The latest episode of the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast is here, and this time, we’re diving into one of the strangest tales to emerge from the Victorian archives – the story of a ghost train from the future.
Yes, you read that right. Not your usual spectral locomotive from a bygone era, but a steam train that seemingly materialised in the Welsh countryside long before such machines should have existed. A glimpse into the future? A trick of the mind? Or something far stranger?
A phantom train in the Welsh countryside
It was a dark, quiet night when a terrified farmer stumbled home, breathless and shaken, claiming to have witnessed a train hurtling across the fields – except, there were no tracks. And certainly no trains like the one he described in existence at the time.
What he saw defied explanation. A powerful locomotive roaring through the landscape, wheels screeching, smoke billowing into the sky. But how could that be possible? This was long before any railway lines had reached that part of Wales.
Was it a ghost train, a case of second sight, or something even more mysterious?
What really happened that night?
What could the farmer really have seen? Was he unknowingly tapping into some strange psychic ability, glimpsing a future railway before it was even built? Some believe that moments of intense emotion or supernatural energy can briefly tear through time, revealing the past – or the future.
Or maybe it was something else entirely. A moment of déjà vu? A waking dream? Or a story that grew legs in the telling?
Whatever the truth, one thing’s for certain – it’s one of the most unusual ghost sightings recorded in Wales.
Curious? Hit play below and step aboard the ghost train to hear the full story in this week’s episode of Ghosts and Folklore of Wales.
The vanishing ghost trains of our funfairs
This episode isn’t just about paranormal steam engines, though. It’s also a chance to mourn the loss of the classic ghost train rides at funfairs – once a staple of every fairground, now disappearing at an alarming rate.
Remember the thrill of stepping into a rickety cart, the anticipation as you were plunged into darkness, the sudden shriek of a ghostly figure? They may have been far from frightening, but they were part of our folklore in their own right.
So join Mark in making a stand. Bring back the ghost trains!
Get in touch!
If you enjoy delving into the real-life supernatural tales of Wales, there’s plenty more where this came from. Check out Mark’s books on Victorian ghost stories, Welsh hauntings, and folklore, available in bookshops and online now.
Want Mark to appear on your show/ event? Got an idea for a collaboration? Get in touch!
More haunted tales from Wales
Need more ghost and folklore from Wales? Check out last week’s episode:
…and here are some more eerie stories to keep you up at night: