The Signalman

Originally Aired: March 23, 1953 Suspense #505, "The Signalman," a railway signalman keeps a lonely vigil at an isolated cutting where trains thunder into a dark tunnel. When a writer arrives unexpectedly to interview him for a biographical article, she finds him strangely unsettled by her greeting of "Hello, below there!" The signalman, who has spent thirty-four years at this desolate post after abandoning his early promise as a student of natural philosophy, reacts with inexplicable dread, insisting he has seen her before - standing by the red signal light at the tunnel's mouth. Though the writer explains she was simply drawn back to this childhood haunt on impulse, the signalman seems to sense something more sinister at work. As they talk in his small shack beside the tracks, the signalman's behavior grows increasingly peculiar. He questions why she chose this particular moment to visit, suggesting forces beyond their control may have brought her here. The writer notices his educated mind seems at odds with his humble station, but the signalman cryptically admits there are things he regrets about his position - regrets that seem connected to the mysterious dread that grips him whenever he looks toward that ominous red light.