The Ghost Train

Some trivia. I do not know if true or not but in many areas people report seeing 'ghost trains'. Back in 'old rail days' there were things like accidents and deaths that might lend some substance to such tales. (?) Maybe for safety don't fall asleep on old railroad right-of-ways ?

The railroad executives built a clubhouse for themselves and their influential friends at Norfolk Summit. The trains would stop there when signaled, as well as at the usual stop at the station in Grants. Steam from the train would condense and in the winter sometimes frosted over nearby windows. The story goes that four lawyers who were wheeling and dealing in the booming iron industry had met at the clubhouse to strategize. A big hulking man entered from the howling snowstorm and silently stood before the fire rubbing his enormous hands, trying to warm himself. They could not see his face but worried that the stranger may have heard some of their schemes and wondering if he was from Norfolk, they demanded, "Where are you from, sir?" Suddenly the room was as cold as all outdoors. The man spun around, and with eyes like burning coals he snarled, "From Hell, where you four are going." Then he threw open the door and disappeared back into the swirling snow and was never seen again.

The ghost train has been reported in many places along the old Central New England line from Springfield, Ma. and Hartford, Ct. to Poughkeepsie and Rhinecliff, NY. The legend says that the ghost train's steam, wheels, and carriages make not a single sound as they sweep along on invisible rails. Sometimes people in Norfolk have seen a white steamy mist sweep down the greenway trail as though it was from an old ghostly steam train. Could the sudden condensation on car windows in the summer, and the sudden winter frosting over of car windows as they cross the abandoned rail line at Norfolk, be caused by the steam of the passing ghost train?

This seen in a messageboard on the web....

Subject: ghost train

Hi,
We had another visit last night of the ghost train. I have lived here almost all of my 46 yrs but yet have to hear a story about this train. Actually it is the sound of the train. It starts around 10pm most nights. At first it sounds like a old time train idling later (lasts around 10 minutes) you can hear it moving (metal sounds) and then the whistle.
I know of at least 20 people who have heard it. If you get close to where the tracks were *been gone 70 yrs* around the time it starts you can smell coal burning. Really weird. Any ideas on why it does this???

Subject: Re: Ghost train

A lady on another group sent a site and it triggered something I had been researching in another county so didn't think of it till now. During the time of the train (one we hear) the tracks went into Litchfield County and close to a town called Norfolk, actually Norfolk Summit where the grade was very steep. Someone last summer was telling me that there had been a horrible wreck there in the late 1800's. In fact the metal and part of the train was still in the gorge by the tracks. These are the same tracks that the train now "runs on" through here. I hadn't even connected the possibility till this email. I am going to do some major research as to date of wreck, if anyone was killed (but seeing the depth of the gorge I would guess there were fatalities. Going into this open minded but it may explain allot. Ours was the last watering hole before the wreck.

Carol

The story on this I have posted to some groups and not others. It involves the sound of a train running (old steam type) and then a whistle and hearing the train on the tracks. No big deal but tracks have been gone 30 yrs.