KENTS BANK STATION LIBRARY
Kents Bank, Grange-over-Sands LA11 7BB www.stationlibrary.org.uk Phone: 07795 008691
PRESS RELEASE: September 23rd 2025
Halloween Launch for Railway Ghost Stories
Railways lend themselves to the supernatural – going back to Charles Dickens’ famous story The Signalman. A new collection of short stories set in the North-West of England, several on the Furness Line, continue the tradition and are being launched on October 31st – Halloween.
The Loco Vanishes – Northern Rail Mysteries is a collection of ten short stories written by retired railwayman and historian Paul Salveson.
“Many of the stories reflect my own experience on the railway going back to the 1970s – as a guard and signalman, as well as tales that have been passed down by generations of railway people,” Paul said.
The stories feature life at the grassroots – life on the footplate and in the guard’s van, signalbox as well as life at small stations. Places such as Oxenholme, Todmorden, Bolton, Farnworth and Kents Bank are among the settings.
“Although some of the stories are loosely based on real events (including the title story), they are works of fiction,“ Paul stressed. “But I hope they will shed some light on what life was like on the railways from the 1950s to the present day.”
Paul worked for British Rail as a guard and signalman so writes from first-hand experience. Railway novelist Andrew Martin said: “Paul Salveson’s uncanny stories linger in the mind – as do his completely convincing railway settings and people. Salveson hasn’t just researched the railways of the North-West, he worked on them, starting at Horwich Loco Works and working as a guard and signalman, so there’s a great naturalness to his tone, combined with a pleasing Northern terseness. Anyone who is researching railway history will learn a lot from these tales.”
Phil James, Managing Director of Network Rail’s North-West route said: “Paul’s stories capture the spirit of railway life in a way that’s both deeply personal and universally relatable. As someone who’s spent a career in rail, I see in these tales the humour, grit, and humanity that define our industry. From the signalbox to the supernatural, this book is a celebration of the people and places that make the railway—and the North—so special.”
The stories include a Foreword from Mick Whelan, general secretary of ASLEF, the train-drivers’ union. He said: “Paul’s knowledge of and love for the railway shines through both in the construction of the stories and also by introducing the reader to a world of which they would normally be unaware while retaining that special storytelling ability and they stand on their own as tales that should be read and enjoyed.”
The book is published by Kents Bank Station Library, a community interest company located on the scenic Furness Line between Lancaster and Barrow. ASLEF and Furness Line Action Group have sponsored the publication, which will be on sale price £10 plus £3 post and packing from October 31st. A special pre-publication offer is available from October 1st to 31st, price £10 post free. The book will be on sale at Kents Bank Station Library (open Friday to Monday 11.00 to 16.00) price £10, or £8 if you arrive by train. Several talks on the book are being planned, including Bolton, Kents Bank, Todmorden and Kendal.
More details: Paul Salveson 07795 008691
To get your copy go to: https://stationlibrary.org.uk/book-sales/
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