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:
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 TragedyOn 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:
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
35 Comments
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.
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Lily
7/5/2020 08:25:34 pm
I am right here today in the tracks but whene ichecket the car from the outside there where hand prints on the car and the car started moving slowly
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Joe Garcia
3/24/2022 08:34:27 pm
They do leave handprints and the car does move over the tracks when put in neutral if it never happened there then something happened because it's true of the hemprints
Rudy
11/21/2020 07:54:37 am
I went to the tracks today with my uncle. I was rlly excited for our car to move in neutral. Instead my uncle had to put it in drive and that’s when it started to move. I have a hunch he was moving it himself..
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Bombshell Detective
10/5/2022 03:36:45 pm
They do not leave handprints and the car does not move, lmfao. Went there, did that, big surprise.
Sylvia Hernandez
2/7/2023 04:16:10 am
Look I'm from Ssn Antonio Texas. First of all. When We die we still have a spirit. Our spirit will Live as long as Any of your people can understand to let them rest in peace already it's been too long get off the gas get over it They are dead and they have to reach the light and be in peace there's no glory for them While all of America can not allow them to rest in peace. It's no entertainment.
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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.
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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.
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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
Jacqueline
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 5/28/2020 09:24:44 pm
I just heard this today, my husband works for an airline and the guy that flies with him did this exact thing a few months ago, so this is true...pray for the spirits...
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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
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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.
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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!
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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.
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Joe Garcia
3/24/2022 08:38:22 pm
I myself am from San Antonio Texas and if anybody who has doubts who has never been to San Antonio stop by the tracks and get an idea for yourself put your vehicle neutral and it will be pushed to the other side of the tracks.... Don't believe everything you read from the newspaper clippings.... Until you Hear it from the residents that live there
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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.
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Sabrina
4/16/2019 12:47:18 am
Leave these poor kids alone there tired of pushing.
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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.
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WENDY CLEM
8/23/2021 02:00:38 pm
Exactly. Please see my comment below...
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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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12/25/2019 06:58:15 am
The story is true I call the ppl who debunked it full of shi*
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Ruby
11/27/2020 10:54:27 pm
I read the article stating that the accident didn't occur here in San Antonio but those tracks are haunted of some spirits. I have done the whole baby powder thing and it works. This is so sad, who ever it is but everyone needs to let them RIP. They need to find their way home already.
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Stephanie Mulligan
5/26/2021 03:10:07 pm
woah
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WENDY CLEM
8/23/2021 01:53:23 pm
Well, as a JOURNALIST, I can assure you that MANY, MANY articles are/were not true, were printed on conjecture at best, and it is a field that lives by the credo, "If it bleeds, it leads!" Thus, do not by any measure take denials that this occurred in SA to the bank; in fact, if in doubt, RESEARCH THE SA LIBRARY for further info--I did years ago and found substantiating info at the time! I also investigated it personally and this area of SA is a riveting spot--including the existence of specter dogs and a mysterious black train that runs thru an area otherwise claimed to be unused. Our cars reacted the same way as the ones pushed over the tracks, and interestingly, the (newer) residential area has streets supposedly named for victims of the bus crash. Much of that area has, in fact, showed ongoing proof of hauntings--not just the RR tracks spot. There are at LEAST 3 areas with proven sightings and more.
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