Terrified Night Watchmen

Waterfront Station

Waterfront Station is an old train depot in downtown Vancouver, B.C. Canada. Located in the western historic Gastown district, this grand building reflects the golden luxury era of train travel.

The station’s elegance was featured in the American television show The X-Files. A statue located on the southeast corner of the building known as Angel of Victory was featured in one episode.

Angel of Victory
Honors soldiers killed in
World War l.

This station recently celebrated its 100-year anniversary. It was built in 1915 by the Canadian Pacific Railroad and is still a busy transportation hub for the lower mainland.

As one Canadian journalist put it a building this old cannot survive without quirks. Waterfront Station is considered Vancouver’s most haunted.

In recent years, multiple night watchmen who work in the station during graveyard shifts have seen apparitions and experienced poltergeist activity.

This activity is so pronounced it has terrified them.

A favorite encounter happened late one night. A guard spotted a woman dressed in a 1920s flapper outfit dancing solo through one corridor on the west side of the station. He also heard 1920s music. When he approached this female the music stopped abruptly and she vanished.

Another guard experienced what he characterized as “the fright of his life” while he patrolled the northwest corner of the building. He entered one empty room with only his flashlight for light.

He spotted the ghost of a “little old lady.” A bright glowing light surrounded her. He described her as having a mournful expression. As he stood rooted to the floor, this woman reached out to him.

He bolted from the room. Later he stated he had no idea how he managed this for he had been in a state of shock.

Yet another security guard inspecting the upper floor on the east side of the building experienced poltergeist activity. As he walked through one room used to store old desks something caught his attention.

He became aware he was not alone. Seeing nothing amiss he became nervous. He decided to leave. When he turned around to exit he found the desks had all been moved together silently.

They now blocked his exit path. In a panic he jumped on top of one and ran from the room.

Many other night watchmen have reported hearing the sound of phantom footsteps strike the station’s tiled floors and soft disembodied voices when they are the only ones in the building.

One sight that is often reported by the guards involves three ghosts. They state they watched three old ladies sitting on one particular station bench in the middle of the night. It appears they are waiting for a train that never arrives.

Ghostly soldiers are sometimes spotted in Waterfront. This station was heavily used during both the first and second world wars.

One stark apparition often seen appears on the north side of the station on the tracks outside.

This was just one of a series of
stamps issued in Canada recognizing
the countries most famous
ghost stories in 2015.

In 1926, a brakeman while making repairs was killed in the rail yard. He was knocked unconscious by falling debris on the tracks. Tragically, a passenger train then ran over him, decapitating his head.

Since, many have reported seeing this headless brakeman roaming the tracks--especially in rainy weather. He carries a glowing lantern in one hand.

This apparition has also been seen in other parts of Gastown. The Old Spaghetti Factory a restaurant in the area also lays claim to this ghost.

People wonder if he is still on the job or if he is just looking for his head.