Flinderation Tunnel

Also known as Brandy Gap Tunnel #2, this railroad tunnel along the North Bend Rail Trail was completed around 1857, built directly beneath a cemetery dating to the 1700s. A stop on the West Virginia Paranormal Trail, the tunnel is part of the B&O Railroad heritage.

The Flinderation Tunnel, officially known as Brandy Gap Tunnel No. 2, is a 1,086-foot railroad tunnel in Harrison County, West Virginia, that has been haunted since before the last train ever passed through it. Built between 1853 and 1854 as part of the Northwestern Virginia Railroad -- later absorbed into the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad -- the tunnel was carved through solid rock beneath Route 50 and may also run directly under Brandy Gap Cemetery, a detail that has fueled speculation about the source of its paranormal activity for over a century.

The tunnel's first documented death occurred during its construction. On January 15, 1853, a worker named Hanley was fatally crushed when a mound of earth collapsed on him inside the unfinished tunnel. Two colleagues were injured in the same cave-in. The tragedy was reported in the Cooper's Clarksburg Register, making it the only fully verified death associated with the tunnel. Additional legends claim that other workers died during construction and that their bodies were sealed within the tunnel walls, though these accounts lack documentary evidence.

The railroad operated through the tunnel for over 130 years before service was discontinued in the 1980s due to declining rail traffic between Clarksburg and Parkersburg. When the trains stopped running, the hauntings began in earnest -- or rather, they became impossible to dismiss as the sounds of distant locomotives. The tunnel was incorporated into the North Bend Rail Trail, a popular hiking and biking path, which brought a new generation of visitors face to face with whatever inhabits the darkness inside.

The paranormal phenomena reported at Flinderation Tunnel are remarkably consistent across decades of accounts. The most frequently reported experience is the phantom train -- the unmistakable sound of a locomotive approaching through the tunnel, complete with the rhythmic clatter of wheels on tracks, the shriek of a whistle, and the rush of displaced air, despite the fact that the tracks were removed decades ago. Visitors also report hearing the sound of metal scraping against metal, as though rail cars are grinding against the tunnel walls.

Other phenomena include apparitions glimpsed in the darkness, a phantom mist or fog that appears to follow visitors through the tunnel rather than dissipating naturally, glowing orbs that drift through the air, unexplained growling sounds, disembodied footsteps, and the voices of children talking and giggling from deep within the tunnel. Some accounts describe a figure standing in the tunnel entrance that vanishes when approached.

Darker legends surround the tunnel as well. Stories persist that the site was used for lynchings in the early 1900s, though historical documentation for these claims is sparse. The tunnel has become a destination for paranormal investigators and has been featured on several television programs exploring haunted locations.

The Flinderation Tunnel is one of the official stops on West Virginia's Paranormal Trail, recognized by the state tourism board for its documented history of unexplained activity. The tunnel remains open to hikers and cyclists on the North Bend Rail Trail, though many visitors report that the 1,086-foot walk through complete darkness -- with only the distant circle of light at the far end -- is an experience they are in no hurry to repeat.