Are our railways haunted? (ghost stories)

[The 158 Man]

There's plenty of ghost stories from where I work at the National Railway Museum.

I'll have to persuade some of the 'old hands' to pass on some of their tales.

 

[37372]

Naworth level crossing near Brampton on the Tyne Valley line is supposedly haunted, I saw it on ITVs "Extreme Ghost Stories". At some point in the early 1900s a train collided with some sort of small bus on the crossing. Apparently workers have heard children wailing and one man reckoned a ghost spoke to him.
It does look like a creepy area, when I went over it on a charter a couple of months back late in the evening it looked rather sinister.

 

[Stuart Galbraith]

Hi Stuart. There is plenty of information with regard to the 'Charfield children' Two young children who's bodies were pulled from the wreakage of the 1928 rail disaster, and were never identified or claimed. I believe the two bodies were buried under the stone inscription 'two unknown'. Many stories say that from time to time the boy and girl have been seen around where the tragedy took place, im not sure if this is the case though, as its only here-say. As for the station itself i havent heard any story linked to it. But im not from the gloucestershire area, so maybe someone who is could help you further

I did hear tell that for years afterwards a woman in black was seen near their grave. No proof that its a relative of course, but legend has it the ghost of that woman is still seen.

About the most ive found out online was a local paranormal research group (not necessarily the most reliable source) had suggested ghosts have been seen in the cutting under the bridge, or at least heard there. But its all very vague sadly.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

On a level crossing near Cambridge (on the Royston line I think) a train hit a PoW bus in WW2, killing the driver of the bus, and British Gnl and German PoWs onboard. Some still say you can see the Gnl go up to the crossing before disappearing.

EDIT: my mistake, the incidents were seperate: 6 PoWs were hit 6 months before a Colonel was, at Conington LC.

 

[Kernowfem]

There's plenty of ghost stories from where I work at the National Railway Museum.

I'll have to persuade some of the 'old hands' to pass on some of their tales.

Isnt there supposed to be a haunted carriage at the YRM??

Have you ever seen anything at the museum 158 man?

 

[The 158 Man]

Isnt there supposed to be a haunted carriage at the YRM??

Have you ever seen anything at the museum 158 man?

I believe so yes. Although I haven't seen anything myself.....yet. However, I will say that it can be very creepy in there at night!

Actually, thinking about it, there might be two haunted coaches. One is an old mail car, and the other is an old pullman style vehicle if memory serves.

I'm on holiday this week, but I'll see what I can dig up when I go back.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Naworth level crossing near Brampton on the Tyne Valley line is supposedly haunted, I saw it on ITVs "Extreme Ghost Stories". At some point in the early 1900s a train collided with some sort of small bus on the crossing. Apparently workers have heard children wailing and one man reckoned a ghost spoke to him.
It does look like a creepy area, when I went over it on a charter a couple of months back late in the evening it looked rather sinister.

In what way does it look sinister? I'm intrigued.

Any photo's?

 

[sprinterguy]

In what way does it look sinister? I'm intrigued.

Any photo's?

The level crossing is located in an area of dense woodland, which always succeeds in reducing the amount of daylight reaching the ground, meaning that it always seems quite dark and mysterious. It's on a fairly minor road, with no houses or buildings nearby except for the small house adjacent to the LC, and thanks to the dense trees it usually seems very still and quiet in that area, the noise of the main road nearby is completely blocked out. So with the impression of the LC being located on a little rural lane without another soul in sight could very well give it the impression of being "sinister". I think it depends on how many stereotypical horror films you've watched Personally, I've walked in the woods around Naworth and I don't find it any different from any other woodland anywhere else, I've never been troubled by ghouls and ghosties in the area!

 

[The 158 Man]

The level crossing is located in an area of dense woodland, which always succeeds in reducing the amount of daylight reaching the ground, meaning that it always seems quite dark and mysterious. It's on a fairly minor road, with no houses or buildings nearby except for the small house adjacent to the LC, and thanks to the dense trees it usually seems very still and quiet in that area, the noise of the main road nearby is completely blocked out. So with the impression of the LC being located on a little rural lane without another soul in sight could very well give it the impression of being "sinister". I think it depends on how many stereotypical horror films you've watched Personally, I've walked in the woods around Naworth and I don't find it any different from any other woodland anywhere else, I've never been troubled by ghouls and ghosties in the area!

Thanks for that.

Sounds a bit like Kirkham Abbey LC!

 

[AndyJB]

Fantastic thread - anymore?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Deleted

 

[Nightrider]

"It all silicon to me"

A very modern old joke.

Silicon is a chemical used in modern items like mobile phones and flat screen tv,s.

No big deal about ghosts, reflections printed on to old victorian walls.

Like a negative in a camera, effected by things like temperature, light or brain waves.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroencephalography

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon

 

[Kernowfem]

Not sure if ive already mentioned Barkston Junction just north of Grantham on the ECML.
Its supposed to be haunted by a signal man who is said to climb none existant signal gantrys...

Rotherham masbrough station also has a reputation for having a ghostly freight train thunder through in the early hours of the morning.

Wickenby signal box in lincolnshire (still in use) has a resident ghost of a former worker. I read in a ghosts of lincolnshire book that he still visits the box he spent years working in.

I have noticed that there are a lot of reported hauntings in the lincolnshire vicinity as apposed to other counties...no idea why.

 

[generalvegitable]

dunno if it has already been said but Wansford on the NVR is said to be haunted.

the story goes that the station cat went missing, the station master went out looking for it and got hit by a train, and the ghost of the cat has been seen wandering around the station complex.

the scary thing is that I have seen a cat that matches the description of the ghost while waiting for a train there recently.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The now demolished carriage sheds at Addiscombe were reputedly haunted.

 

[yorksrob]

The now demolished carriage sheds at Addiscombe were reputedly haunted.

What's the story there then? Had a good view of the shed from the platform a few times myself but never went in .

 

[Old Timer]

...Wickenby signal box in lincolnshire (still in use) has a resident ghost of a former worker. I read in a ghosts of lincolnshire book that he still visits the box he spent years working in.

I have noticed that there are a lot of reported hauntings in the lincolnshire vicinity as apposed to other counties...no idea why.

Sorry to be a pedant, but it was Claxby signal box, which is now demolished.

 

[jimrbrobinson]

When I was 8 years old my family and I moved to the area where we still live now. I, of course, changed schools. In 'Class 6' as it was called then, our teacher was considered by all of us to be 'ancient'. With hindsight he was probably in his early sixties. He told us on one occasion about the railway line across Astley Moss, which was part of the first ever passenger railway - George Stephenson's Manchester to Liverpool railway. I remember him also telling us that many people had seen a ghost further down the line at Parkside - the ghost of William Huskisson M.P., always dressed in Georgian finery wandering along the line. We were told (wrongly though some still try to claim it to this day) that he was the first person ever to be killed by a train.

He didn't actually die at the scene of the accident at Parkside where he was run over by The Rocket. He died at Eccles, having been conveyed there by Rocket.

 

[Simon Poole]

Nice to see this thread back!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I did noticed something yesterday travelling back from the 1846 from Rugeley Trent Valley, after the train left the station, it was about to curve away from West Coast Mainline and i noticed some smoke! could had been an fire or an steam train, waited until passed an cutting pass the cutting it's open space which you can see the West Coast Mainline and nothing was there? but i checked the internet and no steam train was running around that area yesterday?

 

[Kernowfem]

Sorry to be a pedant, but it was Claxby signal box, which is now demolished.

Old timer, i believe you are refering to the Aubrey Clarke story which indeed was the Claxby box....

The Wickenby story is lesser known, but goes along a similar line (pardon the pun)

 

[Scotrail84]

I was told a story about a strange goings on at Carlisle. A friend of my was working the sleepers back up from Carlisle (not sure of the headcode or traction or even the year but it wasnt too long ago) Anyway my friend the guard is waiting for the road and time of departure whilst talking to a member of staff on the platform when he looks back down the train where he sees what appears to be a shunter walking down the platform dressed in blue overalls with an oldstyle bardic lamp in his hand. They see him jump down between coaches and dissapears under the train so the guard and the other member of staff walk down towards the coach where the shunter went under to make sure everything was ok as it was nearly train time. When they get down to the coach he went under there was absoloutely no sign of the shunter anywhere so he jumped down under the train to see if he could see him, again no sign of anybody down there. Confused and a bit worried now walk the length of train even crossing the bridge to the other platform to see if they could find this man, but no sign of this mysterious man whatsoever. Shaken by this incident the train goes on its way and to this day he cannot explain what went on that night.

I have no reason not to belive my mate and he genuinly belives he seen a ghost that night and who knows maybe he did.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

What's the story there then? Had a good view of the shed from the platform a few times myself but never went in .

Off the top of my head it was things like footsteps from within empty sheds, sounds of ( locked! ) doors opening and closing, sudden chills in the air. I'll have to try to find the book it was in.

 

[yorksrob]

Off the top of my head it was things like footsteps from within empty sheds, sounds of ( locked! ) doors opening and closing, sudden chills in the air. I'll have to try to find the book it was in.

Excellent, sounds a bit creepy - I wonder if the staff were relieved to abandon the depot back in 97.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Fom Paranormal Database on Addiscombe Old Yard:

Blurred Figure

Location: Croydon (Surrey) - Addiscombe railway yard - sheds (station demolished in 2001)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 11 April 2006
Further Comments: While the buildings stood, one worker witnessed a grey figure walking from the sheds, the apparition's face blurred and distorted. The sounds of machinery being moved at night were also reported, though the buildings were locked. The grey figure has been seen since the demolition, viewed from the fence along Capri Road.

 

[yorksrob]

The grey figure has been seen since the demolition, viewed from the fence along Capri Road.

I wonder if he misses the trains!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I wonder if he misses the trains!

Ah, iif he does he can wander across the road a bit to the trams

 

[DescendingSadly]

Not railway related but here is a picture I took in York last year...

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Not railway related but here is a picture I took in York last year...

Just above the little cluster of white and yellow lights looks like a face (i've only seen the first one) Where is this

 

[DescendingSadly]

That's right. It's a face of a man with a beard wearing some kind of hood. The picture was taking in one of the Snickelways in the Shambles.

 

[kentuckytony]

Here is an interesting recent new story from the US about a ghost train that possibly created more ghosts.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/27/north.carolina.ghost.train/index.html?hpt=T2

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Here is an interesting recent new story from the US about a ghost train that possibly created more ghosts.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/27/north.carolina.ghost.train/index.html?hpt=T2

Interesting, if were going across the Pond, i know the ghost of Lincoln's funeral train has a skeletorial jazz band aboard.