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Train loving Dog

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  • Member since
    June 2002
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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, November 8, 2021 11:19 AM

I emailed the URL to friends:  Here is  one response:

Thanks for the great story.

Years ago, the dog of a cousin of mine living in
Allston was featured in a similar story in one of
the Boston newspapers. However that dog operated
on a much smaller scale than Boji.

Charlie was a large basset hound. From his
puppyhood, my cousin used to take him with her on
the T while doing errands. The regular T drivers
got to know Charlie well. He was a very sweet dog
whom everyone liked. One day, as a young dog, he
apparently got bored at home. He decided to go by
himself down to the local bus stop where the
driver of the T bus runining along Bighton Av.
let him on board. Charlie got off a few stops
later and entered the lobby of my cousin's bank,
where he was well known. They gave him a couple
of dog treats, per routine, after which he left
the bank, crossed Brighton Av. at a pedestrian
light, and waited at the bus stop for his ride
home. He would do this whenever the mood would
strike him, almost always during good weather.
The local bank seemed to be his favorite
destination, but he'd also visit other
establishments he learned about while
accompanying my cousin on her errands. Some of
his excursions would involve one or two
transfers. Many of the locals and T drivers liked
to call him the Mayor of Allston.

  • Member since
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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, November 8, 2021 8:13 AM

Thanks.   Terrific bunch of  stories.  But I like cats too.

  • Member since
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  • From: US
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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, November 8, 2021 6:53 AM

M636C
There is a movie about an Australian dog that did much the same travel in the Pilbara, riding on the Hamersley Iron ore trains and local buses and getting rides in cars. The movie is called "Red Dog". This occurred while I was working in the Pilbara, and I recall being told about the dog but I never saw it (since I worked for Mt Newman Mining and only occasionally vsied Hamersley Iron.

I came across a dog that liked to watch trains. This was a big dog, that looked like a Boxer breed but was black. He would sit on a pedestrian brige over the line and when he heard a train coming, he would point towards it. When the train arrived, he would run in a tight circle above the train as though he was chasing his own tail and he kept this up until the train had passed.

Being a dog, he could hear a train well before I could so I learnt to watch which way he was pointing...

Peter

Sounds like you found a new breed - 'Directional Train Pointer'.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,020 posts
Posted by tree68 on Monday, November 8, 2021 6:52 AM

This would be as opposed to a dog a short line engineer told me about.

They were outbound to serve a customer when a dog appeared on/near the tracks.  They hit it with the plow pilot, sending it rolling away from the train.  

Apparently, it was uninjured, as exactly the same thing happened with the same dog on the return trip...

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date
Come ride the rails with me!
There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

  • Member since
    January 2002
  • 4,612 posts
Posted by M636C on Monday, November 8, 2021 3:43 AM

There is a movie about an Australian dog that did much the same travel in the Pilbara, riding on the Hamersley Iron ore trains and local buses and getting rides in cars. The movie is called "Red Dog". This occurred while I was working in the Pilbara, and I recall being told about the dog but I never saw it (since I worked for Mt Newman Mining and only occasionally vsied Hamersley Iron.

I came across a dog that liked to watch trains. This was a big dog, that looked like a Boxer breed but was black. He would sit on a pedestrian brige over the line and when he heard a train coming, he would point towards it. When the train arrived, he would run in a tight circle above the train as though he was chasing his own tail and he kept this up until the train had passed.

Being a dog, he could hear a train well before I could so I learnt to watch which way he was pointing...

Peter

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  • From: US
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Posted by rixflix on Sunday, November 7, 2021 9:36 PM

Istanbul not only cares for it's stray animals but lets them stray. Reminded me of our very own Ownie the Mail Dog. I've taken friends to the Smithsonian Postal Museum's Ownie exhibit.

"A Pittsburgh Album" has a picture of "little Jimmy Crawford" in the motorman's seat. He apparently was somewhat of a Pittsburgh Railways mascot and wanted to to be a motorman when he grew up. I wonder if that happened.

Rick 

rixflix aka Captain Video. Blessed be Jean Shepherd and all His works!!! Hooray for 1939, the all time movie year!!! I took that ride on the Reading but my Baby caught the Katy and left me a mule to ride.

  • Member since
    January 2019
  • From: Henrico, VA
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Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, November 7, 2021 1:58 PM
  • Member since
    September 2010
  • 2,515 posts
Train loving Dog
Posted by Electroliner 1935 on Sunday, November 7, 2021 12:44 PM

A friend sent me this story and it spoke to me. If reincarnation is real, I hope this is my future. I am like Boji very happy when I am traveling on transit vehicles. 

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2021/10/travel/dog-istanbul-boji-cnnphotos/

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