends on this note.

* The famous ChaseScene in ''TheFrenchConnection''.
* ''{{Octopussy}}'' does this with a twist: Bond's tires have just been shot out, so he drives his car ''onto'' the rails.