Robbie Knievel safely makes train jump

PALESTINE, Texas (AP) February 4, 2000 - Robbie Knievel found out he is faster than a speeding locomotive.

The son of famed stunt motorcyclist Evel Knievel safely completed his 200-foot, ramp-to-ramp jump over an oncoming Texas State Railroad train Wednesday night.

An estimated 10,000 people gathered along the pine tree-lined tracks for the jump, which was broadcast live on Fox television.

White fireworks went off as he cleared the jump and landed on a ramp on the other side. Afterward, he got up, jogged to the top of the ramp and waved to the crowd.

"That was close," Knievel said, smiling and out of breath. "God's always watching over me."

Spectators included members of the Christian Motorcycle Association of Longview, sporting black biker jackets and bandanas.

Knievel, 37, readily admits he's not Superman and prays before each jump. Other than the historic train, a strong wind was the only obstacle in the younger Knievel's way before the jump.

In a state that leads the nation in vehicle-railroad collisions, the stuntman offered several disclaimers to viewers.

"We are saying Robbie is a professional stuntman, and this is not to suggest that anyone should try anything like this at home," a Fox TV spokeswoman in Los Angeles, who declined to be identified, said Wednesday.

Knievel's jump was broadcast from Texas State Railroad's Palestine Park. He sped directly toward the oncoming train, propelling his motorcycle from a ramp positioned at an angle on the north side of the steam-powered locomotive's tracks.

He took off on his motorcycle just before the train plowed into a part of the wooden ramp. Knievel cleared the locomotive smokestack and landed on another ramp.

"Anybody out there that tries this is out of their mind," the younger Knievel told the Palestine Herald-Press in Wednesday's editions. "They would not be too smart."

Crews earlier in the day put finishing touches on the site as morning clouds and rain cleared.