Articles in Featuring Felines are written by
Patrick Roberts
Copyright © 2003-12 Purr 'n' Fur UK

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   BLUEBELL RAILWAY
Sussex

This is a heritage railway in the southern county of Sussex. Vandal (pictured) appeared at the line's Sheffield Park terminus in 2000, not long after the previous incumbent, Lucky, had died (obviously a vacancy became known on the feline grapevine!). He gained his name from a tendency to leave chaos in his wake wherever he went, notably in the old and rather cramped shop where things tended to get knocked off shelves. Nowadays he is calmer, but loves 'helping' the shop manager with her paperwork; he likes to regard himself as a paperweight. He's very good at persuading people that he's starving, so often gets more than one breakfast!
      There is another cat called Rioja, whose base is the locomotive shed; and at the next station down the line, Horsted Keynes, there are Oscar and Gizmo. Clearly this is a cat-friendly railway.
Photo: Tom Briggs

   EAST LANCASHIRE RAILWAY
Lancashire

Closed in 1980, restoration of the 12-mile (19-km) line from Heywood to Rawtenstall was started in 1991, and a long line of cats have helped volunteers in the engine sheds. Feral Dougie lives in the yard and is a 'bit of a grumpy boy', but has his own cat house. BoBo came from Rochdale and is the mess-room cat, while Titch is Dougie's friend, also fairly wild but very talkative. He was hit by a car in 2009 and his back legs suffered, but he is now much improved. A small black-and-white cat arrived next, and as a name couldn't be agreed on, he's called No. 4! When three black kittens turned up it was felt they couldn't all be kept, so two were rehomed with one of the engineers. It was decided the third should stay as a 'spare cat', in case one of the others departed for whatever reason — so she is, logically, known as Spare. She is great friends with Titch.

   INVERNESS STATION
Scotland

The station boasted two black cats, Diesel (pictured) and Gasket, who based themselves on Platform 6; beds and food were provided by well-wishers. They became known far outside their local area, and gifts and toys would arrive even from as far afield as Japan! One local resident said that they knew the arrival and departure times of trains, when to be around and when not to be. When the rail franchise changed hands and a new Area Manager arrived, he declared that 'the cats must go', causing a huge uproar among station staff and visitors. Diesel took matters into his own paws by accompanying the new manager on his first station tour, and so delighted him that he changed his mind! Apparently the cats used to get left-over smoked salmon and other delicacies from the prestigious Royal Scotsman train when it came to the station.
      Gasket died in 2007 and Diesel in 2009, with obituaries appearing in the local press. The cats are buried together in a favourite spot where they used to like to sun themselves.
      In the mid-1980s Inverness had an earlier cat called Gasket, who appeared in the Maintenance Depot store and gave birth to kittens. She decided to stay and for several years kept down the pigeon population as well as the mice. A favourite spot was on the supervisor's office roof, from where she could survey her domain. One day she simply vanished, and staff were unable to find out what had become of her.
Photo: Jamie Martin

   LOUGHBOROUGH
Leicestershire

There were two felines at the Grand Central Railway station: GC and Mogus, although neither is there any more. GC — for 'Grand Central' or 'Ginger Cat' — just turned up one day on a train! No one knows from where or how he got there; but he checked out the station, wandered into the chairman's office, found a comfortable spot in the in-tray and went to sleep. He became station cat, and rail-magazine editor Brian Jones described him as 'a most exceptional cat, who displayed a better knowledge of how railways work than some of the rail enthusiasts I knew'. When he retired from station life GC went to live on the chairman's canal narrowboat, where he had further adventures. A webpage for GC gives access to an extensive gallery of delightful photos.
Painting: Richard Piccaver. Photo: Robin Jones
      The second cat was Mogus, who arrived in summer 1996 and took up residence in the locomotive shed, where he made friends with the superintendent. He was provided with a cat-flap in the mess-room door, and stayed for 13 years, making many friends. He used to catch pigeons, loved cheese, and each Christmas Day had a special turkey treat. He and GC were rivals, and each kept to his own territory. Eventually he developed liver and kidney problems and retired to the home of one of the volunteers, but despite the best of care he did not live long to enjoy his retirement.
Photo: Richard Piccaver

   MANCHESTER OXFORD ROAD STATION
Greater Manchester

This large and busy station has four cats, although only Jumper condescends to meet passengers, while Tom, Jerry and Manx stay behind the scenes. When staff posted a notice inviting people to donate cat food they were overwhelmed by the response; large numbers of tins were given, and Jumper was even given fresh chicken! Pest control remains the cats' first duty and the station is rodent-free, while Jumper also chases off pigeons.

   MIDDLETON LIGHT RAILWAY
West Yorkshire

The oldest working railway, near the city of Leeds, had a much loved and friendly resident black cat called Smokebox. However, one evening in March 2009 she and her food dish disappeared. Two weeks later her 'kennel' was also taken. It is presumed she was 'catnapped', but sadly, nothing more has been heard.

   NORTH YORKSHIRE MOORS RAILWAY
North Yorkshire

Many cats have made their home at Grosmont on this railway over the years, either at the station or in the locomotive sheds. At present there are two residents, looked after by one of the fitters during the week and by the shop supervisor at weekends. Dinky arrived as a tiny feral 'spitfire' of a kitten, needing to be handled with heavy gloves at first, but now she enjoys a stroke. Tabby-and-white Erica (pictured) was found sleeping on one of the steam engines in a siding; at one point her bed was moved to a diesel engine, but was moved back after she refused to use it!
      There have been other cats at Grosmont; some were rehomed elsewhere, but Brian Mooney died there and is remembered by a small cross outside the sheds marking where his ashes were buried — after a short service led by a vicar and reported in the local press.
Photo: Louise Mudd

   PULBOROUGH STATION
West Sussex

The station used to have a beautiful ginger cat, much loved by staff and passengers, although we don't know his name. When he died he was buried in a little garden by the signal box, and a small headstone was erected. A black-and-white cat succeeded him, lived in the ticket office and would curl up in the filing trays to sleep.

   STAINMORE RAILWAY COMPANY
Cumbria

The line from Kirkby Stephen East, in Cumbria, closed in 1962, but in recent years the line has been going through the process of restoration. When work began on the station in 1998 a white-and-tabby cat, Rabbit (pictured), was already well established in the area and became something of a local celebrity, appearing in the press and on Radio Cumbria's website. She ruled over the volunteers' mess room, complaining bitterly if the fire went out, while outside she loved exploring and was often to be found helping working parties and supervising restoration work. After a hard day's work she liked to sleep on the warm engines — so an instruction was put on the engine start-up procedure to first 'check for cats'! Rabbit became increasingly frail and in November 2008 simply disappeared, with extensive searches failing to find her.
      Now the Chief Station Cat is Quaker, named after Darlington Football Club, whose members carry the same black-and-white livery. She has turned out to be an excellent mouser.
Photo: Stainmore Railway Co Ltd

   TONBRIDGE STATION
Kent

This busy station on a commuter line to London had two beloved cats, Jill and Louis, who appeared one day in 1992 and decided the place suited them. They based themselves either in the staff mess room or the shunters' lobby, to both of which they had access, and were well looked after. When they died, two brass plaques were put up in their memory.
Photo: Francesca Watson

   WHITBY
North Yorkshire

Black-and-white Arthur turned up at the station in the 1960s, was befriended by staff and made it his home for the next 10 years. Although he had a lame back leg, it didn't curb his hunting activities and the station was kept rodent-free. When he died the staff, who had appreciated his friendship as well as his 'mouse work', buried him by the buffers at the end of the unused Platform 3, one of his favourite spots. A sandstone marker was placed, with the date 8.8.75 under the legend 'Morte d'Arthur'. Later the platform was demolished, but the stone was rescued and, although difficult to access, can still be found between the station and a new supermarket.
Photo: Harry Mead