I found this article on Digg:
Tourist Chad Vance clung to Ghan train for two hours | Travel News | News.com.au
You should definitely read it to hear about his crazy story. What would you have done?
First of all, I probably would not have even gotten off of the train in the first place. Even if they tell me how long the stop is going to be, I wouldn't want to risk the train leaving without me. Secondly, if I had gotten off, I would have definitely had my backpack with me. This kid didn't even have his PASSPORT on him when he was walking around. What if his stuff was stolen while he was off the train?