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Vimos el tren frenar y escuchamos los rieles rechinar.

Vimos el tren frenar y escuchamos los rieles rechinar.
We saw the train brake and heard the rails screech.
From Lesson 355:Perception verbs (ver, escuchar)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Vimos el tren frenar y escuchamos los rieles rechinar.

Why does this sentence use the infinitives frenar and rechinar instead of the gerunds frenando and rechinando?
With perception verbs like ver and escuchar, using the infinitive implies you experienced the action as a complete, finished event or a quick, sudden occurrence. If you used the gerunds (frenando, rechinando), it would emphasize an action in progress, translating closer to "We saw the train braking and heard the rails screeching."
Is the word order strictly perception verb + object + infinitive? Could we say Vimos frenar el tren?
You absolutely can! In Spanish, it is very common to group the two verbs together when using perception verbs. Both Vimos el tren frenar and Vimos frenar el tren are perfectly natural and mean the exact same thing.
If I wanted to say "We saw it brake and heard them screech" using pronouns, where do they go?
You would use the direct object pronouns lo (for el tren) and los (for los rieles), and place them before the conjugated perception verbs: Lo vimos frenar y los escuchamos rechinar.
I haven't seen the verb rechinar much. How else is it used?
Rechinar describes a harsh squeaking, grinding, or grating noise caused by friction. Besides metal on metal, it is most commonly used to talk about grinding your teeth (rechinar los dientes) or for squeaky door hinges.

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