Exposed: The Ghost Train Fire
Exposed : The Ghost geartrain Firerecounts the level of a atrocious amusement park fire and the succeeder of the television receiver show pried open another tone at the case , long recall doused . Produced for anAustralian meshing and presently available on Netflix , Exposed : The Ghost Train Firepremiered in 2021 as part of the overarchingthrilling ABC True - Crime documentary series , Exposed . accept lieu over three episodes , ABC journalists team up with Australian historians , reporter , police force , and amateur sleuthhound to uncover the events behind a frightening mean solar day in New South Wales .
Luna Park Sydney in Milsons Point , New South Wales is the site , and the Sydney Ghost Train is the drive . The three - sequence miniseries pass over a little of the lead - up to the effect , the fervidness itself , and then most critically , the coverage of the ardour afterward and the strange , bordering on reckless , investigation , done by New South Wales ( NSW ) police . There ’s a case to be made that True - Crime shows and picture are morbid spectacles , butExposed : The Ghost Train Firemay have been a critical component of getting the suit reopen .
In 1979, A Ride At An Amusement Park Caught Fire And Killed Seven Riders
No One Knows Exactly Why The Ride Caught Fire
Exposed : The Ghost Train Firediscusses the tragic consequence that happen at Luna Park , Sydney on June 9 , 1979 . The Ghost Train was a popular attraction at the park , suitable for pre - teenage to teen childrenwho could plow Universal monstersand other spooky creatures popping up along the track . The ride lie in of 180 meters of galvanic runway that get behind rider around hairpin routine . terpsichore skeletons , giant , an ape - man , a Draco ’s head , and more appear along the mostly tar - bootleg ride to give customers a scare .
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The soundtrack repeatedly blare , " You ’ll shudder and quiver on the Ghost Train , " ( viaABC ) . The darkness of the ride may have helped to hide some of the mechanically skillful failings of the more than 45 - yr - older railroad train . On June 9 , Sue Manning , who was 19 at the time and was the social manager of a Bankstown early days group , decided to bring her group to Luna Park for a nighttime natural action . Manning ride the Ghost Train herself and when she pass by an imitation open fireplace , she could n’t help oneself but enquire why a fake hearth was giving off so much heating plant .
When she disembarked , she turn around to see the ride in flames . Behind man a few cars back , were five young boys : Richard Carroll , Michael Johnson , Jonathan Billings , Seamus Rahilly , and Jason Holman . In front of the five ally was a group of three ; father John Godson , and his sons , Damien ( 6 ) and Craig ( 4 ) . John ’s wife , and the boy ' mother , Jenny , went to grab an trash pick instead . Holman was at the back of the line of pushcart , sit alone , when an tender grabbed him and yanked him out , just before he entered the train maze .
What visitors remark this time was that huge flames were conflagrate out of those outside portion .
As the drive trance on ardour , onlookers began to acknowledge something was amiss . At certain part of the drive , the train pop off the maze , a chance for those hold back in line to roll at the rider . What visitors noticed this fourth dimension was that huge flames were erupting out of those outside portions . The full drive had caught blast and was quickly reaching an conflagration . Some passengers were able-bodied to get off the ride and find their path to a fire door .
Tony Jacob , a ticket clipper for the ride , repeatedly tried to record the ride to assist passengersbut was push out by the estrus and grass . Jacob and two rider , Ralph Schiano and Kate Partington , receive commendations of bravery for their efforts to save others . Firefighters racing towards the parking lot said the weed was " opprobrious as tar " . After the fervour was finally put out , the bodies of Carroll , Johnson , Billings , Rahilly , and the godson were found . medical examiner later determine their death were due to burns and smoke inhalation .
ABC’s Exposed Documentary Series Uncovered New Facets Of The Tragedy
The Fire Investigator For The Incident Had Criminal Ties
After the fire was put out , the investigation begin , and everyone was desperately looking for answers about what encounter . As Paul Callaghan said about the ride ,
" Apart from the occasional replacement of a fuse , it just performed faultlessly . "
Inspectors found no faulty wiring or electric problems that could have caused the fire and though the medical examiner ’s report note a " marked hesitation " to expend money on fire safety step , Gary Moss , another employee at the park , said he never get a line what he would consider a " high-handed " mental attitude about ride refuge from anyone at Luna Park . The conclusion by the medical examiner stated that the fervidness was likely stimulate by a discarded cigarette .
Exposing the truths behind the mystery of the Ghost Train Fire at Sydney’s iconic Luna Park, Caro Meldrum-Hanna returns for a ground-breaking three-part investigation.
The tale was convey to Walkley Award - winning diary keeper , Caro Meldrum - Hanna , who createdExposedand was expect for a newfangled case after 2018’sExposed : The Case of Keli Lane .
Many masses disagreed , including Martin Sharp , who once redesigned the smile face at the entrance to Luna Park . For long time , Sharp kept a large , inexpert instance file open about the fire , at long last determining that the fire must have been because of dirty play . This information and testimonial from other witnesses of that Nox formed the basis of ABC’sExposed : The Ghost Train Fire . The story was brought to Walkley Award - succeed journalist , Caro Meldrum - Hanna , who createdExposedand was look for a new case after 2018’sExposed : The Case of Keli Lane .
Meldrum - Hanna sleep with she had something big after contacting witnesses ( viaMediaWeek ) . Meldrum - Hanna said ,
" In that first rung of speech sound calls , it was almost general . There would be this sharp consumption of breath and there would either be tears direct aside from mass who were there that night or worked there , or there would be this sentence that just rings in my ears : ' I have been waiting for this speech sound call for ten . I have been waiting for someone to pick this up and look at it . ' "
The mini - serial recreated the ride and the fire for a reenactment , and interviewed several witnesses , witness who had never been interview by NSW Police ( viaABC ) . Park attendant Richard Visser , Luna Park employee Frank Boitano , and another park patron , Greg Chard , all separately take they smelled kerosene near the Ghost Train that night . Other witnesses claim that seven appendage of a bike gang , called bikies , were standing outside the Ghost Train , discussing kerosene and matches .
Exposedlater bring out that Detective Inspector Doug Knight , who was in charge of the blast probe , was a well - known " fixer" . His colleagues say to ABC that Knight frequently live with bribes from criminal to hold back investigationsin their track ( viaABC ) . According to Paul Egge , a former police detective senior serjeant with the NSW Police , the fire was coordinate by notorious Sydney crime foreman , Abe Saffron .
Luna Park Sydney opened in October 1935 and has stay loose ever since , spending only a fistful of years close .
" Mr. Sin " as he was recognise , allegedly wanted the land that Luna Park was built on . This information immix with the numerous witness testimony that blend unheard by the NSW Police , strongly suggests the total story of the Ghost Train is not in full understood and has much more ominous origins than a tossed - away coffin nail .
New South Wales Police Reopened The Investigation Into The Fire After Exposed: The Ghost Train Fire
There Is A $1 Million Reward For Any Information About The Fire
The shocking revelation inExposed : The Ghost Train Firewere enough that the character was eventually reopenedand a $ 1 million reward was offered for any information regarding the true events of the firing ( via9News ) . The advantage remains active ( viaNSWGov ) . The casing lurched forth slightly in September 2024 when a redacted constabulary report was made useable to the families of the six children and their lawyers ( viaABC ) . The case remains in court butExposed : The Ghost Train Firedeserves some course credit for push the probe this far .
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expose the Truth behind the closed book of the Ghost Train Fire at Sydney ’s iconic Luna Park , Caro Meldrum - Hanna returns for a land - breaking three - part investigation .
