This description is an excerpt from between pages 36 and 43 of the story.
Once they arrived to Route 66, Al said to Clarence, "Here's your chance to drive at a mile a minute. But don't go higher than 60 mph". "I got it", Clarence agreed, then asked, "Can I floor it though". Al thought it over for a moment, then replied, "You can floor it. But be ready for me to grab the wheel if I don't feel comfortable with how you're doing. And don't exceed 60 mph". That sounded good to Clarence as he pulled onto Route 66, then punched the accelerator to the floor. "Holy wow! This car is fast! WOOO!", Clarence let out as that Chrysler 300 took off like the old saying goes, "like it was shot out of a cannon". In practically no time, that Chrysler was up to 60 mph as Clarence felt the rush of thrill and power at the command of his right foot on the accelerator.
Clarence felt like he was King of the Road driving that big powerful Chrysler 300 on Route 66, though he was only old enough to barely see over the dash and steering wheel.
The Plymouth Fury station wagon with Rex driving wasn't far behind. However, Despite the Chrysler 300 being equipped with high performance steering and suspension for optimum handling, Clarence still had difficulty keeping the car straight and stable at 60 mph...Thus a car is no better than it's driver. Of course it was still a windy day, which could prove difficult for any new driver. Al grabbed the wheel, thus Clarence let go of the wheel and took his foot off the gas. "I don't think you're quite ready for 60 mph yet", Al said to Clarence as the Chrysler slowed down some. "I did get up to 60 though", Clarence proudly boasted. Once the Chrysler slowed down to 50 mph, Al gave control of the car back to Clarence and said to him, "Speed up gradually and see what you can handle". Clarence gradually increased speed until he reached 57 mph. That's when Clarence began experiencing difficulty keeping the car stable. "Back it down to 55", Al instructed Clarence. Upon Clarence doing so, everything was then okay. At no faster than 55 mph, Clarence could control the car just fine. Thus it was confirmed that the highest driving speed Clarence was comfortable with at that time was 55 mph. "Well, 55 isn't so bad", Clarence said. "You have been making improvements", Al assured Clarence. "Yea. Compared to a couple of hours ago", Jed remarked, which he, Al and Clarence laughed. Shortly before El Rito, Al had Clarence turn of on ISR 542. This time it was a right turn going north, on the opposite side of Route 66 then where they have been. Clarence drove north with Al and Jed on 542 as Rex followed driving the station wagon with Marge and Donna. Upon traveling a ways, they came to a place where Interstate 40 would someday pass over ISR 542. However, that part of I-40 had not yet been built at the time, thus there was no I-40 there. A few hundred feet beyond there was the crossing where the Santa Fe Railroad crossed ISR 542 as double tracks. "There's a freight train coming", Al said to Clarence as they approached the crossing. "Look to your left". The crossing only had two crossbucks with no lights, being it was a back road that crossed the tracks. However, Clarence did know to stop. "Push the neutral button", Al instructed Clarence after he had stopped. On the track nearest to them, an eastbound Santa Fe freight train traveling at 55 mph began going by. Shortly after the four locomotives went by, which were pulling a mile of freight cars, Al mentioned to Clarence, "I noticed I had to get your attention to that approaching train. You have to watch out for that at railroad crossings". "Yea, I guess I wasn't expecting a train coming", Clarence admitted as boxcars were rolling by. "The train you don't expect is the train that will getcha", Jed added. "That's right", Al affirmed, then told Clarence, "Wait up after this train goes by". The freight cars continued to roll by, with the wheels making that click-et-te-clack sound on the joints of the rails. There were mostly boxcars, several tank cars, and some flatbed cars carrying industrial cargo, all of which at 55 mph took a minute to go by. "Here comes the caboose", Jed mentioned. Immediately after the caboose rolled by, Clarence proclaimed, "Now I can go" as he pressed the drive button and stepped on the gas. "CLARENCE! STOP!", Jed shouted. Al quickly lunged his foot over the center console and slammed on the brakes just in time to stop from being struck by an 85 mph passenger train on the other track coming from the opposite direction.
As the three red and silver locomotives (including a B unit) sped by, Al quickly reached over the steering column and pressed the neutral button as the car's motor began to race in neutral until Clarence jerked his foot off the accelerator.
As Al held the brake petal down, the front end of the Chrysler was only two feet away from the Santa Fe passenger train as it continued speeding by at 85 mph...Hitting the brakes one second later would have made a life and death difference. Then finally, the last car sped by which was a rear observation car, thus the train was now past on by. That was a really scary experience for Al, Jed and Clarence, though there were no wet pants or wet car seats as a result. "That was the Super Chief we almost got hit by", Jed exclaimed as both trains could be seen at a distance going away. "I didn't know", Clarence said. "I didn't know there was another train". "You've just now learned about a mistake drivers often make at railroad crossings", Al told Clarence. "Don't get double crossed by double tracks". "Like I said. The train you don't expect is the train that will getcha", Jed reminded Clarence. Marge had gotten out of the Plymouth wagon and ran up to the Chrysler to see if Al, Jed and Clarence were okay. "Oh my God", Marge declared. "To think how close I came to becoming a widow with two cubs to raise". "Closer than you think. I believe we all saw our lives flashing before our eyes just then", Al replied as the Chrysler was still stopped over the tracks that the freight train had past by on. "Clarence, you need to use some common sense around railroads and crossings", Marge reprimanded Clarence. "You almost got your dad, your brother and yourself killed just now". "I'm sorry", Clarence apologized. "I had no idea another train was coming". "Remember I said, you follow instructions as your mother and I tell you", Al reminded Clarence. "Now you know why". "When we give you instructions, there's a good reason for it", Marge told Clarence. "I'm sure this experience is a wake up call for Clarence about trains and crossings", Al assured Marge. "I should certainly think so", Marge replied. Rex and Donna also went over to the Chrysler. "The old double cross by double tracks, isn't it?", Rex asked as he came walking over to the Chrysler. "It sure was", Al replied. "That's pulled a slide of paw on more animals than anyone realizes". "I'm glad you're all okay", Donna said in a shaky voice to Al and the two other cubs. Marge found this to be an appropriate time to remind the cubs, "You see what almost happened here. When a train goes by where there are two or more tracks, never assume there isn't another train coming". "That also goes for walking around railroad tracks too", Al further reminded the cubs. "That's right", Marge acknowledged. "I've seen cubs pull some real dillys before around the tracks that run through our neighborhood".
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