Express Train to Hell
A New Jersey Ghost Story
retold by
S.E. Schlosser
For days, a ragged old man had hung around the Newark Central Station. The stationmaster kept running him off, but night after night he would return. He kept accosting people, shouting: "It's coming for me! It's coming!" Whenever anyone asked him what was coming for him, he would just clutch his head and cry: "I done wrong! I killed a man that cheated me at cards, and now I'm going to pay!"
The stationmaster finally took the man aside and threatened to call the police if he did not cease and desist. The old man rolled his eyes and replied: "The Express Train for Hell is coming for my soul! You've got to help me." He broke away from the stationmaster and ran for the door. The time was two minutes to midnight. At that moment, new sound introduced itself. A long whistle blew, once, twice. The stationmaster was startled. The next train wasn't due until 12:05.
The old tramp started screaming when he heard the whistle. The stationmaster could hear the roar and chug of a steam train, approaching fast. Approaching too fast to stop at the station. The old man was standing at the edge of the platform, staring down the tracks in frozen terror. The stationmaster ran forward and grabbed hold of the old tramp to pull him out of harm's way.
The train whistle sounded again. A warm rush of air blew against everyone near the platform and the stationmaster heard the roar of an invisible train passing directly in front of him. He heard the hiss of the steam and the screech of flanges against iron rails; he felt the wind whipping our hair and faces, but he saw nothing.
Beneath his grip, the old tramp gave a terrible wail. Then he vanished, leaving the stationmaster empty-handed. The roar of the invisible train faded into the distance and then ceased. The stationmaster glanced at the station clock. It was midnight.
The stationmaster stared blankly at the tracks. Around him, the waiting passengers and other bystanders were gasping and murmuring in fright. "Good lord, he was right," the stationmaster murmured to himself. "It did come for him." He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his sweating, bald head with it.
A trembling man standing nearby approached the stationmaster: "Sir, what was that?" he asked. "Son, I believe that was the Express Train to Hell," said the stationmaster. He shook his head and that seemed to bring him to his senses. "Why don't you go back into the station and pour yourself a drink?" he suggested to the trembling man.
He pushed the man through the station door and then turned to address the dazed and frightened passengers. "Nothing to worry about folks," he said. "It was just an express train passing through. The next train will be here in five minutes." The stationmaster's reassuring manner calmed everyone. People turned away from the empty tracks and settled back into their seats, whispering to each other about the strange events that had just taken place.
Then the stationmaster went into his office, closed the door, and poured himself a stiff drink to calm his nerves. "Well, that's one for the books," he muttered aloud. "I wonder if I should put it on the schedule; 12 am-Express Train to Hell."
Shaking his head, he fortified himself with one more brandy and then went back to work.
Read more New Jersey folklore in Spooky New Jersey by S.E. Schlosser.
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Comments
i'm sooooooooooooooooooooo freaked out right now.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 23, 2010 09:27 PM
That was a good story
Posted by: Americanducklover | July 27, 2010 10:29 AM
Not THAT scary, though. Is it.
Posted by: Anonymous | August 1, 2010 11:16 AM
not scary
Posted by: anonymous | August 1, 2010 04:50 PM
What? I thought that was going to be scary?! The only thing that scared me was when the guy disappeared right when my dog knocked over a box of dishes! AND even THAT didn't make me jump a mile!
Posted by: Anonymous | August 5, 2010 11:47 AM
that was kinda ok but if it was like late or even better midnight and maybe windy and maybe raining.
Posted by: Stefanie Kate Zara | August 6, 2010 02:04 AM
i liked it alot but it wasnt scary
Posted by: jenny | August 13, 2010 02:10 PM
this is so scary
Posted by: shannon baumgarten | August 25, 2010 04:06 AM
that was kinda weird...
but have any of you heard the Happy Hanger?? thats the scariest one ive heard
Posted by: FearMaster | September 5, 2010 05:09 PM
oooo....scary.
I won't take train at midnight and won't ever never ever commit a murder....
Posted by: adventures girl | September 10, 2010 12:17 AM
Great story. Nicely put. Just one question, out of curiosity: If the guy was braindead scared of the Express Train from Hell, why did he keep on going to the train station in the first place, hanging around there for no reason at all? Deathly fear of that train should've kept him away from anything to do with trains, tracks and stations. Unless of course guilt is making him want to die and accept his fate - in which he shouldn't have cried out loud for his sake at all for that matter.
Posted by: Alterra | September 18, 2010 01:09 AM
freeeeakkyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Anonymous | September 29, 2010 10:51 AM
that is interesting ,scary ,and a really good story
Posted by: kimberly | October 4, 2010 11:53 AM
that is very cool
Posted by: john | October 13, 2010 08:44 AM
lol that was funny
i wonder if i should put it on the schedule 12am-express to hell
Posted by: mitchy | October 14, 2010 06:40 PM
OMG!!!
Posted by: Anonymous | October 19, 2010 08:21 AM
i seriously love the story i was almos dying when i was readying it
Posted by: iam super scare i will never use a trian ever again in my life | October 25, 2010 05:17 PM
this is not scary at all
Posted by: Kaleb Brady | October 27, 2010 11:41 AM
wow this was kind of weird it wasnt even scary it was like a comedey or something LOL
Posted by: torrie | October 29, 2010 10:47 AM
wow this was kind of weird it wasnt even scary it was like a comedey or something LOL
Posted by: torrie | October 29, 2010 10:48 AM
best story ever
Posted by: Anonymous | November 8, 2010 02:08 PM
OMG!!!!
Posted by: Jack | December 13, 2010 03:55 PM
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: gfddgjty | January 8, 2011 09:12 AM
that was weirdly scary im gonna be scared to take the train to work tomorow
Posted by: jesica | January 9, 2011 08:17 PM
cool beans
Posted by: Anonymous | January 19, 2011 03:49 PM
pretty creepy
Posted by: anonymous | February 24, 2011 12:51 PM
That wasn't scary at all. Yet it was pretty cool.
Posted by: Anonymous | February 25, 2011 08:36 AM
it was interesting how the man asked himself weather he should put it on the schedule and the story wasn't that scary but it was interesting
Posted by: Lilia M. Torres | March 9, 2011 07:15 PM
its not scary at all its funny
Posted by: trevante | March 10, 2011 05:14 PM
I thought it was...decent. I've heard it before and I did live near the station for a time so it is pretty weird.
Posted by: Evan K. | April 6, 2011 05:15 PM
I live near a train station and after I read this a train came by and it scared the crap out of me!
Posted by: Someone | June 21, 2011 09:56 AM
Awesome story but not that scary. No trespassing wAs a scary story. Had me afrAid to wAlk down the corridor by myself for days. ;)
Posted by: Hi my name is Melville Dewey nice to meet ya how u Doin | June 24, 2011 11:18 PM
well he should not have killed that man
Posted by: bella | August 11, 2011 03:26 PM
i dont get it if the train was there to get him why was the man still there?? very confused
Posted by: tammy | October 2, 2012 12:50 PM