Richards Student Showcase
Community History and Fine Arts Unit

2009-"Stranger on the Tracks"

It was late at night when the Memphis Night Express passed through Howell County on its way to Springfield, Missouri. Suddenly, the passenger train found itself surrounded in a timber fire covering over 100 acres. The train was heading for a railroad bridge at the bottom of the Brandsville hill. Little did the engineer know, but the bridge had also been damaged by the inferno.

Quite unexpectedly, the figure of a man appeared on the tracks waving a railroad lantern. The engineer took immediate action by applying the brakes, pouring sand on the rails, and turning the wheels in reverse. Just as the front of the engine reached the bridge, the train stopped. The passengers were pressed into service repairing the bridge. After the train was safely on the other side, everyone began searching for the stranger who had warned them. However, the mysterious individual had disappeared.