Grade on a Curve

Some people would rather take clean-up detail after a catastrophic flood than be asked to solve a story problem. If you are that guy, here is this week's story problem:

An exploding oil train, measured from the tip of the cowcatcher to the tail of the caboose, is 27 miles long. And you would swear it was moving along no faster than ¼ mile per hour. How much time would you have to kill at the crossing before this train rolled by?

Answers must be submitted in a SASE. Please show your work.

SPOILER ALERT!

The correct answer is:

108 hours
(27 miles ÷ .25 mph = 108 hours = 4½ days)

Coincidentally, 108 hours is also the duration that the CN rail crossing in Mundelein will be down this week:

Route 60/83 at the Canadian National Railroad tracks in Mundelein closed Monday morning as work began on repairs to the grade crossing there. The crossing is scheduled to remain closed until 6 p.m. Friday, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Repair work begins on Mundelein crossing

Note to Ops: This is why you had to learn algebra.