@@ -42,10 +42,20 @@
 ;; (define (exit . code)
 ;;   (if (null? code)
 ;;       (old-exit)
 ;;       (old-exit code)))
 
+(define (stop-the-train)
+  (thread-start! (make-thread (lambda ()
+				(let loop ()
+				  (if (and *toppath*
+					   (file-exists? (conc *toppath*"/stop-the-train")))
+				      (begin
+					(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: found file "*toppath*"/stop-the-train, exiting immediately")
+					(exit 1)))
+				  (thread-sleep! 5)
+				  (loop))))))
 
 ;; execute thunk, return value.  If exception thrown, trap exception, return #f, and emit nonfatal condition note to *default-log-port* .
 ;; arguments - thunk, message
 (define (common:fail-safe thunk warning-message-on-exception)
   (handle-exceptions