[Serious] So, reddit, how did you almost die?

Was a trainee steam locomotive fireman. Our tracks go through a tunnel. That day we did an extra trip because we had some Boy Scouts getting a railroad badge.

Track limit is 20 mph, normally we go slower to stretch the trip out but the conductor asked to go the limit so we did.

The tunnel comes up. Procedure is to call out if it's clear and all cab crew verbally acknowledge. The tunnel portal is around a long right-hand bend so the engineer gets first view.

"Clear tunnel."

We echo.

I finish laying out the fire, we'd just left the station and it had died down during the stop, lean out the end of the cab and my trainer and I both see the entrance. I wait until I can see through it. It's clear as can be so he and I both call out it's clear.

We hit it at 20 mph and get only the engine's length in when three figures leap from the walls and run for the other end.

Now, this tunnel is old and small. Stick you head out and and you'll hit the wall. There's one spot where it's wide enough for somebody to press up in and maybe survive. Then the exhaust gas will kill you.

All three of us scream bloody murder, "PEOPLE IN THE TUNNEL!"

The engine chops the throttle, hits the brakes, and damn nears throws us into emergency application.

The problem is that we're a steam locomotive. Well if we stop, we and 30 Boy Scouts, in open window cars, die as we'll never get the brake lines bled in time.

As it was, when the engineer cut the throttle, the coal stopped burning efficiently and started filling the tunnel up with heavy black smoke. Plus we were slowing down and with only a couple feet of clearance between the smokestack and the roof, it was building up everywhere.

Right as the smoke blocked our vision one of the people, now just a few dozen yards away, fell.

The engineer made a snap decision and didn't fully stop, he crept through the tunnel at about 5 mph or slower. He could barely see the dials and ended up watching bricks pass by in the light from the steps.

Smoke. Smoke was everywhere. We were choking and gagging. Even with a bandana and my hat over my nose and mouth, I couldn't get any air.

We were a dozen feet out of the tunnel before the smoke cleared enough to see. It was rolling out. Had there been a camera on the tunnel exit it probably would have liked like the birth of Satan with black smoke pouring out and then a great black beast chuffing out of it.

We stopped and called the cops and waited for the tunnel to clear enough to see if there were any bodies.

No bodies.

So we proceeded on, dropped off the kids and headed back to park the train.

We damn near had a repeat with the cops who had decided to walk through the tunnel.

/r/AskReddit Thread