Basic Trope: Railroad tracks mean danger for those near them.
- Straight: Bob is driving his car down the road and crosses/is about to cross railroad tracks, at which point a train approaches.
- Exaggerated:
- On a double track railroad, the train clears, but a second comes, and a third comes as that one clears, and so on... and so on.
- The train is traveling at an insane speed.
- The train is 138 cars long.
- Downplayed: Bob's car gets hit by a toy train.
- Justified: His car is stalled.
- Inverted: It's the train in danger.
- Subverted: Suddenly, the train switches tracks...
- Double Subverted:
- ...but a second train comes by.
- …from the track the back wheels are stuck on, to the track the front wheels are stuck on.
- Parodied: Despite all circumstances, the train manages to come at exactly when Bob thinks about crossing.
- Zig Zagged: ???
- Averted: There are no railroad tracks.
- Enforced: The writer takes every measure to always have trains if he includes railroad tracks.
- Lampshaded: "When would railroad tracks be safe for once?"
- Invoked: Trainman Chris goes at full speed, in an attempt to beat Bob to the railroad crossing.
- Exploited: A Car Chase is occurring between Alice and Bob. Bob crosses the tracks, and as Alice is about to, a train crashes into her car.
- Defied: Bob takes a different route.
- Discussed: "Railroad tracks? Stay alert!"
- Conversed: "A railroad? I think I know where this is going."
- Implied: Railroad tracks are near a wrecked car.
Back to Railroad Tracks of Doom
