Purdue's Choo-Choo Train Breaks Down On Field, Wreaks Havoc Before Iowa Game

Somebody get the Purdue train some coal, STAT!

Purdue's train - The Boilermaker Special - had one heck of a journey before Saturday's windy showdown between the Boilermakers and Iowa.

A normally quick trip lasted nearly two minutes after the locomotive stalled shortly after entering the field, and it took a dozen brave souls to push it nearly 100 yards.

It was a harrowing journey filled with some highs, and plenty of lows.

Purdue Boilermaker train stalls before Iowa game

What a scene.

For starters, the weather today in Indiana is AWFUL. It's so bad, the school sent out a wind advisory before the game warning tailgaters to keep their heads on a swivel.

You already have Mother Nature wreaking havoc, and now your train blows an engine at the worst possible moment.

Early on, it appears that maybe it'll get going. The train starts, stops, and starts again, but it's pretty clear around the 25 that we have a BIG problem on our hands.

You can even see the conductor start to panic a bit as Iowa takes the field. The flag-leader holding the "I" nearly runs into it, and then, for some reason, No. 44 decides to play with fire and nearly has a head-on collision.

The Purdue train wrecked havoc with Iowa.

The Iowa players finally clear, and a couple officials race over to save the day.

They get the beast past midfield and near the sideline and then, out of NOWHERE, a foot-race breaks out as the camera pans out.

These two cats are in an all out SPRINT to lend a hand.

What a race to save the Purdue train!

A couple other volunteers appear to help get the train out of harm's way, and we can finally get to kickoff.

All in all, I count at least a dozen people pushing this bad boy when all is said and done.

Great teamwork under pressure. That's the Boilermaker way.