Maco Ghost Light: From Ghost Stories at Americanfolklore.net

A North Carolina Ghost Story

retold by S.E. Schlosser

      There was once a railroad conductor named Joe Baldwin who was working for the newly rebuilt Atlantic Coast line. The year was 1867, and the railroad had expanded to include a small station in Maco, North Carolina. Joe was assigned to the very last car in the train, and he executed his conductor duties to the best of his abilities aboard his assigned car. Then one night, something went wrong. Terribly wrong. The train was heading down the line toward the tiny Maco station when Joe’s car started to slow down dramatically. Worried, Joe went forward to see what was happening, and realized that his car had come decoupled from the rest of the train. Joe’s heart leapt into his throat when he saw the retreating lights of the train disappearing into the distance. His car was stuck on the tracks, and another train was following close behind them!
      With a shout of dismay, Joe grabbed his signal lantern and frantically ran the length of the car. Bursting out of the back door, he ran out on the rear platform. Yes, he could see the next train speeding toward them down the track. By the look of it, the engineer had not realized the danger! Joe leaned over the rail, desperately signaling for the engineer in the following train to stop. But the train barreled forward, speed unabated. Joe realized that the engineer must not have seen his signal light – or perhaps had not realized its significance. He kept waving the lantern frantically from side to side, shouting in vain over the huge rumbling force of the oncoming train. The engine grew larger and larger, and Joe’s heart was in his throat as he realized the train was not going to stop.
     With a thunderous roar and the great shriek of massive metal hitting massive metal, the engine struck the helpless car. Joe, still at his post, was smashed between the two trains; his head was severed from his body. The signal lantern flew wildly out of his hand, rolling along beside the tangled metal of the two trains and miraculously flipping upright, still alight. Joe’s was the only fatality in the railway accident that night. The railroad officials never located his head.
       Shortly after the train accident, the Maco Light began to appear on the tracks near the station. People traveling on the train, or crossing the tracks at Maco, would report a light shining in the distance when no train was due. The light would appear as a small ball, far down the tracks, and then would come closer and closer to the observer until it was the size of a lantern. People reported that the light moved back and forth frantically, as if it were signaling a train to stop, just as Joe Baldwin had done the night of the accident.
       The phenomenon became so common that the Atlantic Coat Line Railroad ordered their engineers not to stop for the light if they saw it as they were approaching Maco. Folks believed it was the spirit of Joe Baldwin the conductor, desperately replaying his final moments over and over again, trying to get the following train to stop before it hit his helpless car.

Comments

i like

Posted by: Anonymous | April 16, 2009 04:46 PM

poor guy

Posted by: Anonymous | June 13, 2009 05:36 PM

Good Day. A wise man can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can from a mountain top .
I am from Cape and learning to write in English, give please true I wrote the following sentence: "Robin hood: prince of moments was frustrated against an vocally nice police of the able base."

With best wishes :), Hadrian.

Posted by: Hadrian | September 5, 2009 07:34 PM

i feel sorry 4 him.

Posted by: Jaimiila | October 6, 2009 02:29 PM

Excellent storie bit stupid but i liked it

Posted by: Anonymous | October 22, 2009 10:24 AM

i feel really bad for him

Posted by: Nicole Hayes | October 22, 2009 11:01 AM

aww thts so sad

Posted by: camden welker | October 31, 2009 09:17 PM

I HAVE WENT THROUGH THAT AREA TODAY AND ITS AN EERIE FEELING

Posted by: Anonymous | January 2, 2010 10:05 PM

this is a good story, but not very scary.

Posted by: you hate me | January 18, 2010 01:39 PM

dumba** conductor

Posted by: tj | February 11, 2010 07:08 PM

awwwww that was a good short storie but that was sad!!!!

Posted by: iwonttellol | March 20, 2010 04:42 PM

poor pop

Posted by: Anonymous | April 2, 2010 05:35 PM

i'm meen it can't be will-o-wisp cause the light dissapeared after the train tracks were pulled up.

Posted by: william | April 2, 2010 05:37 PM

Very well done, not that scary but well done.

Posted by: OMG! | April 28, 2010 04:54 PM

i lived there and remember this story being told. Like a lot of areas of the country, folks don't speak of such to outsiders, ie; internet. When you hear it from someone who has seen the swinging light, DIFFERENT MATTER ALTOGETHER! Especially those who live(d) nearby.......

Posted by: Caren | July 14, 2010 09:29 PM

I,m scared

Posted by: keke | October 20, 2010 07:29 PM

cool

Posted by: kuzze | October 28, 2010 08:24 AM

some story!!!!!!!!! it is just a little old it is not very scary 2 some people!! :)

Posted by: Hunter | October 28, 2010 09:32 AM

Posted by: aril | October 28, 2010 09:35 AM

I've always wanted to travel to the the spot where the Maco Light was spotted, so I can have the experience for myself.

Posted by: Michayla | October 28, 2010 11:27 AM

heyyy. this story is funny. ps he was my great great great great great uncle.

Posted by: tonyaa leighh | October 28, 2010 11:28 AM

its kinda scary

Posted by: elia | December 1, 2010 11:22 AM

I've heard about Joe Baldwin's ghost in a book about ghosts.

Posted by: Abby | December 21, 2010 03:41 PM

This story is actually true, I'm not sure about names and dates though. My mother, sister and I have been on the ghost tours throughout NC and you can park at the railroad station and stay on the tracks and even see the light, its very eerie and thrilling.

Posted by: Kaiya | December 29, 2010 11:15 PM

my mom told me about this story when i was little

Posted by: Anonymous | February 3, 2011 09:27 AM

So cool and creepy!

Posted by: Anonymous | February 3, 2011 12:16 PM

very sad

Posted by: lolz | February 18, 2011 07:49 PM

I have personally walked the tracks and seen the light. I would see it every other night.

Posted by: Hunky | March 26, 2011 04:50 PM

I heard about this story when I went to Wilmington with my cousin. I never saw it, but she did.

Posted by: Oceana_MermaidGirl | June 30, 2011 06:54 AM

was there a swamp near the station?