Pic 1. "Better move or you'll get run down !" I don't think those cow catchers on "Lyn" will be much use against a little 1:1 scale kitten !
Pic 2. "This is after the fifth run up the incline in an attempt to clear the line ! I gave up, and it was getting late in the afternoon anyway!"
The story behind these 2 photo's is that one Saturday in the beginning of September, my friend Frede Nielsen and I decided to have a steam afternoon. By the time we had got our loco's and rolling stock out and set up in Welton Station, a little kitten (that I have never seen before) appeared in the garden, and came over to where we were. He seemed quite friendly, so was allowed to roam around the station area, inspecting the rolling stock and loco's. I really didn't expect him to stay long, but as the loco's were being prepared, he just sat and watched intently. When Frede lit the gas burner on his Accucraft loco with a loud pop, I really expected a rapid exit. It didn't faze him one bit, even though he was sitting a foot away from the loco. When steam was raised and the train moved out of the station, he watched it pass from behind a rock, and then trotted after it around the railway. He did this ALL afternoon (4½ hours), sometimes running alongside the hissing, chuffing and spluttering loco's and seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself. The 2 pics above were taken at the end of the afternoon, when he eventually decided to take a rest. Even though I drove the loco up to his nose 5 times, he wouldn't budge ! Seeing as it was getting late, we let him be, and packed up. We discovered that the kittens name was "Speedy" and belonged to our next door neighbour.
2 weeks later 3 of us were running trains, and as soon as the rolling stock was put on the tracks, he appeared, and spent all afternoon trotting after trains or positioning himself by the track side ahead of the train, so as to watch it go by. 1 week later he spent another afternoon in the same way. Amazingly he has never tried pouncing on the trains or touching them, he seems quite content to observe and follow.
Pic 3. "Here he has just been running alongside "Lyn" and as there is a tunnel ahead, he courteously waits to let the train go first. He follows them through the 3 yard long tunnel too !"
Following the death of our cat last June, we were given a kitten 3 weeks ago, who is also a ginger tom.... hmmm I wonder if he will turn out to be a train enthusiast too ?
I just hope that the two of them will get on ok.
(they have caused damage in the past, admittedly minor)