On the south side of San Antonio, a set of railroad tracks crosses Shane Road at a slight grade. According to legend, a school bus stalled on these tracks in the 1930s or 1940s and was struck by a train, killing the children aboard. Now, if you stop your car near the tracks and put it in neutral, the ghosts of those children will push you to safety, leaving tiny handprints in any dust on your bumper. Thousands of visitors have tested this legend, sprinkling baby powder on their cars, feeling the mysterious motion, photographing the handprints. The only problem: it never happened. There's no record of any bus-train collision at this location. The nearby streets named for children (Cindy Sue, Laura Lee) are actually named for a developer's grandchildren. And the tracks aren't level - the slight downhill grade is enough to move a car. But debunking does nothing to discourage visitors. The ghost children keep pushing.
The story goes that in the 1930s or 1940s, a school bus filled with children stalled on the railroad tracks at Shane Road. An oncoming train struck the bus, killing ten children. Now their spirits remain at the crossing, pushing cars to safety so no one else will die as they did. Visitors park their cars on the tracks, put them in neutral, and feel themselves pushed over the rails. Baby powder sprinkled on the bumper reveals small handprints - proof of the ghostly children at work. The streets nearby are named for some of the victims: Cindy Sue Way, Laura Lee Lane, Nancy Carole Drive. It's a perfect urban legend, complete with specific details that seem verifiable.
There is no record of any bus-train collision at this location. Researchers have searched newspaper archives, school records, and railroad accident reports: nothing. A similar accident did occur in 1938 in Salt Lake City, Utah, killing 26 children, and another in 1940 in Fort Collins, Colorado. The San Antonio legend may be a geographic transplant of real tragedies. The nearby street names were chosen by developer August 'Al' Caroless in the 1960s, named for his grandchildren, not accident victims. And the tracks aren't level - instruments confirm a slight downhill grade toward the crossing. Gravity, not ghosts, moves the cars.
Despite the debunking, visitors keep coming. At night, cars line up to test the legend. Drivers stop before the tracks, shift to neutral, and wait. Slowly, the car begins to move forward, crossing the tracks. Baby powder sprinkled on the bumper reveals handprints - which believers attribute to ghosts and skeptics attribute to the driver's own hands touching the car. The experience is genuinely spooky: alone at night, car moving without visible cause, crossing railroad tracks where children supposedly died. Knowing the explanation doesn't entirely remove the unease. The legend persists because it works emotionally even when it fails factually.
The ghost tracks have become a San Antonio institution. Local ghost tours include them. Television shows have investigated. Websites debate the evidence. Every Halloween, crowds gather to pay respects to children who never existed. The legend illustrates how stories spread and persist regardless of evidence. It taps into universal fears - trains, children, crossing safely - and provides a comforting resolution: the children died but still protect others. It's not true, but it's meaningful. The truth - that a developer named streets for his grandchildren and that gravity moves cars downhill - has no emotional resonance. The ghost children will outlast any debunking.
The ghost tracks are located at the intersection of Shane Road and the railroad tracks, south of San Antonio. The crossing is in a residential area; be respectful of neighbors, especially at night. The experience works best after dark. Put your car in neutral before the tracks and wait; the car will move forward. Baby powder on the bumper may reveal handprints, though they're likely your own. Trains still use these tracks - always watch for approaching trains. The site is free and accessible anytime. San Antonio International Airport is 20 miles north. The Alamo and River Walk are in central San Antonio. The ghost tracks are a footnote to the city's attractions, but for those who enjoy urban legends, they're a memorable experience.
Located at 29.36°N, 98.52°W on the south side of San Antonio, Texas. From altitude, the site is unremarkable - a railroad crossing in a suburban neighborhood, part of the vast sprawl of San Antonio. The Union Pacific tracks cut across the residential grid. Downtown San Antonio is 10 miles north; the Alamo is visible from altitude as a cleared area amid the urban fabric. San Antonio International Airport is 20 miles north. The terrain is flat Texas coastal plain, increasingly developed as San Antonio expands.