From the Shadowlands Ghost page (http://members.aol.com/shadoland2/ghost3.html)

The Ghost Light Of St.Louis by jcaron@compusmart.ab.ca

This is not The St.Louis in the U.S. but the one in Saskatchewan. This is a very small town about 30km out of Prince Albert and all the locals seem to know about this ghost light.

My cousin decided to take me out and see this light for myself, I was excited, many people have seen it but no one knows where it comes from. We finally turned off the highway and drove down a gravel road for about 15km then on the shoulder of the gravel road is another road. Now this road is narrow and horrible to drive into, but you can. Tree's are always brushing the car and bumpy as hell not to mention pitch black, so my cousin took me to the spot where he said he saw it last, now I was getting nervous. At first we waited in the car (engine off) and looked out the back window to see if something was coming, nothing so we got out with flashlights in hand and waited. I would say about 5 minutes later a faint light appeared down this road. Now this road is narrow and is very hilly and bumpy but I could see this light slowly coming towards us. It was like a single headlight and very bright, what this light would do is come up into view and then disappear out of view as if someone was carrying a lantern walking down the road towards us.

We both started getting freaked out and ran back to the car and sat there and watched this light get closer and closer, we finally got the hell outta there and drove back into Prince Albert.

From what we know this light has been there for quite some time, we later found out that the road was actually a railroad at one time. Another story we heard was that a man was walking on the tracks along time ago carrying a lamp and was struck by the train and his spirit still walks the tracks at night.

From another web page: http://www.geocities.com/louislight/louis_home.htm

Based on a visit to the Light in November of 2001, this site is in the process of being UPDATED This is a document intended to provide information to anyone interested in the phenomenon known as the "St. Louis Light" or the "St. Louis Ghost Light". St. Louis is a small town south of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada. The St. Louis Light is a phenomenon which occurs along an old railway track bed north of St. Louis. Basically, the light appears in the distance along the track bed but has not easily identifiable source. There are a number of irregular characteristics about the way the light becomes visibile which are not easily accountable. Because of these strange characteristics, local traditions about the light suggest that the light is a ghost light and is in some way paranormal.

These pages are dedicated to the investigation of this phenomenon, and to provide a resource for anyone interested in the Light. Don't take this page too seriously. But if you find yourself thinking that what you are reading about the Light is really strange, that is basically the correct reaction. And the more you look into this thing, the stranger it gets. All efforts have been made to present accurate information. Comments are welcome and encouraged. If you require more information about this page, or have any information on the St. Louis Light, Please contact louislight@yahoo.com

(http://www.angelfire.com/sk2/philcam/ghost.htm)

Okay, okay...I should know better than to deflate a legend. Maybe I'm bitter, because during the five years of my youth spent in the village of St. Louis, Saskatchewan, I never once heard about the St. Louis Ghost Train light. The light had by this time already been there for generations. Moreover, I was the kind of kid who made it his business to hear about this sort of thing--anything to do with ghosts, Halloween, or the supernatural, and I was on it like hair on a werewolf. But did I hear a single word uttered about this light, the whole half-decade I spent there? No-o-o-o-o-o...

Or maybe it's just that special inside look I had at the issue back then, all those years ago, without even knowing it at the time. But let's jump back to the recent past for the moment. The light has been described variously, by a varying selection of witnesses. The common thread of the reports is that this light, not unlike the headlamp of a train, follows the Canadian National train tracks north of St. Louis. Those tracks were ripped out some years back, along with the tiny train station the cool kids lounged against, both the town's grain elevators, and part of a way of life. The spirit of the town has persisted, I'm happy to report, and the village has grown somewhat.

The light has persisted, too, hovering over the raised bed where cool steel lines once glistened under a prairie moon. Some say this light is white, others see a red light beneath it, or at least note a reddish glow. Some say it sways like the lantern of a train man from times gone by. That light was, and is, a magnet for adventure-seeking teens. Even 39-year-old teens like myself. I was on one of my "Zen" writer's trips that day, from my home in Saskatoon to Prince Albert and back, promoting my second book and generally goofing off. Though my wife was waiting back home, I just had to pull over and try to find the spot I'd heard described. A co-worker had told me he'd found it, and spotted the mystery glow for himself. Now it was the turn of the prodigal son. I found the place. I saw the light. I kind of wish I hadn't. There's a road of sorts here, on the bed of the missing rails. This has been cut off now by a trench, and a huge metal container filled with soil. "NO TRESSPASSIG" is painted across the container in day glow orange. Having no desire to pass a tress, I elected to park the Philmobile on the civil side. Tire tracks revealed that others have gone around; I myself saw no reason to violate the privacy of local landowners. Especially since darkness was falling.

The place was wild in this light, kind of forlorn. It was April, and though the snow was gone, the trees were still winter bare. In short, it looked like a filming location for The Blair Witch Project. The sound of coyotes howling didn't exactly lighten the mood. I pulled up to the barrier, and shut off the car. There seemed to be no one around at first, at least till I rolled down my window. Immediately, I heard the sound of yelling and swearing, someone having a rowdy argument. There seemed to be three of them, and there seemed to be some discussion of being lost in the woods. This didn't exactly disperse the Blair Witch aura of the place. They must have noticed my lights, because one of them emerged from the woods, arms waving. He started toward me, and I could see others fast behind. This concerned me somewhat; was I intruding on private land? Were these hunters of some sort, and did my old grey Ford in the twilight resemble a deer? Deciding it best not to find out, I started the car and backed out onto the gravel road I'd come in from. My pursuers seemed to start after me, but couldn't catch up. What was I doing, I wondered? I was only out here to relax and maybe snap some pictures, not to go chasing ghosts. The thought of catching that ghost on camera, however, eventually drew me back, about half an hour later. I drew up to the barrier again, and shut off the engine. It seemed quieter now, though down the abandoned rail line, I could now plainly see lights. Signal red they were, and back-up white.

Then, as I snapping this picture, a pickup emerged from the woods heading back toward the barrier. I backed up to let them by, wondering if these were farm hands sent to drive me off. They pulled up, and I rolled down my window to talk to them: "You guys looking for the light?" "No!" one of three teens in the truck yelled back. "We were STUCK IN THE MUD IN THE WOODS! Waiting for a gentleman like yourself to come help us out!" (He perhaps phrased that differently.) This explained, they informed me that they were from nearby Prince Albert, that they'd come to look for the light, and that I was indeed in the right spot. And no, they hadn't seen the light themselves, they were too busy WAVING THEIR ARMS TO GET MY ATTENTION AND A LITTLE HELP. Sorry about that, guys...

I was now alone in the woods, and it was getting dark. I stared down the narrow railroad bed. The lights I'd just seen were gone, all but one that is: a fuzzy, reddish one that seemed to grow and fade, approach but never get closer. I checked my camera for the photo I'd just taken (the one above). I have a digital camera, and can review pictures on the LCD screen as soon as I take them. The lights of the pickup were there, all right, but so was the mystery light. (It shows up as a small double dot at the back. Actually, it was a single dot, but my hands may have been shaking a bit. From the cold, you know.) I realised I was looking at the St. Louis Ghost Train Light! I stared for several long minutes, and was amazed. Amazed both by the surreal look of it--it really kind of does look like an approaching train (sans track)--and by the fact that I knew the explanation right off the top. No wonder it sometimes seemed to have a red light at the bottom, I thought...and in the heat of summer, it would seem to bob and weave. My mind flashed back to the summer of '70, and the first time I hopped on my high-rise one-speed banana-saddle sissy-bar neon-green bicycle and peddled with a buddy of mine all the way to Hoey, six klics south of St. Louis, to see another mutual friend.

See, I have this theory, one that has been considered before by others and rejected--but rejected, perhaps, by people who would not have my particular kid-on-the-highway familiarity with the ghost light's point of origin. I believe the explanation for the St. Louis ghost light lies somewhere between the two towns--south of St. Louis, not north where the ghost light appears. The source of the light is at least six to eight kilometres away from where it is seen. It has to do with changing directions, and with the lay of the land. And I'm not gonna tell you what it is. I'm not telling you for two reasons: 1.) It's not my intention to reduce the legend of the St. Louis Ghost Train to a mere optical curiosity. For many people, it's a whole lot more. 2.) It's a long shot, but there's always the chance, however slight, that I could actually be, like, wrong. Seriously. It's been known to happen on rare occasions. Like, what about all the people who say the light sometimes appears behind them, or even moves down the trail and passes through them? My theory falls apart with these reports. On the other hand, if I'm right, it should be possible to manipulate the "ghost"--for example, to turn that sucker green, or maybe blue. The person doing this would have to have a cell phone with him to communicate with watchers on the tracks--he wouldn't be anywhere near there himself. Maybe, one of these nights, I'll have to head up there and give it a go... Of course, if you're really curious, write me--I'll let you know my theory, such as it is. Meantime, everyone should just enjoy the fact that something deliciously creepy is happening in the woods near St. Louis, Saskatchewan... --Phil Campagna

The Ghost Light, after dark. Really, that's it in the middle...

Same digital photograph, brightened to extreme on computer to show position of light over railroad bed. Does sort of look like an approaching train, doesn't it? Photos taken 15 April, 2000, near St. Louis, Saskatchewan, Canada. Photos & text copyright (c) Phil Campagna