I was with my friend Dale, doing what twelve year old boys do when they're bored out of their minds. We were at the tracks placing rocks on the smooth rails. The smell of creosote assaulted my nostrils as the sun bore down on the wooden ties. I heard the whistle blow it's warning as the mammoth diesel-electric engine approached a crossing about a mile away. Seconds later I saw the lights as the train rounded the corner and rocketed towards our location. The ground was starting to shake beneath me and the horn was deafening. I couldn't move.