The Pope Lick Monster

A creature that uses hypnosis or mimicry to lure victims onto active railroad tracks. The legend has claimed real lives.

The Legend

Beneath the Norfolk Southern Railway trestle over Pope Lick Creek lurks a monster:

• Half-man, half-goat (or half-sheep)
• Pale, hairless skin
• Short, pointed horns
• Wide-set eyes
• Powerful legs

The Origin Stories

Several legends explain its existence:

The Circus Train

• A circus train derailed on the trestle
• A deformed man/hybrid escaped
• It has lived beneath the tracks ever since

The Farmer’s Revenge

• A farmer made a deal with the devil
• He was transformed for his sins
• Bound to the trestle forever

The Reincarnation

• A goat farmer who died on the tracks
• Reincarnated as a monster
• Seeks revenge on trespassers

The Hunting Methods

The monster allegedly:

• Uses hypnosis to lure victims onto the trestle
• Mimics the voice of loved ones
• Causes people to freeze when trains approach
• Attacks with an axe or its horns
• Some say it leaps onto passing trains

Real Deaths

The legend has proven genuinely deadly:

The Trestle

• The trestle is 90 feet high and nearly 800 feet long
• Trains pass regularly
• There is no walkway or escape route
• Multiple people have died trying to see the monster

Documented Fatalities

• 1987: A young man fell while fleeing a train
• 2000: A train struck a monster-seeker
• 2016: A woman was killed by a train on the trestle
• 2019: Another person struck while on the tracks

The Appeal

Why do people risk their lives?

• The isolated, atmospheric location
• The persistent legend
• Social media challenges
• Curiosity about the unknown

The Response

Authorities have:

• Posted warning signs
• Increased patrols
• Made trespassing a crime
• Fenced off approaches
• Still, people climb over

Film and Media

• A 1988 short film “The Legend of the Pope Lick Monster”
• Featured on various paranormal shows
• Documentary coverage
• The deaths have only increased interest

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The Pope Lick Monster may be legend—but the danger of the trestle is very real.