Hi my name is Darwin and I would like to tell you my story. It all happened a month ago. I moved to Gowran on 28thDecember 2012. After a week or so I really felt I was missing my friends so much my mum had the idea that I could go up and stay with my nan for a weekend and get to see them. When Sunday came it was time to go home, my nan left me at the train and I was on my way home to Gowran. The train stops in Thomastown and my mum was going to pick me up from there.

It was a foggy evening on the way home on the train. I was nearly home when the train came to a sudden stop. I didn’t know what had happened. I looked out the window and couldn’t see anything as it was so dark. I felt so cold and the shivers went down my back, I had goosebumps on my arms. I didn’t know what was happening to me. The train screen notified me that the train was going to be delayed. I noticed we had stopped at Gowran Railway Station. This was very strange as this Railway Station was closed since 1st January 1953. I knew I had to leave the train straight away. When I got out I realised I was the only one that had left the train.

I stood on the platform not knowing what to do. I was really scared. the train started to go and I couldn’t get back on. Now I was really, really scared – I started to cry. Then I heard a noise and looked up – Across on the other platform I could see a figure of what appeared to be a man.

He seemed so close to the edge of the platform that I thought he might fall. I shouted to him – “Keep in or you will fall”. I could hear the next train coming and I shouted so loud to him to be careful –but he didn’t listen.

He jumped onto the track and started running with two red flags down the track towards the train. I couldn’t do anything but watch. The noise of the train was getting louder so I knew it was getting closer. I shouted again, “Get off the track you idiot, the train is coming”, but still nothing. He just kept running. I could see the lights from the train.

The train came to a stop about a mile down the track. Then all of a sudden there was a huge noise, stones and boulders and clay came from the hill down onto the track- it just seem to come from nowhere but there was so much it gathered into a big pile on the track. I couldn’t see the train anymore. I wondered if the train was damaged by it. I ran down and around the big pile and saw that there was no damage to the train. Oh what a relief. The train driver got out and asked me,” What the hell are you doing on the track?” I explained to him that I was on the platform when I saw the train stopping and then the land slide. He asked me, “Weren’t you the person running down the track with the flags?” – I replied,” No”, but he didn’t believe me. The guards came to the scene and I was brought into the station for questioning. I told the guards everything that had happened that night. They didn’t believe me but were grateful that I had stopped the train as there would have been a lot of injured people if I didn’t. They called my mum and she came to collect me. She gave out to me for being so silly and that I shouldn’t have got off the first train.

To this day – I still don’t know why I was the only one who could see the signal man and no matter how many people I tell they don’t believe me. One Saturday I went back to Gowran Railway Station to see if I could see him again but all I could see were two red flags lying against the seat on the platform.

I know I was not imagining it and I do believe that the Signal Man must have loved working at Gowran Railway Station and to this day I do believe his spirit lives on there and he will always protect the passers by in all the trains.

By Ian Kelly:

4th class

3rd February, 2013