History Main / RacingTheTrain

Since the invention of rail transportation, manufacturers have always strived to make train engines faster and faster. Near the beginning of the 20th century it was already sort of common to see locomotives capable of doing 150 ᵏᵐ∕ₕ]], and in 2016 it's perfectly normal to ride a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail train that does at least 300 [[superscript:km]]∕[[subscript:h]]]] like the Japanese Shinkansen or the French TGV. Now then, suppose you've got a [[SuperSpeed speedster]]... let's call him Steve. There are many ways you can show off a character's powers -- guys with SuperStrength can lift buses, gals with {{Flight}} can jump off tall buildings and not plummet to their deaths, guys with [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway Heart]] can... uh... that's not important. But what can good ol' Steve Speedster do? Race the fastest train of his time, that's what!

Since the invention of rail transportation, manufacturers have always strived to make train engines faster and faster. Near the beginning of the 20th century it was already sort of common to see locomotives capable of doing 150 [[superscript:km]]∕[[subscript:h]], and in 2016 it's perfectly normal to ride a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail train that does at least 300 [[superscript:km]]∕[[subscript:h]]]] like the Japanese Shinkansen or the French TGV. Now then, suppose you've got a [[SuperSpeed speedster]]... let's call him Steve. There are many ways you can show off a character's powers -- guys with SuperStrength can lift buses, gals with {{Flight}} can jump off tall buildings and not plummet to their deaths, guys with [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway Heart]] can... uh... that's not important. But what can good ol' Steve Speedster do? Race the fastest train of his time, that's what!

Since the invention of rail transportation, manufacturers have always strived to make train engines faster and faster. Near the beginning of the 20th century it was already sort of common to see locomotives capable of doing 150 km/h, and in 2016 it's perfectly normal to ride a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail train that does at least 300 km/h]] like the Japanese Shinkansen or the French TGV. Now then, suppose you've got a [[SuperSpeed speedster]]... let's call him Steve. There are many ways you can show off a character's powers -- guys with SuperStrength can lift buses, gals with {{Flight}} can jump off tall buildings and not plummet to their deaths, guys with [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway Heart]] can... uh... that's not important. But what can good ol' Steve Speedster do? Race the fastest train of his time, that's what!

** In ''Steam on the Line'' by Philip Turner, the young protagonist and his father see a horse and carriage racing against the then-new narrow gauge steam train. The protagonist is disappointed that the train didn't win. His father replies that that's not the point; what makes the steam locomotive superior is how much more weight it can shift compared to the horse.

* The [[WesternAnimation/TexAveryMGMCartoons MGM cartoon]] ''One Cab's Family'', starting around 5:15. The father cab is understandably [[AdultFear terrified]] at his son doing this and speeds after him.

* The mission "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.

* In ''Film/BetYourLife'', Sonny is in a taxi cab being chased by Carmen on a motorbike. When Carmen starts shooting at him, he orders the cab to drive through a freight yard. Racing alongside a freight train, Sonny grabs the will from the driver and and wrenches the cab across the tracks in front of the train. The cab gets hit by the train, but sonny and the driver manage to bail out on the far side, leaving Carmen stuck until the train finishes passing.

* In the Film/HarryPalmer film ''Bullet to Beijing'', the protagonists have to catch up with the eponymous train at its next stop which is 300 miles away. They find a Russian cab driver and promise to pay him a fortune in American dollars if he can get there in time. He makes it, barely.

* ''Film/PowerRangers2017'' has a short scene where the main characters are fleeing the cops (ItMakesSenseInContext) and the only way out is to cut in front of a train. [[RealityEnsues They don't make it]], the car is completely totaled, and it's made pretty clear that the only reason they survived was their recently acquired superpowers.

[[folder: {{Anime}} & {{Manga}}]]

* Shute's first appearence in ''Anime/SDGundamForce'', mostly to show off his rocket skates to the audience. Justified in that he's a kid who's playing around.

[[folder: Comics]]

* ''Literature/ClockworkCentury''. The Union armoured train Dreadnought finds itself being chased on a parallel track by the lightly-armed but much faster Confederate train Shenandoah which (in TheWestern tradition) tries to head them off at the pass (where the rail lines converge to cross the Rockies). Whoever succeeds can blow up the rail ahead of their opponent, who would be going to fast that the derailing would kill everyone on board.

[[folder:{{Live Action TV}}]]

[[folder:{{Music}}]]

[[folder:VideoGames]]

* Army Ranger turnedfitness model Gregg Plitt [[FatalMethodActing met his end while filming]] a Website/YouTube [[TooDumbToLive video of himself racing a train on foot]].

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]

* ''WesternAnimation/RoadRunner'':
** In the 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 Road Runner's observation of safety is reprised in a later '''Operation:Lifesaver''' commercial aimed at children. In it, the Road Runner, despite his ability to put some extra speed in his already fast run, is aware of safety rules concerning railroad crossings and stops to allow a train to pass. Of course, Wile E. Coyote arrogantly doesn't, and he (once again) is crushed beneath another oncoming train.


* In Warners' ''Streamlined Greta Green'', Junior the roadster tries to outrace a train, gets hit (naturally) and has to go the hospital/body shop; once he recovers he then goes and does it ''again'', this time it's the train that gets the worst of it.

* ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog''
** The "[[AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle Sonic Says]]" segment for "High Stakes Sonic" has Scratch challenge Grounder to a race across a railway bridge. Grounder finds out that a train is about to cross the bridge, but Scratch ignores him, and the two robots race across the bridge. They only get halfway across the bridge by the time the train crosses, but jump off the bridge before the train can run them over. Sonic advises the viewers not to take dares like these.
** In the episode, "Full-Tilt Tails", when Tails steps on a piece of speedamint gum, he becomes as fast as Sonic. He decides to show his newly-acquired speed to Sonic by racing a speeding train. However, when he gets ahead of the train, he gets stuck in the tracks, leading Sonic to rescue him.

[[folder:RealLife]]

* '''Operation: Lifesaver''': 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.

* In ''Manga/HayateTheCombatButler'', the title 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.
* In ''Anime/PantyAndStockingWithGarterbelt'', in the episode ''Death Race 2010'', the Ghost Panty and Stocking were hunting eventually haunted a train. It was more like Fighting the Train.

[[folder:{{Film}}]]

* ''Film/StandByMe'' has the boys racing a train on foot. In this particular case, racing the train is possibly their best option (they're in the middle of a long railroad bridge when they're surprised by the train).
* A young Clark Kent does this in the movie ''Film/SupermanTheMovie''.
* Happens in ''Film/{{Torque}}'' when the {{chase scene}} between Trey and Ford is taken from top of a train to the front of it.
* A version of this happens in ''Film/TheLegendOfZorro'' when Alejandro's son does this with the horse, Tornado, is racing to catch up to the train.

* ''Film/PowerRangers2017'' has a short scene where the main characters are fleeing the cops (ItMakesSenseInContext) and the only way out is to cut in front of a train. [[RealityEnsues They don't make it]], the car is completely totaled, and it's made pretty clear that the only reason they survived was their recently acquired superpowers.
* The original cut of ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndTheMagicRailroad'' had a variant of this in the introduction for P.T. Boomer where the train actually stops as the motorcyclist crosses it.
* In ''Film/HotBot'', Limus, Leonard and Bardot race alongside a freight train while being chased by Agents Frazier and Koontz. They make it to the crossing and cut across in front of the train, leaving the fed stranded.

* ''Series/{{Longmire}}'': Longmire and his deputies must outrace a train to free someone who is ChainedToARailway.
* An episode of the 80's TV CopShow ''Series/{{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.
* In the short subject "One Clear Chance" it is clearly explained that if you get hit by a train, it's all your fault. Parodied beautifully on ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''. "Why don't they look?"
* ''Series/JeevesAndWooster'': Madeleine Bassett is travelling by train. Bertie tries to get to her destination before her in his Aston Martin. It overheats in a cloud of smoke.
* ''Series/{{CSI}}'': "Caged" opens with the VictimOfTheWeek trying race a train to a level crossing in an attempt to stage a TrainEscape to get away from the vehicle that is chasing her. Realising she is not going to make it, she slams on her brakes, only for the vehicle behind to ram her and force her into the train.

[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/ClockworkCentury''. The Union armoured train Dreadnought finds itself being chased on a parallel track by the lightly-armed but much faster Confederate train Shenandoah which (in TheWestern tradition) tries to head them off at the pass (where the rail lines converge to cross the Rockies). Whoever succeeds can blow up the rail ahead of their opponent, who would be going to fast that the derailing would kill everyone on board.
* ''Literature/TheRailwaySeries'' has a few examples, appropriate for a series about trains. The most famous instance is in "Thomas and Bertie", where Thomas (an engine) races Bertie (a bus). Bertie's other major appearance, "Bertie's Chase" five books later, features Bertie making a spirited effort to catch up to Edward's train to make a missed connection. One last example happens in "Percy and Harold", where Percy manages to beat Harold the Helicopter as payback for Harold calling railways "slow and out of date."
* In ''Literature/RaisingSteam'' a journalist suggests that the new railway will terrify horses. Dick Simnel retorts that when he was working on his test engine, the horses seemed to enjoy racing it.
[[/folder]]

* Cowboy Troy's "I Play Chicken with the Train".

-->If there's somethin' goin' on within 100 miles of home, you're gonna hear my [=V8s=] ring
-->Long as I can beat the train and they got a passing lane, baby, I ain't gonna miss a thing…
* Occurs in "Waitin' on Joe" by Steve Azar. The narrator is preparing for a workday with his brother, who is chronically late. Turns out that this day, Joe is late because of this trope ("He tried to beat that morning train / My life will never be the same").

* In ''VideoGame/MegaManX4'', 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.
* Piston Hondo does this in ''VideoGame/PunchOut Wii'' in his backstory.

* Jude of ''VideoGame/{{Wild ARMs 4}}'' does this [[HeroStoleMyBike while riding a bicycle]]. The bike eventually breaks from the strain.
* The mission "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.
** A subversion in the prologue of ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' when Michael, Trevor, and Brad were hit by a train at a crossing attempting to flee the police. And in the mission "Derailed" involves Trevor to chase and hijack a train while on a motorcycle. There's a shout out to ''San Andreas'' in order to get 100%, you have land on top of the train on the first jump. The said requirement is called "Better Than CJ".

* ''VideoGame/{{Stuntman}}'': And driving ''on it'' to boot.

* In ''VideoGame/Uncharted2AmongThieves'' Elena speeds up next to a train in her jeep with Drake so that he can jump on it.

* One of ''VideoGame/ForzaHorizon 4'''s Showcase events has you race an Ariel Nomad against the legendary Flying Scotsman. The remixed version, "Nine and Three Quarters", puts you in a tuned [[Film/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets Ford Anglia]].
* A level in ''[[VideoGame/GearsOfWar Gears 5]]'' has Delta Squad racing to lower a bridge before an automated train carrying satellites for the Hammer of Dawn reaches the gap and derails.
* ''VideoGame/{{Driver}} 2'' has a mission in Las Vegas appropriately called "Beat The Train", where Tanner races to save a hostage locked in the trunk of a car on a railroad trestle.

* The [[WesternAnimation/TexAveryMGMCartoons MGM cartoon]] ''One Cab's Family'', starting around 5:15. The father cab is understandably [[AdultFear terrified]] at his son doing this and speeds after him.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'': Lightning [=McQueen=] does it while trying to catch up to what he thinks is Mack.
** An organization known as Operation Lifesaver, dedicated to saving lives at railroad crossings and on railroad property, asked Disney/Pixar to remove the scene in question from future airings, so as to not promote train-beating. Disney/Pixar obliged but the scene remains in the DVD releases.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'': Lightning [=McQueen=] does it while trying to catch up to what he thinks is Mac.

Basically, someone shows off how fast they (or their PimpedOutCar) are by running parallel to, or if they're particularly cocky, in front of a train. It goes without saying that this is a terrible, horrible, no-good]], ''very bad idea'' in RealLife. Trains are heavier than you, they're most likely faster than you, and they have so much momentum that [[TooFastToStop it can take them miles to come to a full stop]]. Even if the operator sees an obstruction (like some idiot trying to beat the train to the crossing), he cannot prevent the train from hitting the obstacle and will most likely end up [[CurbStompBattle completely pulverizing it in the process]], while the train suffers little damage, ''[[NoSell if any at all]]''. Needless to say, if an [[TooDumbToLive idiot]] attempts to do this... and winds up [[KarmicDeath dead]], they will get nothing more for their trouble than a [[Website/DarwinAwards Darwin Award]] nomination for their stupidity.

* There are plenty of stories about people in cars (or on bikes, or on foot) who [[TooDumbToLive try to beat trains to crossings]], ''[[SkewedPriorities just so they won't be a few seconds late at whatever they were doing at the time]]''. [[KarmicDeath Most of them end up dead at worst]], or seriously injured at best. Remember, when you race a train, [[AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle if it's a tie, you lose]], it usually takes a few minutes to the train to pasee safely, so it isn't worth the risk.

* There are plenty of stories about people in cars (or on bikes, or on foot) who [[TooDumbToLive try to beat trains to crossings]], ''[[SkewedPriorties just so they won't be a few seconds late at whatever they were doing at the time]]''. [[KarmicDeath Most of them end up dead at worst]], or seriously injured at best. Remember, when you race a train, [[AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle if it's a tie, you lose]], it usually takes a few minutes to the train to pasee safely, so it isn't worth the risk.

Basically, someone shows off how fast they (or their PimpedOutCar) are by running parallel to, or if they're particularly cocky, in front of a train. [[TooDumbToLive It goes without saying that this is a terrible, horrible, no-good]], ''[[TooDumbToLive very bad idea]]'' in RealLife. Trains are heavier than you, they're most likely faster than you, and they have so much momentum that [[TooFastToStop it can take them miles to come to a full stop]]. Even if the operator sees an obstruction (like some idiot trying to beat the train to the crossing), he cannot prevent the train from hitting the obstacle and, most probably, [[CurbStompBattle utterly destroying it]]. Needless to say, if an [[TooDumbToLive idiot]] attempts to do this... and winds up [[KarmicDeath dead]], they will get nothing more for their trouble than a [[Website/DarwinAwards Darwin Award]] nomination for their stupidity.

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

Basically, someone shows off how fast they (or their PimpedOutCar) are by running parallel to, or if they're particularly cocky, in front of a train. [[TooDumbToLive It goes without saying that this is a terrible, horrible, no-good]], ''[[TooDumbToLive very bad idea]]'' in RealLife. Trains are heavier than you, they're most likely faster than you, and they have so much momentum that [[TooFastToStop it can take them miles to come to a full stop]]. Even if the operator sees an obstruction (like some idiot trying to beat the train to the crossing), he cannot prevent the train from hitting the obstacle and, most probably, [[CurbStompBattle utterly destroying it]]. Needless to say, if an [[TooDumbToLive idiot]] attempts to do this... and winds up [[KarmicDeath dead]], they'll most likely to end up having a [[Website/DarwinAwards Darwin Awards]] nomination for their stupidity.

Basically, someone shows off how fast they (or their PimpedOutCar) are by running parallel to, or if they're particularly cocky, in front of a train. [[TooDumbToLive It goes without saying that this is a terrible, horrible, no-good]], ''[[TooDumbToLive very bad idea]]'' in RealLife. Trains are heavier than you, they're most likely faster than you, and they have so much momentum that [[TooFastToStop it can take them miles to come to a full stop]]. Even if the operator sees an obstruction (like some idiot trying to beat the train to the crossing), he cannot prevent the train from hitting the obstacle and, most probably, [[CurbStompBattle utterly destroying it]]. Needless to say, if an [[TooDumbToLive idiot]] attempts to do this... and winds up [[KarmicDeath dead]], they'll most likely to end up as a [[Website/DarwinAwards Darwin Awards]] winner for their stupidity.

Basically, someone shows off how fast they (or their PimpedOutCar) are by running parallel to, or if they're particularly cocky, in front of a train. [[TooDumbToLive It goes without saying that this is a terrible, horrible, no-good]], ''[[TooDumbRToLive very bad idea]]'' in RealLife. Trains are heavier than you, they're most likely faster than you, and they have so much momentum that [[TooFastToStop it can take them miles to come to a full stop]]. Even if the operator sees an obstruction (like some idiot trying to beat the train to the crossing), he cannot prevent the train from hitting the obstacle and, most probably, [[CurbStompBattle utterly destroying it]]. Needless to say, if an [[TooDumbToLive idiot]] attempts to do this... and winds up [[KarmicDeath dead]], they'll most likely to end up as a [[Website/DarwinAwards Darwin Awards]] winner for their stupidity.

Basically, someone shows off how fast they (or their PimpedOutCar) are by running parallel to, or if they're particularly cocky, in front of a train. [[It goes without saying that this is a terrible, horrible, no-good, ''very bad idea'' in RealLife. Trains are heavier than you, they're most likely faster than you, and they have so much momentum that [[TooFastToStop it can take them miles to come to a full stop]]. Even if the operator sees an obstruction (like some idiot trying to beat the train to the crossing), he cannot prevent the train from hitting the obstacle and, most probably, [[CurbStompBattle utterly destroying it]].