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Imagine it's the morning of April 21st, 1910 in the yard of Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Kansas.

You're the engineer of a train that delivers construction materials to the prison every Thursday.

You lean out of the window to confirm that the flat car loaded with lumber has been uncoupled from the rest of the locomotive. But when you turn back around, put your hands up. You find four prisoners in

gray uniforms entering the driver's can. Two of them have their arms around a guard whose eyes are

wide with fear. Before you can act, one of the inmates places a gun to your head. Pull the throttle

wide open. What? I said pull it open. I can't do that. The gate's still closed. You point to the

towering steel gate that guards the prison's outer wall. Prisoner just shakes his head and pokes

you in the ribs with his revolver. Then I guess we'll see which is stronger. This gate or a few tons of train? Now pull the throttle open. If we rush that gate, we're going to die. Do I look like I'm here to have a discussion? Pull the throttle open. You think you can just hijack a train and bust out of here? The guards are going to start shooting at us from the tower any minute now. A prisoner nods to the guard they've taken hostage. They won't shoot as long as one of their own is on board. They won't risk killing him. Now, I won't tell you again, pull that throttle open, or put a bullet between your eyes. Okay, okay. You reluctantly pull the throttle, and the train lurches forward, passing the prison's open inner gate.

As it rushes toward the closed outer gate, you instinctively move to stop the engine, but the prisoner nudges you in the back with his revolver.

Keep your hand off that throttle.

You close your eyes and brace yourself as the engine slams into the steel gate.

With a sound like an explosion, the gate rips free, sending a shutter down the length of the engine.

And as you rush on, you're horrified by the thought that there's no stopping this runaway train if you want to stay alive.

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