, what other ways might Doc have been able to get the DeLorean up to 88mph without the train? With extra time they might have chosen to avoid hijacking and destroying a train since that seems it would break the rule of disrupting future events.
shareI think they both just wanted to get back to 1985, and this was probably their best opportunity. And the Delorean was already set up on the tracks, and it would have taken a huge effort to get it off of there and back to the shop. Kind of a miracle they got it perfectly on to the tracks in the first place.
Also, no guarantee that Tannen was out of the picture for good. If he escaped from prison or was found not guilty, then he would be out and looking for revenge.
If time was not a factor Doc could do anything apparently. He built a time machine in the 1800s...
The end kinda bugs me because Doc comes back right after the DeLorean was destroyed by the 1985 train, but Doc should have assumed that Marty, or at least the DeLorean, would still be on the tracks right there at that time.
Also, Doc stole a train and destroyed it. They would hang people for stealing a horse back then. Can't imagine what they did for stealing and destroying a train. He would have been a most wanted man in 1885. Sure he covered his nose and mouth, but his hair, stature, and voice are all quite unique. Would be very easy to figure out it was him.
And the town knew Marty was on the train, since they renamed the ravine "Eastwood Ravine". So it wouldn't take much detective work to figure out that the older guy with him was Doc. Brown.
share"what other ways might Doc have been able to get the DeLorean up to 88mph without the train?"
How deep was the ravine? If it was around 300 feet deep (or even a little less), you could nosedive the DeLorean into the ravine and it would reach 88 MPH before hitting the ground. However, he would need to make parachutes so that he and Marty could jump out of the car before it hit the ground in 1985. It would be a very dangerous, cutting-it-close scenario.
Best bet would be fix whatjamajig on the car , and then refine/grow distill some more suitable fuel .
[deleted]