On TV, I saw this program about this busload of kids that stalled on the tracks in the 50s, and was hit by a train. (Right there, it screams NOT TRUE, because the kids could have gotten off long before a train came along, unless the bus driver was stupid and tried to pass with a train coming.) But you'd think at least that part is true, because the streets are named after the kids. But the legend is that if you put your car on neutral and sit on the tracks, you'll slowly be pushed over the tracks. The ground is supposed to be level, too. On TV, a woman put flour on the bumper of her car, and tried it. After slowly being pushed over, she went back to look, and there were handprints in the flour.

I believe the story you are reffering to comes from Houston, Texas. As far as my brother tells of whom lives in Houston says that the story is true.

You made the statement more or less that if a bus is stuck on train tracks and gets hit by a train that the story is automatically false. Why?

I seen that show too, a little while ago tho. It was also used as a plot line on the show Mysterious Ways, and who knows how many more shows. But apparently it's true... who knows how they tried to cross the tracks... maybe the doors got stuck or like you said maybe the bus driver tried to pass with the train comin and perhaps never even seen it. I don't know ... but I'm after seeing this on a number of programs and with so many different stories that I at least give it the benefit of the doubt.


Cheers,

Gene

That's freaky. IF it was true. Then the children who got killed. Don't want people to share the same fate. And they're stuck there to help people out.

Well..as an EX San Antonio Resident, I can tell you it is NOT houston, but in-deed San Antonio, and it does work...

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/TX-GhostlyChildren.html

Ya, I've heard of this story, too. And I've seen the show where they show the car being pushed accross the tracks. Does anyone have a picture of how the tracks are oriented? Because if there is a bend in the tracks on either side, then that could explain why the bus was hit. The driver stalled out on the tracks, train came around the corner, and BAM!

this little occurrence is also known as gravity hill. i used to think it was real but it turns out theres a gravity hill in just about every other town it seems like. the one ive been to, in moreno valley california, theres no train tracks, and supposedly the bus of kids just flew off the road and all died. theres even a tire in the field to the side of the road which is the point where your supposed to put your car in neutral and let the kids start pushing. ive done it probably 5 or 6 different times and while the car does roll forward, theres never been any hand prints when we put the baby powder on. as far as the car rolling forward by itself a bunch of people have told me that its because the hill is only very slightly inclined and theres some scientific explanation or something but who knows. im not saying the tv program the OP saw is bogus and i wouldnt be surprised if theres truth where this story originated from but people have taken it and made it far more than what it really is. ive heard of 3 more spots with the supposed same or similar story just in my surrounding metro.

Come to think of it. If I remeber correctly there is supossed to be another place like the one with the kids in Texas in North Carolina. I don't remember where, 'though. But could someone provide an explaination of this gravity hill? Because (if my memory hasn't failed me) the one in NC is supossed to go uphill. I'll see if I can find it.

My friend lives near Gravity Hill in Cali, we were meant to go there when I visited but ran outta time (ok, we decided to go Vegas instead, but who wouldn't), but he's been there plenty and says if you put your car in neutral it starts moving uphill, same with the water there (he said something about a faucet at the location that you can turn on and test). The OP says these train tracks are meant to be level though, so I dunno if it'd be the same occurance...

Edit: Just read the link SEI 312 posted, and it says "the ghosts of the children will push it uphill" so it could be the same occurance after all

Its a magnet in the train tracks. The car is made out of metal right?
so is the track but its magetic like if you put your hand to it you get stuck.
the car is the north pole so is the track hence the word ' magnets' also it could be a bump in the track.

Me and my girlfriend went on a ghost hunt in San Antonio and they took us to the tracks unfortunately it is right beside softball fields and the games were letting out when we got there so we didnt get to try it but at least 7 cars stalled on the track while we were watching which was odd. I had seen this debunked on tv before they said that the tracks sloped downhill and that baby powder just made any fingerprints that were ever left on the car show up. I can tell you this there is no way that a car would just roll off these tracks they do not slope downhill at all.

Awwww, friendly kid ghost helping. That is scary and cute at the same time.

Yup, my father lived in that area a long time back, and he did the same flour trick, and the exact same thing happened.

In Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, there's a similar story. Supposedly a car full of teenagers ran a stop sign, were hit bya an on-coming car, and were killed on an exit off route 208. Drivers who edge past the sign will feel the ghosts of the teenagers push their car back up the exit.

never heard of the story but sounds interesting.

Snopes Link



Road Side America link

Ahoy,
I know of at least four places that have this story. I have been to three out of the four. Houston, Tx, San Antonio Tx, Michigan, and New Hampshire are the places I know about. In San Antone, Michigan and New Hampshire, the moving of objects at those sites has been known since before the automobile. In New Hampshire, farmers noticed that the horses seemed to have more trouble pulling their wagons down the hill than up. Old wagons contain quite a lot of iron fittings, not to mention the horse’s shoes. I have done the “test” at three of the four places and although my car has moved, I haven’t seen anything that even would suggest handprints afterwards. Also, all four claim some sort of accident on the spot, but no research has ever produced documentation of the said accidents. I don’t know if the “mystery” has ever been solved, but I believe that most scientists theorize that the phenomena may have something to do with heavy deposits of loadstone in the area.

Ahoy,
I live in South Carolina and I've just read your post. Yes, I remember someone once told me of the spot in North Carolina. I've never been there and I don't remember where they said it was, so I didn't put it in my other post.

theres a place like this in england 2, its called hangmans hill in essex, check out videos youtube, i dont know the legend behind it but its the same principal rolling up hill

Not so long ago i read about something similar to these "gravity hills", except that some guys went out to see if it was actually going uphill, and it turned out that trees around the road made it look downhill, but actually was uphill.... damn illusions.

I live in the town where a Gravity Hill is (Livermore Ca) and I have heard the bus story so many freakin times its sad. I went out there numorous times with the BF and nothin.The car was not magically pulled up the hill. Nor is there a fuacet with water that runs uphill. But there are plenty other of stories to cause of it. These includes our Laurance Livermore Nulclear Lab puting off some magnetic powers or something silly, and an old hanging tree and tiny cemitary out there where the ghosts push you up the hill. There is also the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz.

The story is true,Ihad gone to see for myself and it does happen,only you use baby powder,yes you can see the hand prints but only after you wash your car before you get to the tracks,You have to do it at night,its freaky.

I've been to the San Antonio one. From my personal point of view, I think it's the real deal. Covering the windows with baby powder and then you see all these handprints of different sizes on the car. It's weird because you can hear/feel the hands being placed on the car and them pushing it. It's kinda creepy because once I do it for maybe 6 times consecutively..they either stop and the car won't move or they push it much faster than before. I figure maybe they get upset? Poor kids though, I feel really bad for them. Maybe somebody should go and help them crossover or something. Imagine being stuck there for so many years!

I heard this from a friend and it is very interesting.

Things like this never work. Any if they do work in front off a mass audience, they can be explained scientifically.

I saw this one on Mythbusters.

Apparently, it is actually an illusion. It looks as if it is perfectly normal, but when measured, the depression at different areas show that it is a slight slope, thus it is 'pushed' down the road.

Ummmm... this is easy to test.

Go out to your car when it's dirty and hasn't been washed in a while and douse the back of the car with baby powder. Now go drive around the block, when you come back look at hte back of your car. Betcha you see handprints.

Consequently do it when your car has just been washed and dried. Drive around the block, come back, I bet you don't see any prints (unless you're really bad at washing your car).

Using baby powder on your car is like dusting for prints! It's going to pick up any time you've opened the trunk or touched a door handle or anywhere you've touched the exterior of the car!

We also have a Gravity Hill in Washington state (a couple of them) they're no more than optical illusions. I don't think you need to worry about ghost kids. Although it's a totally fun story.