MEGAscene • Issue 6 - 2016
SA PARANORMAL
Words and Photos by Allen Tiller Located in Port Adelaide, The National Railway Museum offers a glimpse into South Australia’s railway past. Within its many sheds sits old trains from all eras of our railway past, including Steam Trains, Diesel Engines, old Red Hens and even the old Callington Railway Station, but did you know, there are also claims the site is haunted? The National Railway Museum started originally on Railway Terrace, Mile End in 1963 and was run entirely by volunteers, who not only restored and preserved old trains, but wrote and published books about them too. In 1988 the volunteers sought a new site where their trains could be kept undercover to keep them out of the weather, and in pristine condition. After a Government grant and help from the History Trust of SA, a new site was purchased.
The National Railway Museum office, which was built in 1951 in the town of Callington, near Murray Bridge. The building was taken from Callington in 1991 and reerected in Port Adelaide in 1994. The museum also has in its collection an original coffin trolley, used until 1982 at the Adelaide Railway Station to transport coffins by hand through the terminal.
My father worked in the railways, as did both his parents, so trains were a big part of my life growing up. My wife and I, and my mother-inThe Port Dock Station Railway Museum was law had investigated the Steamtown Heritage opened in 1988. In 2001 a new facility was Rail Centre in 2011, and had some great opened with in the existing one that featured experiences, so when we were invited to join exhibits from the Australian National Railways Lyon Paranormal, Paranormal Spectrum and and the Commonwealth Railways. With the The Ghosts Within to investigate the National new exhibit came a new name for the site, Railway Museum for paranormal activity, my one that remains today “The National Railway whole team made themselves available for Museum Port Adelaide”. the opportunity! The original railway station stood where the Port Adelaide Police Station now sits, and was opened in 1856. This was one of the first lines in South Australia and the main line to the ports. The station closed in 1981, but the goods sheds and railway yards remained, which is now the site of the museum.
There had been ongoing reports of spooky thing happening at the site, including reports of a shadow person, and of phones ringing when they are not plugged in to the wall.
It is thought that one of the trains, the “Y 12” may in fact be the very train that was involved in Australia’s first terror attack, at Within the complex are a series of sheds Silverton, Near Broken Hill. On New Year’s Day containing many displays of railway related 1915, two Turkish men opened fire into the items, including a miniature train set and old carriages of this locomotive which was hauling steam train carriages one can walk through. a picnic train, killing a number of passengers. There is also the original 1878 Port Dock It is believed by some parties that the spirits Station goods shed on the eastern side of the of those deceased may linger near the complex, and the old Callington booking locomotive. 54