Flinderation Tunnel

In Salem, West Virginia, sits an old railroad tunnel called Flinderation Tunnel. It's location is not far from the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. The structure itself is about 1,000 ft in length and was built in the 1860s. There are many alleged reasons for its weight in paranormal activity.

One tragedy began with three men working on the tracks inside the tunnel in the 1800s or early 1900s. A train approached them at high speeds and very little warning. One man escaped to a cubbyhole unscathed. Another was supposedly cut in half by the train. And a third was dragged about 75 feet trapped under the train, causing it to derail. He didn't survive.

Another story associated with Flinderation, deals with the infamous KKK. Supposedly, in the mid 1900s, they brought many of their victims to the tunnel. It became a regular lynching spot for them. It was officially "shut down" and the tracks were torn up in the 1990s. Today, it's a part of the North Bend rail trail.

One last story involves the cemetery located on top of the tunnel. On Travel Channel's Ghost Stories, a claim was made that some of the coffins fell through the roof of the tunnel, causing it to be patched on more than one occasion. There were some insinuations that a body may have become caught between the repaired tunnel roof and the cemetery after their coffin fell through. Can't say for sure if there is any truth to it.

The reason for shutting down the tunnel involve people hearing phantom train whistles and seeing the ghost train that continues to "travel" through it. Other reports include unknown lights, phantom mists or fog, footsteps, orbs, growling, screeching,sobbing, sound of metal scraping against metal, voices and various apparitions including that of a little boy and girl who are also often heard talking and giggling.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Flinderation Tunnel isn't in Weston it is near Salem, WV. I should know i live near the Flinderation Tunnel.
Anonymous said…
It is located near Salem. Weston is quite a bit away from it. It's located off Rt. 50.
Anonymous said…
Just an FYI as the others pointed out it is not in Weston it is in Salem, WV. I was just at this place this past weekend and is just a mile from my grand parents home.
Anonymous said…
could someone give directions how to get to this tunnel? i would love to see it for myself, i am going to try to go to the assylum this weekend and was thinkin bout checking the tunnel out on our way home, so how far away is it from the assylum?
Andrea Allison said…
I believe the tunnel is about an hour away from the asylum, maybe less. Check out this website: http://www.strangeusa.com/Viewlocation.aspx?id=10735. Scroll through the comments. A few people have posted directions to the tunnel. I don't advise searching for it in the dark.
Anonymous said…
it's definatley one haunted place, i live in the wilsonburg area. and what i experienced, i dont even like to talk about. i went in a skeptic and came out a believer. i HIGHLY advise investigating this place.
Anonymous said…
Beleive the comments there true,i lived there between the later 50s and mid 70s,on the hill opposite of the tunnel entrance,at the highest elevation,then the other home"s,which gave me a perfect veiw of the head of the tunnel,well the comments other people made speaks for itself,the tunnel was not the only spot where weird,and unexplained things happen,all around that tunnel,in the hollows,and back roads near there people have seen or heard sounds or images of ghost like figures,and real life occurances that truly happen in that area,which the people that lived around there at the time knew it was a erie,strange,mysterious,place to live.To be honest things got really weird when they started dynamiting the hill top for RT50 to go through,from a pickup truck wreck involving an older married couple at acrossing before the tunnel,to a highway pan truck careening off the top of the hillside and killing him,too much to list of true occurances that happen there.main familys that were around there at the time are the baileys,suttons,grimes,clevengers,fords,and a few other familys.
Anonymous said…
i was there yesterday and im going there again today it is off flinderation exit and right down the road then you cut off to the right and youll c a yellow and black pole on the right go through there and follow the trail and then youll c the tunnel
Dave Goldinger said…
Having visited Flinderation Tunnel July 4th. weekend 2010 I recorded a very Eerie EVP of Metal on Metal..it was so loud on my recorder that I could play it over the phone to a friend..although none of us heard it at the time.
Anonymous said…
I was there a few months ago. I had this amazing EVP of some woman calling me a "metal victim". I walked out with a large bruise on my neck...nasty stuff. Also got some pictures of a man walking across the end of the tunnel.
Anonymous said…
I went there with a cooler of beer, and by the time i came out the tunnel i was drunk. Weird... plus im almost positive i had 15 beers and when i came out i had only 12, who got my beer??... oh wait.. ivdrank em inside the tunnel. But still.
Anonymous said…
I went in there, and nothing happened, but then a few days later, i went to the doctor for a check up, and found out i had genital warts.
Anonymous said…
Anybody from Salem know the Devils Tea Table?
Anonymous said…
I live AT the tunnel... At as in right there, like a 2minute walk and I'm there, and have been up to it hundreds of times at all different times of day and night. Not haunted, and bodies from the cemetery CANNOT fall thru the top! The cemetery isn't even on top of the tunnel! Much better places to go if you are looking for a haunt, trust me, I LIVE there people!
Anonymous said…
I have been here a few times i suggest people take recorders i have conversations with them there smart spiritz so becarful plz dont desturd them
Anonymous said…
Just to let everyone know my family has lived within walking distance since the early 1950s and my grandparents lived over the hill since the early 1900s and nothing ever happened at the tunnel that any of them ever saw and these stories didn't come till it was shut down in the 1980s and it was only shut because the trains weren't getting enough business. I have personally been there more times than you can count in all different hours. And the only thing that has ever happened is other people trying to spook people in the dark. And there was a homeless guy that use to hang out in the tunnel and at Bristol high school and I know he scared a few people. Also my mother did some research after these stories started to spread in the county records and news stories and found no truth to any of them. But there is a grave yard above it but no bodies fell threw. The tunnel is looking pretty rough now with pieces of the ceiling coming down so be carefully the brick doesn't fall on you if you go in. And there is a cooler tunnel with a curve in the middle further down Rt. 50 at the Long Run exit. And so everyone knows I am not a skeptic and have had and seen things that I believe where paranormal but none at the flinderation tunnel. And for directions to the tunnel if you take Rt. 50 west toward Salem it will be the next exit on the right past Lake Floyd. Straight across from flinderation road is the state road garage. When you turn onto flinderation road you will need to bear right across the bridge the tunnel is not even 2 tenths of a mile from the expressway. You will have to walk up the rails for trails to the tunnel and the grave yard can be reached from the exit before flinderation or walk threw the tunnel and up the rails for trails a little ways and you will find the road running parallel to the expressway. And the tunnel with the curve is farther on Rt.50 west past the Salem exits a few miles you will turn left at the Long run/Sherwood exit and again it is less than 2 tenths of a mile and you will have to walk up the rails for trails to the tunnel. Now it is a little bit of a walk on the trails back toward Salem to reach the tunnel.
Unknown said…
Went back out couple days ago with a friend who is in tune with spirits what i saw and heard opened my eyes and i am one who was skeptical we caught 2 distinct evp a man and a woman plus we were followed by a thick fog that formed out of nowhere in a matter of seconds took some pics you can see a face in one of them it was creepy and i saw it with my own 2 eyes
Anonymous said…
I went through the tunnel just a few days ago. About halfway through I saw what appeared to be a ghost-like figure flying toward me. In a panic I turned and ran. The ghost flew between my legs and lifted me up as though I were riding on horseback. It flew me out of the tunnel then turned upward above the tunnel. I was looking down on the graveyard. The ghost looked up and said "This is where you get off, buddy!". He then dropped me. I fell down through the graveyard, through the top of the tunnel and landed just about where I saw the ghost to begin with. I continued on my way as though nothing happened and had forgotten about the incident until reading this blog. You can't be a baby about these things.
Anonymous said…
Personally, I believe the story about the men caught off guard and being struck by the train. There is nothing that can sneak up on you and pounce unseen upon you like a 20 ton freight train sneaking quietly down the tracks. The only thing Ive found that is more stealthy than a train is a passenger jet. I was working on a runway about a year ago and was struck suddenly by a Boeing 747 that snuck up on me. I felt like it had to be hiding somewhere and then just silently pounced on me. I am in the process of suing the airport for harboring sneaky airliners.
Anonymous said…
You people that make fun of these stories make me sick. You are probably scared to go into the tunnel so you just sit back and make fun of it. When I was a senior in high school my family moved into a house that is about half a mile from the tunnel. I heard the stories and decided to find out the truth for myself. My first trip into the tunnel I actually conversed with a ghost. I went back often and our conversations grew longer. We began to date in the summer of 1998. It was great because he would just fly me through the wall of the movie theater and it didn't cost us a thing. When we went to eat, I would simply stay in the car while Eddie would walk unseen into the restaurant , pick up some food, then walk out to the car with a feast. We were married in 2000. See how stupid you skeptics are?
Anonymous said…
I have lived within walking distance on this "haunted" tunnel all my life. I have walked through it in the middle of the night and during the day. Nothing has ever happened to me or any of my friends. This tunnel is in no way shape or form haunted. It's just creepy because its so old.

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