Sadly Dirt, the Nevada Northern's famous and beloved shop cat, has crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.

He was much loved and will be much missed.

Sound silly? Maybe it is, but I think not too many people would say that.

https://www.facebook.com/nnry1/photos/a ... 3620786764

Not silly. A shop cat or other critter (Mookie at Spencer, for example; or Turbo at RMNE/Naugy) adds a touch of life to the environment, and engages both visitors and shop forces/train crews/preservationists alike.

Every railroad that handles grain shipments has a rat problem, which is almost invariably controlled by feral cats. Every locomotive shop I've ever worked in has at least one feral cat that figures out how to get along with the workers. A shop cat is as essential as having track going to the shop, and tools in it.

I never met this kitty, Mr Dirt, but my hat is off to another fine four legged railroader, may he rest in peace.

Poor guy, he needed a bath.

There's a fair argument to be made that Dirt (and his volunteer publicists) brought more fame, notoriety, and ink to the RR than any of the articles, photos, events, and brochures published on the RR and its activities.

As it turns out, we also lost one of our treasured chickens, Jitterbug, this morning, in my arms.

I always felt a little bit sorry for this cat, as these animals are habitual groomers and it could not have been healthy for him to be constantly licking that grime off his fur. The fact that he lived 15 years, which is a reasonable lifespan for a domestic cat, is due to the care he received from the folks at the museum, who adopted him and treated him like a member of the family. So many animals that live in environments like this are left to fend for themselves.

I've attached a photo of him from back in 2015, before he really became famous. While not a super friendly cat, he didn't shy away from those of us who wanted a portrait.

Rest in peace, little kitty. You've certainly touched a lot of lives and done yeoman service for the preservation movement.

/Kevin Madore

Early FaceBook posts mentioned that Dirt quickly learned NOT to lick himself. I wonder if he cleaned himself by scratching.

Years ago we had a shop kitten at the BN Diesel Shop in Denver. She loved hunting rodents, but she was blue point colored, which showed all the grease, oil, dirt and crud which covered her, and which she would try to lick off. We took her to a vet, got her fixed and vaxed, and were advised that the environment would significantly reduce her chances of living to a ripe old age. For awhile we debated what to do, then one dark and stormy night she climbed up inside a GE -8 series freight motor and curled up on top of the radiator core to get warmed up. By a miracle she only lost her tail when the fan kicked on, and her howls got the attention of one of the outside hookup guys. We fished her out and she lived, but that convinced everybody that she needed a better home.

It wasn't long before one of our chronically dateless employees took her home, and they lived happily ever after. Since then, the more softhearted workers have tried to find homes for the shop cats that become friendly enough to be rescued. Right after I retired I took one home, she is better off living the life of luxury.

What a great shot. As a pet person myself, not strange at all. I have had cats named Frisco, Chessie, and current one Cinder.

For PR value, the one that remains famous to me is the cat that was at the start of the Adirondack Scenic Railroad from '92, on, Sam the Railroad Cat, who now has a book and a song written about him.

https://www.amazon.com/Sam-Adirondack-R ... 0925168289

Fifteen is a good run for a house cat, let alone a cat living around a working facility like the NN. Dirt must have had a good instinct for safety.

There are plenty of people in the world who will go out of their way to see some particular cat who has a reputation as a "character" before they will detour for a railroad operation, and Ely was astute in recognizing it. If "come for the cat, stay for the trains" works, embrace it.

I have observed that at some operations, the furry "employee" is a bit of a safety valve WRT volunteers who can't agree on anything except that they like the cat (or dog).

Christopher Burton's book "Behind the Lines" has some good short glimpses of UK railroad cats in bygone days, and Peter Barnfield's quirky depictions of an imaginary light railway in England always contained at least one orange cat in a sort of "Where's Waldo?" vein.

Wonder how 2926’s ferals are doing these days? Most of them have probably gone on to the big rail yards where the Hudson’s live.

Felix the AOSR roundhouse cat seems to be doing pretty well, even if he did have to have his teeth pulled (very common, doesn’t bother them once it doesn’t hurt to eat.)

My employer never had a shop cat (but plenty of mice) during my tenure, but had one previously. I understand its last great mistake was to climb into an ash pan for warmth. It turns out that cleaning a fire is a no-win situation for a cat. It was then decided not to allow another.

The poor pussycat.

Most cats understand basic mechanics, and I've had a couple that were very smart about it. One of them was abused and starving when I found him covered with pin grease, underneath the engine after the first time I fired one up. The operation was a success, and after I had gone to the local bar to celebrate, I went back by the shop to make sure nothing had caught fire or blown up. From a hundred yards I could see his gold eyes peeking out from between the drivers, so I decided to see if he was hungry. When I shined my lantern on him, he gave me this look like "What the Hell do you think you're doing with this locomotive" ?? I gave him a job as enginehouse mouser, but he moved in with me soon after. I could write a book bout his exploits.

These days I run a non-accredited, no-kill, feral cat shelter in my garage with 15 residents, and they're all trained to get in the clear when I honk three times, and they stop and look both ways before crossing the street. By and large, they're easier to train than a lot of people I've met. The one exception lives indoors full time now.

Rest in peace, Dirt. Oftentimes, when these animals come into your life, they become more than "just an animal". They become family, and I think Dirt was a lot more than that.

Yes, having domestic animals, farm animals, or even feathered friends around a railroad or industrial environment can bring a sense of warmth to the daily grind.

Over the past 30 years of railroading, we’ve had ravens, chickens, dogs, and yes, a cat.

That cat was Mr. Sprinkles (yup, that was his name). And Mr. Sprinkles definitely claimed and ruled his territory, particularly when it came to female cats. Ahem. (Are you starting to understand his name?)

Anyhoo, Mr. Sprinkles ruled his turf for many years until one fateful day when he was seeking warmth under the hood of a knuckle boom truck. Probably a little older and losing his edge, he didn’t move fast enough; the truck was started before he could skedaddle. This story is a friendly reminder to all of us to think about our mascots and give a wrap on the hood or the door with a fist before turning that ignition key.

Oh, but it’s not all sad. Given the way Mr. Sprinkles ruled his roost “exhibit A below”, there are plenty of little Mr. Sprinkles around, carrying on his lineage . . .