Verry good, thanks. I didn't need to hear this, during long night turns in my local signal boxes. Having arrived just before 22.00hrs, I settled down with a book, after it grew quiet. The exposed signal-box sometimes shook or swayed a little during the worst storms. Occasionally, there'd be the haunting call of a dog fox; adding its lonely bark to the owls, and the nightly chorus. Such nights, when everyone else were warm and snug inside. It was just turning midnight, when I heard it; that unmistakable sound of footsteps walking along the edge of the railway track, much like plate-layers walking their length. It was trackmen's duty, to walk along their part of the railway, checking for loose bolts. But that was done during the day, And it was now, past midnight. I stood up to stoke the aging coal fire, and it was than, that the footsteps sounded louder, on the stone ballast. somewhat reluctantly, I looked through the window as the moon broke through the cloud, yet there was nothing to see. Pushing any dark thoughts from my mind, I refreshed my coffee, and sat back down. I had a smoke, while gazing round and wondered how many other signalmen had spent such a lonely, stormy night here, over the past 150 years or so. It would be all the more quiet this night, because the last train had long since passed, and there was engineering due to begin soon, at the next signalbox. The storm seemed to get worse, with more thunder and lightening, some of it huge forks. I tried to continue with my book, but there it was again, the footsteps outside. But this time, after one more crunch on the ballast, the steps moved to the wooden steps, and the loud step, as though banged on purpose. I must have used those steps a hundred times, but now, I couldn't remember how many steps were banged. I sat frozen to the chair, and then as the steps reached the top, there was an almighty flash of lightening, and immediate crash of thunder, such as I'd never heard before. And there he stood at the door old Bob, the old track man; clearly wanting to come inside. I stood slowly and as I opened the door, he rushed inside. "Bloody hell; it's wild out there tonight". I turned away from him and started the kettle, to make him a brew. The Rules and Regulations required a member of the trackmen to be posted at this signal box, as a reminder of Engineering work; and Bob had arrived to be my reminder, as long as the work lasted. Bob had got a lift part of the way, then came up the track the rest of the way. "Well another eight hours, then we can go home". "Yeah" I moaned. "The Engineers train and crane have to be clear by 08.00hrs "Ain't that jolly" And we both laughed, as I handed him his brew. Those hours seemed to go a bit faster with company to talk with. Morning came, and he set off, back down the track [for a lift, he said. Then I noticed he'd not drunk his brew. I cleaned up and set off home on my motorbike. I remembered there was a message for me at the railway station, so I stopped on my way home. Chatting briefly about the stormy night, I mentioned having Bob as my reminder; which brought several odd looks. "Who did you say was there"? An old trackman, Bob"' "It couldn't have been, he was killed by a train last year. He was walking up the track, when a train caught him"... BY JACK D. HARRISON. poet/author and retired Signalman.
Great story thanks. Took me back; my late father manned signal boxes when I was a kid in the 1960’s. He had some great stories too of stormy nights alone in his signal box
Not so much a Ghost story, but I did a short stint as Signalman at Star Lane Box, just south of Coulsdon south on the Brighton line in the 1960s It was situated in a very deep cutting far from any life (what comes to mind here is the film "Alien".....In space, noone can hear you scream!...lol). I was on the night shift, and close in the area were two mental asylums......The notorious Cane Hill and Netherne. It was a regular occurrence to see inmates who got out walking along the Tracks. Mainly there trying to get away, but a few who wanted to top themselves! Frightening when they tried to get into the Signal box, as recounted by the other Signalman.....fortunately I never experienced that, but I couldn't get a transfer out of there quick enough😅
"such a bleak place was this, that even in the Summer depression was rife". In a prisoner of war camp. I'm far more used to images of POW's spending the summer months playing beach cricket and ordering daiquiris, so this was a valuable insight.
Nicely done, especially the black and white effects give it a mysterious feeling, it almost scares you, as does the narrator's voice. 💯👍🏻👻💯👍🏻👻💯👍🏻👻💯👍🏻👻💯👍🏻👻
Needs to cut the 'sound effects' . I couldn't understand what was being said because of them so stopped listening after 10 minutes. I reckoned it wasn't going to get any better. Let me know when the remake is made. Thank you
While I won't give this a Thumbs-Down, it hasn't earned a Thumbs-Up either. Mainly because an American influence at play here with overuse of sound effects and the background music sometimes overpowers the narrator's voice. The subject matter was interesting, nonetheless.
Verry good, thanks. I didn't need to hear this, during long night turns in my local signal boxes.
Having arrived just before 22.00hrs, I settled down with a book, after it grew quiet. The exposed signal-box sometimes shook or swayed a little during the worst storms. Occasionally, there'd be the haunting call of a dog fox; adding its lonely bark to the owls, and the nightly chorus. Such nights, when everyone else were warm and snug inside.
It was just turning midnight, when I heard it; that unmistakable sound of footsteps walking along the edge of the railway track, much like plate-layers walking their length. It was trackmen's duty, to walk along their part of the railway, checking for loose bolts.
But that was done during the day, And it was now, past midnight. I stood up to stoke the aging coal fire, and it was than, that the footsteps sounded louder, on the stone ballast. somewhat reluctantly, I looked through the window as the moon broke through the cloud, yet there was nothing to see.
Pushing any dark thoughts from my mind, I refreshed my coffee, and sat back down. I had a smoke, while gazing round and wondered how many other signalmen had spent such a lonely, stormy night here, over the past 150 years or so. It would be all the more quiet this night, because the last train had long since passed, and there was engineering due to begin soon, at the next signalbox.
The storm seemed to get worse, with more thunder and lightening, some of it huge forks.
I tried to continue with my book, but there it was again, the footsteps outside. But this time, after one more crunch on the ballast, the steps moved to the wooden steps, and the loud step, as though banged on purpose. I must have used those steps a hundred times, but now, I couldn't remember how many steps were banged. I sat frozen to the chair, and then as the steps reached the top, there was an almighty flash of lightening, and immediate crash of thunder, such as I'd never heard before. And there he stood at the door old Bob, the old track man; clearly wanting to come inside.
I stood slowly and as I opened the door, he rushed inside.
"Bloody hell; it's wild out there tonight".
I turned away from him and started the kettle, to make him a brew.
The Rules and Regulations required a member of the trackmen to be posted at this signal box, as a reminder of Engineering work; and Bob had arrived to be my reminder, as long as the work lasted.
Bob had got a lift part of the way, then came up the track the rest of the way.
"Well another eight hours, then we can go home".
"Yeah" I moaned.
"The Engineers train and crane have to be clear by 08.00hrs
"Ain't that jolly"
And we both laughed, as I handed him his brew.
Those hours seemed to go a bit faster with company to talk with.
Morning came, and he set off, back down the track [for a lift, he said. Then I noticed he'd not drunk his brew. I cleaned up and set off home on my motorbike. I remembered there was a message for me at the railway station, so I stopped on my way home.
Chatting briefly about the stormy night, I mentioned having Bob as my reminder; which brought several odd looks.
"Who did you say was there"?
An old trackman, Bob"'
"It couldn't have been, he was killed by a train last year. He was walking up the track, when a train caught him"...
BY JACK D. HARRISON.
poet/author and retired Signalman.
Great story
@@IronGun52 Thanks.you're welcome.
Great story thanks. Took me back; my late father manned signal boxes when I was a kid in the 1960’s. He had some great stories too of stormy nights alone in his signal box
Not so much a Ghost story, but I did a short stint as Signalman at Star Lane Box, just south of Coulsdon south on the Brighton line in the 1960s
It was situated in a very deep cutting far from any life (what comes to mind here is the film "Alien".....In space, noone can hear you scream!...lol).
I was on the night shift, and close in the area were two mental asylums......The notorious Cane Hill and Netherne. It was a regular occurrence to see inmates who got out walking along the Tracks. Mainly there trying to get away, but a few who wanted to top themselves!
Frightening when they tried to get into the Signal box, as recounted by the other Signalman.....fortunately I never experienced that, but I couldn't get a transfer out of there quick enough😅
@@ianwhitehouse2487 Thank you. Most of the men on Mum's side were Railwaymen. By all means share your own stories if you can contact me.
"such a bleak place was this, that even in the Summer depression was rife". In a prisoner of war camp. I'm far more used to images of POW's spending the summer months playing beach cricket and ordering daiquiris, so this was a valuable insight.
Sorry bit mean, I really enjoyed the video!
Nicely done, especially the black and white effects give it a mysterious feeling, it almost scares you, as does the narrator's voice. 💯👍🏻👻💯👍🏻👻💯👍🏻👻💯👍🏻👻💯👍🏻👻
What a masterpiece.
Thank you very much ,I enjoyed that.
Great story telling.
Excellent stuff 👍
We've got heaps of ghost trains here in Sydney. Just look at a timetable 😢
background Music to loud
Agree,it was 'shining' through a little too much.
Needs to cut the 'sound effects' . I couldn't understand what was being said because of them so stopped listening after 10 minutes. I reckoned it wasn't going to get any better. Let me know when the remake is made. Thank you
While I won't give this a Thumbs-Down, it hasn't earned a Thumbs-Up either. Mainly because an American influence at play here with overuse of sound effects and the background music sometimes overpowers the narrator's voice. The subject matter was interesting, nonetheless.