L&N Railroad east of Mt. Vernon, Indiana, near Caborn and Lamont Crossing, United States
The Mt. Vernon Train Stoppage
At about 6:50 a.m. on 20 October 1973, crew aboard an L&N freight east of Mt. Vernon reported a bright object and later a brilliant 'headlight' apparently following the train. Rear crew called the light separately, a yardmaster reportedly confirmed no train was behind them, and the crew associated t
Why This Case Matters
One of the stronger railroad electromagnetic-effect cases because its core account was captured within hours and different crew positions contributed separate observations, even though the claimed electrical coupling was never instrumentally preserved.
Chronology
- 20 Oct 1973 ~06:50 front crew observes pulsating bright light
- rear crew reports intense apparent headlight behind train
- block signal reportedly shows occupancy while yardmaster says no following train
- overloaded train stalls on grade with one diesel already out from overheating
- after light withdraws rear unit restarts and train proceeds
- ~11:00 conductor calls Ridge/UFO Filter Center
- same-day taped interview and preliminary form created
The Witnesses
Evidence
The following evidence types are documented for this case:
Conventional explanations: Aircraft/astronomical light plus an unrelated track-circuit fault and an overheated diesel that cooled and restarted can reproduce the components without one external cause. Correlation of the signal/engine behavior with the light is testimonial rather than instrumentally logged.
What Remains Unresolved
- Railroad signal logs
- locomotive maintenance/repair records
- crew names and independent statements
- yardmaster record
- exact block geometry
- claimed later removal/study of engine
- original tape digitisation provenance.
Key Takeaways
- The case is stronger than a late anecdote because the conductor was recorded the same day. But the extraordinary electromagnetic interpretation still depends on crew recollection
- no surviving railroad instrumentation proves the light caused either the signal state or engine behavior.
Sources
Primary and secondary sources for this case file: