A True Story of a San Antonio Railroad Tragedy

3/28/2016

Have you heard the Legend of the San Antonio Railroad Tracks?

If you are from San Antonio or it's outer reaches, you have more than likely heard about the story of the San Antonio Railroad tracks. The story goes that in the 1930's there was a school bus full of children that was tragically hit by an oncoming train. And legend today states that if you put your car in neutral, at the site of the accident, your car will be slowly pushed over the tracks (by the spirits of dead children) to safety. You can also put baby powder or flour on the back of your car and some say you can see the tiny prints of children's hands.
Unfortunately this story is merely a San Antonio legend. This train accident never did happen in San Antonio, but rather in Salt Lake City, Utah. Below is a clipping from a newspaper:

"On Dec. 1, 1938, a school bus was heading to Jordan High School through a dense winter storm as a loaded Denver and Rio Grande freight train rolled north toward Salt Lake City, according to information posted on the city's website.
Near the railroad crossing at 10200 South and 400 West, the driver stopped the bus. He opened the door to look beyond the thick fog, but did not see the 80-plus car "Flying Ute" train approaching at over 50 miles per hour.
At 8:43 a.m., the bus pulled slowly forward across the tracks. Upon seeing the bus, the train crew immediately applied the brakes, but the collision was inevitable.
The collision claimed the lives of 23 children and the bus driver. The 15 survivors faced a lifetime of serious physical injuries and emotional scars.
In the wake of the horrific crash, came railroad crossing laws, mechanical crossing arms and national regulations that are still in place today — including the mandatory requirement for bus drivers to not only stop at railroad crossings, but also to open their door and driver side window to look and listen for oncoming trains, according to the city's website."

How could a story like this from half way across the country make it's way into San Antonio's history? Some say it was because the news of the school bus tragedy made San Antonio's newspaper headlines and over the years it slowly turned into one of our city's legends. Perhaps a thrill seeker or two also made up the story and it eventually gained momentum.
Whatever the reason is, the Haunted Railroad Tracks is merely a legend and never did truly happen in San Antonio.

A Real Railroad Tragedy

On March 28th, 1920 there did occur a train accident outside of San Antonio in a small city called New Braunfels. It was Easter Sunday and the Smith Family were out for a Spring drive in their Model T car. They had left their home in New Braunfels to visit family in Seguin. As they were crossing the railroad tracks, they were struck by a train at full speed. The car rolled over and over again as the train dragged it and pulled it to shreds till it eventually came to a stop. A mother, her daughters and a small child were killed instantly but the son-in-law, who was driving the car, survived one more day before he eventually passed away from his injuries. Below is a newspaper clipping from the San Antonio Express News:

"TRAIN WIPES OUT PARTY OF 6 MOTORISTS
Mother, Her Three Daughters, a son-in-law and Granddaughter killed when Flier Hits Auto. Car Struck Directly in the Center. Dead: Mrs. K. W. Smith, 54 years old, 330 Mission Street; Mrs. William Alex Garrett, 30 years old, 330 Mission Street; Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Krueger, each 28 years old, 405 Stieren Street; Katherine Adele Krueger, their 3 year old daughter, Miss Mary Smith, 24 years old. Fatally injured William Alex Garrett, 31 years old.

All of the bodies will be lowered into the graves at the same time. The little Krueger girl will be buried in the same grave with her mother."

Daughter and her child buried together after their car was struck by a train.

This event occured 96 years ago today. So the next time someone asks you about the Haunted Railroad tracks, make sure to tell them about the true story of the Smith Family and their tragedy.

The Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours visits this site and many others on their Haunted Ghost Bus Tour

16 Comments

Claudia link

11/4/2017 07:23:05 am

I was nervous when I went there but it turned out to be cute because the kids don’t want us to end up like them 😇😇

yellowvalley

11/4/2017 09:41:10 am

Claudia, did you not read the article? It never happened. Or at least no where near San Antonio.

Jose R Tarango

2/1/2018 04:26:14 am

I was taken to that San Antonio railroad crossing in 1981. Driver put in neutral, an automatic transmission and stepped on brake pedal. What we never understood, was when car moved like it was being pushed. When driver released brakes, car jolted a bit to fast and then rolled slowly over railroad tracks. What ever it was, I am sure it was not gravity that moved that car forward. If they were spirits of little kids or adults, may they rest in peace.

Levi Sorensen

9/12/2018 11:13:55 am

Did you even read the article? They are optical illusions, I live in SLC and people used a Level, it goes down.

Jacqueline

8/29/2019 10:26:10 am

Not everything you hear is true right so what makes you think what the article says is true. You live in SLC well i live in San Antonio,TX

8/29/2019 10:46:45 am

There was a school bus accident in the 1920s this happened before the SLC accident. Do your findings people go to the library and do your research

Lana

2/13/2018 02:39:05 pm

I think that the kids or adults which ever one is nice for pushing us over the tracks so we don’t end up like them but we shouldn’t always make them push us over u should just try it out once then the next times actually just drive over the rail road

karina

4/6/2018 02:16:09 am

You obviously have not done your research. There is no article or news report on this tragedy in San Antonio, instead it happened in Utah. Clearly, you did not read the article above correctly.

Aelvir

6/10/2018 08:30:20 pm

I think they’re talking about the tracks of the kids allegedly pushing you off the tracks

Giovanna Rodriguez

7/20/2018 09:24:50 am

It doesn’t matter something or someone ends up pushing you

Jessica Perdue

5/16/2018 04:45:06 pm

As of today, May 16, 2018, I found myself at the tracks. I am working with the railroad directing traffic while U.P. fixes the tracks so nobody runs into the work vehicles and vice versa. Today was my first time being at the legendary tracks and I didn't get the opportunity to experience the illusion of ghosts pushing me to safety, instead; I was the one keeping people safe!

Liana

10/29/2018 09:42:50 am

Obviously y'all didn't read the whole article. Because the bus crash didn't happen in San Antonio but there was a family who was hit by a train and all does. It happened in New Braunfels.

Kresa Rogers

3/2/2019 06:37:13 am

Now there was a 15 year old dead girl that was brought there by her mother and her younger sister. Her mother murdered her and took her to the the "alleged" haunted area. So IF you feel a weird "feel" maybe it's the 15 year girl.
Not the little kids,🤔

Sabrina

4/16/2019 12:47:18 am

Leave these poor kids alone there tired of pushing.

Susan Mahula

7/19/2019 06:31:41 pm

There is another auto train accident in San Antonio that has not been addressed as to where the legend could have been based. On April 22, 1934, my mother, Ruth Clark, and her sister, Susie Clark, were picked up by the church truck to go to Suday school. Also in the truck were the 3 Book children, along with the driver. While stopped at the intersection, which was on Probant, the oncoming trains cow catcher caught the panel truck and drug it up under the train. The results were horrifying to say the least. 4 children died that Sunday morning. My mother's sister, Susie Clark and all 3 of the Books children. My mother survived as did the driver. Mom is 99 now. She doesn't like to speak of it much anymore. It has haunted her all her life. We've heard the story all our lives and in the back of my mind I've always wondered about the haunted tracks legend. Facts and circumstances change throughout time but sometimes somewhere there's something to base it on.

Don

10/27/2019 03:02:53 pm

I have been to the tracks, and I dont remember it happening instantly. We sat on the tracks, car in neutral and foot off the brake, for a good 5 minutes before it started creeping forward. It's not like it's a smooth transition over the track either, it is elevated so the aft tires must roll up over a hump to finish crossing. We thoroughly washed the back of the car before we went. When we arrived, we covered the back of the car in baby powder. Not only where there tiny hand prints, but tiny shoe prints on the bumper as well.

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