San Antonio “Haunted” Railroad Crossings

Author: Kanesha Brantley

Ghost lingering near the haunted railroad tracks of San Antonio

Back in the 1940s, in San Antonio, a school bus full of children was making its way down the road and toward the intersection when it stalled on the railroad tracks. A speeding train smashed into the bus killing 10 of the children and the bus driver. Since that dreadful accident many years ago, the legend has said any car that stops near the tracks will be pushed by unseen hands across the tracks to safety. They have said that the hands pushing the cars over the tracks are the spirits of children that died in the accident (Ghost Tracks). This myth is to help prevent another fatal accident. As the story progresses through the years, people all around the world will come to Texas just to experience the spirits push their vehicles over the tracks. In order for you to experience the spirits you will have to put your car in neutral when near the tracks and then you’ll feel the ghost children push your car uphill. Some have even covered their rear end with baby powder or flour, to see if any tiny handprints will appear. Many have reported that several handprints have appeared on their car. Others have heard the voices and laughter of the children while at the site. 

The allege fingerprints from the San Antonio ghost children
from Atimeforlove

However, there are no records of any such accident having ever occurred in the newspaper articles in Texas. In fact the San Antonio road is on a slight incline which could explain the cars moving by themselves (Ghost Tracks). In December 1938, in Salt Lake City, Utah, a similar accident to the San Antonio tracks happened. It involved twenty-six children, ages 12 to 18. They lost their lives when the school bus stalled on the tracks and was hit by a freight train (Mikkelson, San Antonio Ghost Children).

Fact or Fake Paranormal of the San Antonio tracks

Work Cited

“Ghost Tracks.” Scaryforkids.com. Scary Website, 2013. Web. 16 October 2013.

Mikkelson, Barbara and David P. “San Antonio Ghost Children.” Snopes.com. Urban Legends Reference Pages, 1995-2013. Web. 18 October 2013.

Links for Further Research:

San Antonio Ghost Children

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/ghosts/handprint.asp.

This gives a small summary about how people would put powder on the rear end of their car to see if they spot any fingerprints from the children pushing them over the tracks.

San Antonio haunted railroad tracks

www.examiner.com/article/san-antonio-s-haunted-railroad-tracks

Speaks on the legend of the school bus incident and states facts about how the car actually moves over the tracks.