The legend says that in 1911, 106 passengers got on a train in Rome and as it entered a tunnel, it never came out the other side. Instead, in 1926, a hundred people showed up in Mexico and said they were on a train leaving Rome.
Lincoln's funeral train
It is said that Abraham Lincoln's funeral train from 1865 shows up annually near Albany, NY, pumping out black smoke and silent ghostly attendants.
L&N ghost train
In the early 1900s, the L&N train derailed just outside of Bowling Green, Kentucky on a foggy night on a sharp curve. Several passegers and crew died. The tracks were repaired, the train hauled off, but upon occasion people claimed to see a ghost train taking that route.
Bunnyman bridge
This tale is from my old neighborhood. As a kid, people whispered about the bunnyman - a man with an ax, dressed like a bunny.The story has had many versions, but the one I heard the most was that there was a mental hospital closing down in the early 1900s. As they transported the patients, the bus broke down and oe crazy guy fled into the woods. It was said that around this train bridge gutted bunnies were found, the remnants of ones he ate. Later on, the legend morphed into a maniac killing and hanging folks from the bridge who had dallied in the tunnel beneath.
Silver Run haunted train tunnel
This one is in Cairo, West Virginia. It has all the usual haunting features - a lady in white at the opening of the tunnel, mists, voices, and sounds of a ghostly train.
Church Hill tunnel
In Richmond, Virginia a collapsed tunnel killed some people. Some folks report seeing a ghostly man trying to dig into the tunnel to rescue folks and others report the sounds of a train from within the closed tunnel.
Moonville Tunnel
This one is from Moonville, Ohio. In this case, a brakeman was supposedly crushed by the wheels and locals believe he still haunts the area.
The Blue Ghost tunnel
This legend comes from St. Catherine's, Ontario. The tunnel was closed in 1915. The St. Catherine's journal reported this -
"On the Grand Trunk rail line near Merritton a serious and fatal accident occurred near the Merritton Tunnel today. The accident occurred around 7:03am. Engine Number 975 to leave from Niagara falls at 6:00am and run through to [the city of] Hamilton. The Engine Number 4 express train was scheduled to arrive in Merritton at 6:28am.
As nearly as can be learned it was 7:03 am when the ill-fated express train passed a small telegraph station near the tunnel, a few moments later Engine 4 and Engine 975 met with a terrible crash.
Both engines were in full steam when they met head on. The estimated speed of both trains was about 22 MPH (miles per hour) at the time of the collision.
Both engineers escaped with only broken limbs and minor cuts to face and arms while Mr. Charles Horning (firemen) for Engine 4 was killed instantly.
The reporter described the condition of the body as being jammed in the boiler, his body horribly mangled. When rescuers went to pull on the limbs of the man to try to free him, they broke off. When some of the remains were taken away, his mid-section was so tightly wedged that his remaining body could not be pulled free. It was noted that his wrist watch was still working.
The other firemen, Abraham Desult, from Engine 975 was smashed into the boiler of the train, and received burns to 90% of his body. He was rushed to the St. Catharines General Hospital where he died 5 hours after the accident."
As nearly as can be learned it was 7:03 am when the ill-fated express train passed a small telegraph station near the tunnel, a few moments later Engine 4 and Engine 975 met with a terrible crash.
Both engines were in full steam when they met head on. The estimated speed of both trains was about 22 MPH (miles per hour) at the time of the collision.
Both engineers escaped with only broken limbs and minor cuts to face and arms while Mr. Charles Horning (firemen) for Engine 4 was killed instantly.
The reporter described the condition of the body as being jammed in the boiler, his body horribly mangled. When rescuers went to pull on the limbs of the man to try to free him, they broke off. When some of the remains were taken away, his mid-section was so tightly wedged that his remaining body could not be pulled free. It was noted that his wrist watch was still working.
The other firemen, Abraham Desult, from Engine 975 was smashed into the boiler of the train, and received burns to 90% of his body. He was rushed to the St. Catharines General Hospital where he died 5 hours after the accident."
The Hoosac Tunnel
In Florida, Massachusetts a train tunnel was referred to as the "Bloody pit."When it was begin dug out in the 1800s, 200 workers died. The blasts killed people and gas exploded. To this day, people report spectral figures around it.
St. Louis ghost train
This takes place in St. Louis, Saskachewan. A light is seen going up and down the tracks, changing colors. These kinds of sightings are commonly called spooklights and reported often around train tracks.
Seven Gates of Hell
This track in Collinsville, Illinois has a reputation among the youths. There are seven train bridges and they say if you drive through them in a row, and go through the last one at midnight, you go to hell.
In my study to find the haunted formula - the elements that are common traits among haunted locations, I found that train tracks wre often nearby. Perhaps it's the tracks of iron, something feng shui related, or the time period when tracks were laid down and the labor involved, maybe it's static buildup. It just seems they carry lots of legends of wrecks, tunnels that are haunted, and spooklights. In fact, often Bigfoot is seen along powerline roads and train tracks, perhaps because it's an easy pathway. Perhaps they know something....