LAST Friday, when the shadows fell, the bad moon rose, and the boundary separating the living from the dead became blurred, all manner of diabolical demons and gruesome ghouls stalked the land in service of mischief, mayhem, and the delirious whims of the midnight hour.

And you could find a fair few of them hopping on a steam engine and catching a ride at Blaenavon’s Heritage Railway ghost train Halloween spectacular.

If you’ve never paid a visit to the annual and ever-popular spook and shock fest, which sees people board the train at Blaenavon for a short trip to the Whistle Inn and back, it’s tempting to dismiss it as just another fancy dress parade of people in bad make-up, novelty masks, and cheap wigs.

It's far from that.

As soon as you step on board a steam train full of masked monsters, satanic nuns, Victorian wraiths, vocal werewolves, crazed scientists, plague doctors, possessed teenagers, and of course, Freddy Krueger, you know you're in for something a little bit different from the Abergavenny to Cardiff line.

They take their horror seriously up top. Their hell is real and they want you to feel every last bit of it, at least until the train stops and it's time for lager and crisps at The Whistle, or coffee and chocolate at the train station.

These scarers work tirelessly through the night to make you jump out of your skin and laugh hysterically at the sheer horror of it all.

It works well because of the atmospheric character and haunting environment of the Blaenavon line and because of the time and effort the scarers put into their outfits and show.

As event coordinator Nathan Russell told the Chronicle, "All the scarers and everyone behind the scenes work tirelessly to make it a unique experience.

"We're a team of volunteers, and any money we make is poured back into keeping the line open and the engines running for another year!"

The Blaenavon ghost train experience may be a ghoul fest and absolute horror show, but it’s not all about chilling the blood, making your heart skip a beat, and your nose bleed profusely in sheer terror. No! When things get a little too much for the little ones on board, the monsters take time out from screaming in their faces and scaring the living daylights out of them to gently put their chainsaws to one side, shake a few hands, pat a few heads, and grab a photo opportunity or two. Because at the end of the day, it’s a family occasion, and even the biggest monsters have a heart. Especially those who are so dedicated to putting on a show.

In an age where the 'new magic' of technology has forced the witch from her broomstick, where the deepest shadows can be dispersed by a cold and unforgiving electric light and the seductive spell of mystery is rendered impotent by an insect rationality, it's always nice to find a place where the deep rooted traditions and customs of Halloween still hold sway and the devil rides out!