An eerie 'Harry-Potter-style train' has been discovered, mysteriously abandoned in thick woodland. The rusting old steam engine, covered in cobwebs, is almost hidden in its secret location, deep in the heart of the Suffolk countryside.
It bears a striking resemblance to JK Rowling’s fictional Hogwarts Express. In the Harry Potter books, the train transports pupils to the wizard school from Kings Cross station's platform 9 3/4.
Urban explorer Steve Liddiard tracked it down after hearing rumours of a mysterious 'Harry Potter-style' engine deep in the woods The 36-year-old from Swansea eventually located the amazing vehicle completely hidden behind overgrowth.
And he's declared it one of his best finds. "Locals seem to know of it, but a total mystery as to where it came from, some stories here and there, but it's a really strange one," he said.
"A lot of research and map scanning was in order to track it down. There's some bits I have found here and there about it."
He continued: "It's now very well protected with thorn bushes and brambles. But enough is still visible to see the scale of it.
"It's a Harry Potter Hogwarts-style train, but it's a bit of a mystery as to why it's there and sitting on real train tracks. There are some rumours that it was bought with purpose of renovating it but nothing concrete."
The train was built by a Scandinavian company around 1950. Built to withstand the brutal Finnish winters, it now sits alone and the elements have corroded it.
By day, Steve works as a senior pathology informatics officer in the NHS. The urban explorer said he is keeping the exact location of the train a secret so it does not get vandalised.
"The train still smells of oil and smoke even though it hasn’t been active for well over half a century," he said. "It looks like it has been there decades.
"My goal is to document these places before they crumble away and are lost completely."
