After departing the station at a ski facility, a passenger train begins descending a long downhill grade, only to discover that the
brakes don't work, apparently frozen while at the mountain station. The train continues to gain speed, and one brakeman is lost trying to kick the frozen moisture off one section of brakes. It is anticipated that the train will derail at a sharp curve once it reaches level ground, and emergency crews stand by there. The train survives the curve and continues on toward the terminal station, where the tracks abruptly end. A last desperate measure is tried: a locomotive will join the line after the runaway train passes, chase and
latch onto the end of the train, then pull the train to a stop. Meanwhile, a young woman has decided to jump from the speeding train, and a young man tries to talk her out of it. The chase locomotive nearly catches up as it is noticed by the conductor, but the train passes the "point of no return" at which point it should be impossible to stop the train, and the dispatcher orders it to back off. Travis, the rescuing engineer, slows, but won't sit still for abandoning the runaway. Travis pushes his engine beyond safe limits, comes very close to latching but missing, then latches on and applies the brakes. Symbolically, at the same moment as Travis hard latches, the young woman about to jump takes the hand of the young man. With full brake power by the chase engine, the train comes to a halt some 65 feet (20 metres) from the block at the end of the track, and the family members of the passengers rush out of the station to greet their once-imperiled relatives. == Rail equipment ==