Feral Cats and the Denver 23rd Street Roundhouse in Tales of the Jointed Track

No this isn’t a Dog entry, plus I may or may have not posted previously in either OD or here on PB.. A repeat please bear with the old rail.

There were a lot of feral cats around the diesel shop at 23rd Street. The time period here has to be around the late 80’s. The SD-9 locomotives are still around. Built in the mid to late 50’s, the C&S and the BN had many on the roster. The “nines” were primarily now relegated to switch service and locals. We’d get them south for repositioning, for other stations on the C&S and/or BN. The time of a four or five SD-9 lash-up for a drag south have passed.

Feral Cats:
These were always around. At night, you’d see or spot them in the shop. As the year turned cold, they were in certain spots in the shops.

Cindy Stamler was a shop laborer. Her duties were to clean cabs, service the on board locomotive toilets as needed, and/or perform other shop duties. She also was the cat keeper so to speak. There were water bowls scattered about. Food dishes as well. Cindy was able to corral, some and took them to the vet. She’d post a sign up sheet, and ask for donations. The cat(s) were taken to the vet, the costs were always posted with the paid bill. All crafts at the shop, the train-engine- and yard crews (BN/C&S/Santa Fe) donated to the cause. At the time of this writing, Cindy has left the railroad and I have retired, so I do not know if the tradition continues.

An SD-9 Stall 14
Stall 14 was a roundhouse track, that at times held a locomotive for light repair, or further disposition. It was also a part of the old roundhouse, when I hired out. Before I retired, the tracks were stubbed, and became a storage place for the shop.

The was an SD-9 placed in stall 14. It was being readied for a BN System Overhaul at West Burlington, Iowa. West Burlington was a huge major Backshop for the BN, and a former CB&Q facility. The unit was being readied for transit, for the assigned date at West Burlington. The Machinists and Electricians were inspecting the locomotive before it was sent east, on drag extra freight. They found the following, hidden in the casting holes, in one of the EMD Flexicoil trucks, which houses the running gear and traction motors, for the locomotive.

One of the mother cats, had given birth and made the home for the kittens in there. The roundhouse Foreman was called and notified. Yep mom and 8 kittens were in there. The Foreman at 23rd St, called the Foreman at West Burlington and related a problem and possible delay. Luckily, they were backed up and the SD-9 would be sitting for two weeks, before they could overhaul. West Burlington called the BN power desk and said this unit needs to be on hold, and cannot be utilized. The power desk called 23rd St and said place the unit on hold will notify when to move east. Two weeks later the mom and kittens were gone. The unit was then positioned for movement East. A side of the BN, I didn’t know existed or for a major Class 1 railroad for that matter. Would this happen in today’s BNSF? I really doubt it.

Last updated May 02, 2018