Is has been known for a long time that sasquatches are sighted around railroad lines. It has often been thought that they use the right-of-way as an easy access point when traveling from area to area, similar to clear cuts for power lines. There have also been sightings along abandoned rail-lines that have been converted to bicycle and hiking paths.
Last fall I was contacted by a researcher from Southern Illinois about the many sightings he had experienced. Mike related that most of his sightings were early spring just before the leaves were on the trees while he was out mushrooming. So we planned to meet up in the spring. On the 28th of March 2012 I met up with Mike at his home and headed for the woods. We stopped at one of the many railroad crossings because he had had several sightings along the tracks just south of the crossing. The latest being just four weeks ago.
We arrived around 09:30 and walked several hundred yards south along the tracks. Mike showed and explained to me the details of his sighting.
While there Mike was adamant that the sasquatch were hopping rides on the trains. I was somewhat taken aback by the idea. I had never read of a report or knew of anyone who actually had seen a sasquatch riding on a rail-car. The whole idea seemed a little bit unbelievable to me. I asked Mike why he believed that, had he witnessed that happening? He said no, but the way he had seen the sasquatch kind of standing around on this one section of track just gave him the idea, it was just “a theory he had.”
Yellow highlight showing the location of Jackson County, Illinois
As we were walking back to the car a northbound train started approaching.
One of my first loves (perhaps next to birds) has always been trains. And yes I am fortunately old enough to remember the last of the steam engines of the ’50’s. In fact the movie Heartbreak Pass was filmed in the small town in Idaho where I grew up. But I digress.
As the train was approaching I positioned myself so that I could get as close as possible but still be out of danger. I wanted to take in all the sounds and feel of this wonderful machine as it passed by. As it passed, Mike yelled for me to look north at each coupling area and he would look south so if anything or anyone was riding there we could see them from two different angles.
[The woods directly behind the railroad tracks where the train was passing.]
It was one of those trains carrying large cargo carriers, double-decker style. It was travelling at perhaps 30 mph. In between each car is a good size area. About half way through the train I saw a very large hair covered animal sitting down with its back towards the container. I only could see it for a couple of seconds and then it was gone.
I was in shock and awe. It was almost surreal. It did not look at all like Patty from the Patterson-Gimlin Film. This had five inch long dark brown hair covering it down to where I could see, it’s waist. I couldn’t make out any facial details and it was looking down and not directly towards me.
As I always audio record when I am in the woods I did record our conversation as the train passed and my reactions.
Click here to listen to this sound clip:  Railroading Sasquatch
I will be traveling back to the location this next week to take a few measurements and to film another passing train. Hopefully I can do a reenactment and at least give readers an idea of what the train looked like as it passed. I won’t hold my breath on catching on film any extra riders.
This sighting has left me with more questions than answers. In my mind sasquatch (or at least one) do ride on trains. Why? Is this just some daredevil stunt by a teenage sasquatch or is this a pattern of something much larger? Is this just a local 1/2 mile hitch or are they traveling greater distances? It does show one thing for sure. Their intelligence and abilities are far higher than many having been willing to admit.
From Facebook – I too once saw a large brown hairy animal riding a train between box cars and it just so happened to be in IL. The animal was balled up so I could not see what it was or any kind of head or face, but it's auburn hair glistened in the sun as the trained passed by me and I could even see the hair moving in the wind. At the time I was walking alongside a train track while rabbit hunting. I was about 15 years old back then and for 37 years now I thought it must have been some kind of dog but couldn't imagine how it got up there on that moving train. It is great to now know that what I saw was an BF. This is really a great confirmation on my sighting too. You can bet we are all going to be looking at trains traveling through the countryside, especially around heavy forested areas from now on with a much closer eye!!!
Well I suppose about anything is possible, however, up where I live (south eastern Montana) we do have a line that runs east and west, although it really runs north and south, that's the Railroad for you, always seems confused with their directions…so anyway, I live about 150 to 200 yards from those tracks and have yet to see a hairy critter riding the rails, or any other two legged critter for that matter.
Still, they have to use some method of getting from point A to point B and remain undiscovered, I suppose hitching a ride on the railroad is as good as any mode.
It's my hypothesis that these Squatch migrate from the northern climes to the southern just like migratory birds, which might account for the relatively small number of sightings in the winter months in the Pacific Northwest as compared to the larger number of sightings in the southern states.
But then, like the majority of the scientific community, I could be completely wrong about my migration hypothesis, as they are completely wrong about Mr. & Mrs. Sasquatch T. Bigfoot and family existing only in the minds of several thousands of eye-witnesses all reporting the same critter.
Odd how science always demands proof other than eye-witness accounts when they're debating a critter they don't think walks the Earth, but when some twit comes up with the notion of Cold Fusion, they're all so eager to believe that nonsense, just to appear before the public a few days later with a skillet full of scrambled eggs all over their faces…
Not passing judgement on what you saw, but it would have been more convincing if you had seen it actually "hopping" on the train. That would be hard to fake – the strength, agility, timing, etc. to do that in a costume. Sitting on a train in a costume? Not so much. Especially when you've been led there by someone claiming to believe in that exact thing.
FYI – I read your blog consistently and admire what you have done with sound recordings, etc. so I'm not doubting what you saw or saying anything derogatory about you at all. Just some questions about the particulars surrounding this incident. Thanks and keep up the good work
WOW does this now add to the great mystery of our Big friend…… This is simply mind blowing, but I feel it is totally possible if they are as intelligent as we are coming to believe.
Thank you so much for sharing this experience, and as the other poster said, I will never let another train pass me by without taking a good long hard look.
I really do believe that sasquatch is a real primate. But this guy takes you to a railroad track, tells you that he believes that they hop rides on trains, and then, lo and behold, you see a large hairy unknown figure riding between the cars of the VERY NEXT TRAIN that comes along? Do you think there's any possibility that it was a set-up? That just seems way too coincidental to me.
Is it possible he hoaxed you? It is a little suspicious he mentioned his theory and then the next train had a BF on it. It would be hard to tell too since it would be a quick sighting.
Thanks for all your research. I particularly love your sound recordings. I just purchsed the Zoom H2n and look forward to doing some of my own.
It does seem a bit coincidental – but then…., if they have been riding the rail for decades – they would have handed this "teaching" down to their friends and family. Hence the multiple sightings in Illinois. Fun idea to toy with!
Stan,
It does sound like a hoax, he even told you where to look. Either that, or you just saw a hobo that needs a haircut. 🙂
Keep up the good work!
I have been real busy the last few days and may have missed some questions about the train.
As far as being a hoax? It would have been impossible for the witness to be involved. We did not even go on our scheduled day because I had an unplanned change in my schedule. I also showed up at his house at a different time that I thought I would get there.
For unauthorized people to mess around with trains is a very dangerous thing to do in a post 911 era. It was just a happenstance that I was looking in the right place at the right time.
I submitted this post on Blogsquatcher's site regarding the possibility of a hoax. I think it warrants repeating here:
[Regarding a hoax with some costume]
Not passing judgment on the idea of a costume, but once someone starts talking about the logistics of putting a costume on board or a person dressing up and hopping on board just so Stan could see it at just the right time, then that too would become quite incredible in and of itself.
This train, a hot stack train, may not have stopped since leaving Dexter, Missouri, its last crew change point. The line is mainly two track multiple main line; and at sections of single track, if there remains any left from my running on it back in 2000, a dispatcher will hold up all other trains to let this one by. Amtrak does not run on this route. There's no way to tell when and where or if the train would stop in order to have some prankster at the behest of Stan's companion climb on dressed up or stick a hairy dummy onboard. Plus, any place that train would stop would not grant easy access for a Joe-Blow chasing it in his car to park, grab the costume out of the trunk, and park it on the footboard of a stackcar. And railroaders are generally not going to risk being caught and suspended nor would they take the effort of toting a hairy dummy to place on a car a half mile from the comfort of the engine. Remember, any one hitching a ride might have a long trip back home to make it back for dinnertime.
See how ridiculous it gets thinking about a hoax?
Interestingly, this train just passed through the Big Muddy River area along which the line runs just northeast of its confluence with the Mississippi River. This area is infamous for sightings of the Big Muddy Monster and the Murphysboro Monster.
T
Very Interesting…nice report.
Thanks
Tom
I agree completely with Harpo. The thought of a hoax crossed my mind, but it would have to have been pretty well planned in advance. As for sasquatch riding the rails in Montana, if the trains up there are like the trains I used to see our West, they move right along and there would be no opportunity to hop one in a seculded place. However in various parts of the country there must be places where freight trains slow way down in hilly, wooded area, so it would be easy for a nimble creature like our big friend to get on board. Besides using trains to move around the country, I have also thought that if a sasquatch wanted to get from one side of, say, St. Louis to the other, he could just wait for dark and take a nice refreshing swim down (or even up) the Mississippi. No one would ever know, and as we know, the raparian areas along our big rivers are perfect habitat for staying out of sight.
Stan, this is one of the most amazing sightings I have ever read. In my wildest dreams I never imagined a Bigfoot hopping a train. When you think about it stuntmen have been doing this in westerns from horseback for a lot of years. You estimate the train speed at 30mph and these creatures have been observed to run that speed and more quite fluidly, so it is not unreasonable to think they could do it, and most likely quite easily.
For what purpose, maybe to get to another point quickly, or just for kicks and fun. It would be more amazing to see how it exited the train.
Chuck
Wow… never thought of looking at trains in this manner. Plenty of them run through my areas.
Great report, Stan. Thanks.
-Duke
I feel we should never underestimate the abilities or intelligence of Sasquatch. Goodness knows we humans do things that often seem crazy or out of the ordinary on a daily basis. Based on that, why should we question the behavior of a Sasquatch or any animal for that matter?
The more I read and learn about this creature, the less I am inclined to use the word 'animal' to describe it.
I think you should try to set up a high speed video to record trains as they pass by and see if you can see any one of them riding ?
At first I wrote a rather lengthy 'comment' on the ability of a teenager to accurately describe a vision of a Squatch "riding the rails".
And then I decided to take my own advice, erring on the side of the teenager and now adult, that he did in fact see what he claims to have seen, a hunkered down Squatch on a 'consist' train.
(See, I'm showing you I know my train-spotting lexicon)
At first I was thinking that the Squatch would need to know the destination of the train before he'd get on, and then it dawned on me, the critter simply got onto that car out of curiosity, as we are told that Sasquatch are very curious critters.
Then having been caught on the car while the engine slowly got up to speed, he, the Squatch was too frightened to get off the moving object and simply hunkered down as a defense against the chill of the air, and the speed of the train.
I know if I had mistakenly gotten on a train, at either end and it suddenly began to move, I'd be a bit apprehensive, but that's just me.
I suppose what my hypothesis is that the Squatch got onto the train without knowing what it was and hunkered down not to stay hidden from detection, but from fright.
How surreal can you get?
Did you ever expect to have a sighting?
I bet you never expected it to occur this way! LOL
Congratulations Stan…I've had the pleasure of speaking with you on occasion. So happy for you man….what an exhilarating experience.
If you ever get down to Texas again, I've had some great audio opportunities lately. A lot more bg's down here this year.
Approached more often now. Still looking for quality l.t. recorder.
This was my 3rd daytime sighting. I did not believe it was possible.
Hiya 🙂
I want to say that people adapt to their surroundings all the time, creatures do too. Why not Sasquatches as well? It could be that the quatch got on when the train wasn't moving out of curiosity and then hunkered out of fright/cold. It could be that they are using what's available to mobilize themselves without much detection as it would indeed be a faster mode of movement especially if they migrate back and forth. Maybe the single teens and adults go somewhere outside of their clan to look for mates too. Inbreeding would not be good. They probably have little human contact so they don't pick up our diseases and germs. otherwise they might end up like some of our unfortunate native Americans did from getting around the settlers. Diseases and death.
Stan,
Your train story brought back some old memories from when I was a young boy growing up in Kentucky. I spent every waking minute I had out in the woods and waters.
Some friends and I bowhunted a rather large tract of land and many times going into my stand before daylight I would get the feeling something was tagging along beside me up the ridge.
Several times I even heard a chirping or whistling sound, unlike anything I'd ever heard before.
I wrote it off as "me hearing things".
One afternoon we were out scouting and had just topped a steep ridge. Way off in the bottoms I noticed a flash of black through the woods. It was just a mere second of a flash of movement and then it was gone from my sight.
My first thought was "there aren't any cattle this far back in the woods".
I asked my buddies if they'd seen it and none had.
Again I wrote this one off as "me seeing things"
We always camped in an old abandoned barn on the property and one evening after supper we were in the loft getting tucked in our sleeping bags and noticed that the local farm dogs were really making a fuss.
I decided to egg em on a little bit and took the cellophane wrapper off a pack of cigarettes and squeezed it between my fingers and let out 2 or 3 high pitched "varmint screams".
What we heard back made the 3 of us about wet our camo pjs !
It started out as a low sort of moan and ended up sounding like it was going to blow the roof off the barn it got so loud.
Needless to say none of us had ever heard anything remotely close to that in our lives.
Scared us so bad no one dared to head back into those woods the next morning 🙂
A few years back I was net browsing and found the BFRO website and the "Ohio Moan".
Chills ran down my spine the second I heard it !!!!
No doubt, 100% certain that this was the same sound we heard in the barn years ago.
AND ALL THIS HAPPENED NOT 100 YARDS FROM A SET OF RAIL ROAD TRACKS THAT RAN STRAIGHT THROUGH THIS PATCH OF WOODS !!!!!!
I've long since moved from Kentucky and now live in NC and our home backs right up to a huge swamp.
My wife and I like to spend the very early morning hours on the porch enjoying the sunrise.
Mid-summer last year as we were enjoying the morning, THAT SAME EXACT SOUND came roaring from up out of that swamp.
My wife turned to me and asked "what in the world was that".
I just smiled and said "I don't think you want to know" 🙂
Keep up the good work !
Rick
A set of railroad tracks run through my research area, too.
Interesting to say the least. Quite frankly, not much wood surprise me about our large forest friends.
CSX runs right beind my house.. we have had the train stop here once in awhile.. one of the csx people when they were work on the tracks said thier are 3 kinds of bigfoot on their trains and they have kick the off.. The rail masters was so scared that he quit doing the night shit in the one rail yard.. I got get with CSX for the real story of what going on with bigfoot and the trains… train go bye my house 364 days a year..one day of year that stop… most time dew to weather.. rev report
Guys:
Please be VERY Careful around trains. Stay at least 10 (ten)feet from the tracks: draging equipment can kill or badly hurt you. Trespasing on the RR right of way can get you arested. As an Operation Lifesaver presenter I know that more people are killed trespassing than at grade crossings. Never walk on the tracks.
Happy squatching,
Conductor Jim