Comments on Strange Days: Ghost trains of Great Britain

I think i can shed some light on the Washford sigh...

2011-12-08T01:35:19.637Z

I think i can shed some light on the Washford sighting you mention.

The closed line being referred to is the West Somerset Mineral Railway, which closed when replaced by another Railway which passed through another part of Washford on it's way between Taunton & Minehead, when this line in turn was closed in the 1970's, it was soon taken over as a tourist railway which operates old steam trains to this day, so the sound of old steam trains in the Washford area is very common and it is probably this railway being heard in the distance which accounts for the sound.

H Siani, Here are the Australian ghost train stori...

2011-04-28T06:25:24.596+01:00

H Siani,
Here are the Australian ghost train stories I mentioned earlier

http://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11359370-0-asc-s0.htm and

http://www.railpage.com.au/f-p585783.htm

Cheers,
Ben in Australia

Hi Siani, I've few tales you may like. Not exp...

2011-04-22T13:47:56.870+01:00

Hi Siani,
I've few tales you may like. Not experienced by me, but I'll post them anyway.

Cheers,
Ben in Australia

I can't shed light on most of these stories, b...

2009-08-01T15:51:39.338+01:00

I can't shed light on most of these stories, but I can confirm the Talyllyn Ghost Train as a hoax.

Back when the railway was a commerical enterprise, families could rent a waggon for the day which would be attached to the timetabled trains to take them up the line. Leaving it in a siding they could then explore the hills and eventually ride back in the truck after the last train under power of gravity, late in the evening. Dangerous by modern standards (especially since there was no Liability Insurance on these outings), but tremendous fun.

The ghost train story stems from one local who at the time got the idea of reliving this fun for himself - he built himself a trolley and used the help of friends and a Landrover to put the trolley on the line at the level crossing near Abergynolwyn, and then rode it several miles downhill to Brynglas crossing where he'd be collected. People may well have heard him rattling along the line by cover of darkness, maybe lighting his way with a torch, and thus the legend begins.

On the night of the most dramatic 'sighting', the Talyllyn Railway gave permission for a climbing group to abseil down Dolgoch Viaduct, a three-arch structure that stands fifty-feet high over the Dolgoch Ravine. On the same night the joyrider decided to take his trolley out for a spin. The results could have been fatal. The abseilers arrived at Dolgoch and walked along the line to the viaduct, where they tied their ropes to the track and then slung themselves over the parapet - at this point the joyrider shot by, thumping right over their ropes - thankfully none of them broke. However both parties got quite a scare (and since the climbers were already desending the viaduct they didn't get a decent look at what passed them), and the story grew in the telling until the local paper reported the 'Ghost Train'. It's easy to imagine how badly things could have gone were it not for some miraculous timing.

Not long thereafter the legend died - the man responsible gave up his jaunts because of the shock he'd recieved and how close he'd come to possible manslaughter, and eventually blabbed about his exploits one night in a pub and the true story spread round - I heard as much from the landlady of the Dolgoch Falls Hotel and read a matching account in a book on the Talyllyn Railway. Sadly there's no ghost train, but it does make for a gripping story.

That is not to say that there may not be a phantom or two on the line however, as a spectral man has been seen walking in Wharf Cutting, and a ghost dog has been reported in Pendre Yard, all straight from the mouth of a volunteer friend of mine.

Another familiar face to the Season of Shadows Car...

2007-11-04T21:29:00.000Z

Another familiar face to the Season of Shadows Carnival is back at Strange Days. Siani continues to present very interesting posts. For this edition Siani’s discussing phantom rail runners in Ghost Trains of Great Britain.

November '07 Paranormal Carnival at SeasonOfShadows.com