SAN ANTONIO HAUNTED TRAIN TRACKS

 SAN ANTONIO, TX - You’ve probably heard this story. On a rainy Texas morning a train moves swiftly down the track making good time despite the weather. The Engineer spots something on the track, he prays his eyes are playing tricks on him even as he pulls the brake, even as he tugs on the whistle sending its shrill scream into the air, but he is not mistaken, the object before him never moves.

Popular photo of the San Antonio haunted tracks.

Despite his best efforts the train cannot be stopped in time and he watches in horror as the speeding locomotive advances on a school bus crowded with children, their terrified faces pressed against the windows as death races toward them. 

The Legend states that after the children lost their lives that day on the train tracks when their bus stalled out, they have returned to make sure that no one will ever share that tragic fate. Over the years the tale became embroidered to include such embellishments as streets in the area being named for the children. The streets were actually named for the family of the developer who had planned and mapped out the neighborhood. This fact has been raised several times in rebuttal of the story of the Ghost Children of San Antonio, since skeptics feel that one false detail spoils the whole integrity of the legend, but if you doubt the story visit the beautiful city of San Antonio. The train tracks are still there, and visitors still report not only being pushed across by small invisible hands, but also hearing the laughter and voices of children.

  As seen on a science channel program, the haunted train tracks is debunked. Their was never a bus load of kids in San Antonio hit by a train in the 30's, 40's, or 50's and the names of the streets are not named after the killed children. They are named for the developers grand children.

HE SAVED MY LIFE!

The year was either the latter part of 1864 or early 1865, when in the late hours of a dark night a tired young man stood on a crowded train station platform waiting to catch a train. The platform was about the height of the train car floor and the young man is leaning against the car when the train starts to move. With no where to go the motion was twisting him off his feet. A small opening appeared between the train and the platform and the young man began to fall into the crack surely to die on the tracks below or be crushed between the platform and the train. Suddenly, he felt a strong hand grasp his coat collar and the feeling of being raised to his feet. Upon turning to thank his rescuer the young man was surprised to see someone he knew. A man who was considered famous throughout America. (It was like being rescued by George Clooney today). The young man expressed his gratitude to him, and in doing so, called him by name.

Some time passed and the young man joined the military and was telling his commander of his near-death experience and who his savior had been. So moved by the tale the Colonel took pen in hand and sent a thank you letter to our hero. The good Samaritan did not know the identity of the young man whose life he had saved until he received the letter addressed to him from his friend, the young man's commander, Colonel Adam Badeau.

Edwin Booth

You see, by the time he received the letter it was said to have been of some comfort because the hero who had saved the young man was no other than Edwin Booth. Yes, Edwin the older brother of John Wilkes Booth, and the young man was Abraham Lincoln's son, Robert Todd Lincoln.

Robert Todd Lincoln