Station Cats

[WesternLancer]

On the subject of Station Cats I visited the Great Central Railway for the first time about a month ago and came across this fellow snoozing in the shade at Loughborough Central:

DSC_0859 Station Cat, Loughborough Central Station - GCR

Caught snoozing in the shade. Name anyone? Click here for more photographs of the Great Central Railway: www.jhluxton.com/Railways-and-Tramways/Heritage-Railways-...

www.flickr.com

Anyone know his name?

Is that cat called Onslaught or similar? @Flying Phil may know.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Jul 2025 ==

On the subject of Station Cats I visited the Great Central Railway for the first time about a month ago and came across this fellow snoozing in the shade at Loughborough Central:

DSC_0859 Station Cat, Loughborough Central Station - GCR

Caught snoozing in the shade. Name anyone? Click here for more photographs of the Great Central Railway: www.jhluxton.com/Railways-and-Tramways/Heritage-Railways-...

www.flickr.com

Anyone know his name?

Some GCR cats in this short video
Plus railway background sounds

I think one of the cats there might be called Vangaurd.

 

[John Luxton]

Is that cat called Onslaught or similar? @Flying Phil may know.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Jul 2025 ==


Some GCR cats in this short video
Plus railway background sounds

I think one of the cats there might be called Vangaurd.

Thanks for the info - so there is more than one!

 

[WesternLancer]

Thanks for the info - so there is more than one!

I’ve met two on visits. Down by a small brick built shed towards the end of the Loughborough platform slope on way to walk to engine shed. Seen them there a few times and they seem used to visitors unsurprisingly.

They seem in fine feline fettle.

 

[geoffk]

The Huddersfield (now retired) and Stourbridge Junction cats seem to the best known now. When I was living there a few years ago, Todmorden station had a large ginger cat called Dinky until he died in 2017. I think Rushden station has one (but not much in the way of trains).

 

[High Dyke]

Runcorn railway station has a feline resident named Clive, who is known for "supervising" customer service.

 

[Flying Phil]

Sorry Western Lancer but I do not know the name of the station cat...nor the ones up at the loco shed or at Rothley Shed.

 

[WesternLancer]

Sorry Western Lancer but I do not know the name of the station cat...nor the ones up at the loco shed or at Rothley Shed.

Thanks for replying Phil. More research to be undertaken!

 

[LowLevel]

The Loughborough cat is known as Chi Chi and lives nearby, visiting a few different local places. She's nice enough though she can be a bit grumpy

A sad development today as Chi Chi from Loughborough station was hit by a car and killed today on the road outside the station. RIP.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Sep 2025 ==

Thanks for replying Phil. More research to be undertaken!

The Ops Office (station) cat at Loughborough is Onslaught, with a second more occasional caller who is a reformed feral called Dreadnought.

The one at the loco shed is called Jumble.

The one at Swithland is known as Swithland Cat or Felix.

The one at Rothley shed is called Eclipse.

 

[WesternLancer]

A sad development today as Chi Chi from Loughborough station was hit by a car and killed today on the road outside the station. RIP.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Sep 2025 ==


The Ops Office (station) cat at Loughborough is Onslaught, with a second more occasional caller who is a reformed feral called Dreadnought.

The one at the loco shed is called Jumble.

The one at Swithland is known as Swithland Cat or Felix.

The one at Rothley shed is called Eclipse.

Thanks for such a full report. I didn’t know about the GCR cats further down the line.

Sad to hear about Chi Chi.

 

[izvor]

I have watched many cats crossing third and fourth electric rail lines safely - I suspect they have a sixth sense.

That's interesting. My old cat used to wander across the rail tracks and I'd watch in horror as she would step happily onto the running rails, but would always take a deft jump over the live rail. She never came to grief on the railway and lived to at least 18. I wonder how they know? Do other animals have this sense? You don't exactly see the tracks of the SR littered with animal carcasses.

 

[Dave W]

That's interesting. My old cat used to wander across the rail tracks and I'd watch in horror as she would step happily onto the running rails, but would always take a deft jump over the live rail. She never came to grief on the railway and lived to at least 18. I wonder how they know? Do other animals have this sense? You don't exactly see the tracks of the SR littered with animal carcasses.

Not sure it's that uncommon. Certainly I've seen several anecdotes of unfortunate animals doing themselves a mischief - foxes with their tails tend to be common victims I think. The initial shock may not be all that bad but instinct causes them to turn round and attack what they think got them. A waft of their Basil Brush might only be enough to take a jump but biting down on the third rail is probably not advisable. I understand stray/lost dogs are similar culprits, but cats very much less so, as I recall.

There'll be someone with much better insight than my anecdata!

 

[zwk500]

That's interesting. My old cat used to wander across the rail tracks and I'd watch in horror as she would step happily onto the running rails, but would always take a deft jump over the live rail. She never came to grief on the railway and lived to at least 18. I wonder how they know? Do other animals have this sense? You don't exactly see the tracks of the SR littered with animal carcasses.

Not sure it's that uncommon. Certainly I've seen several anecdotes of unfortunate animals doing themselves a mischief - foxes with their tails tend to be common victims I think. The initial shock may not be all that bad but instinct causes them to turn round and attack what they think got them. A waft of their Basil Brush might only be enough to take a jump but biting down on the third rail is probably not advisable. I understand stray/lost dogs are similar culprits, but cats very much less so, as I recall.

There'll be someone with much better insight than my anecdata!

Cat's whiskers are incredibly sensitive to vibrations as part of helping them detect their prey, so perhaps that's part of it? There's also recent studies that suggests cats are directly receptive to electromagnetism, which aids them in navigation. If this is the case, then the live rail would be detectable by them.

 

[izvor]

Cat's whiskers are incredibly sensitive to vibrations as part of helping them detect their prey, so perhaps that's part of it? There's also recent studies that suggests cats are directly receptive to electromagnetism, which aids them in navigation. If this is the case, then the live rail would be detectable by them.

Ah, that could be the answer, thanks. Amazing animals! And they can read your thoughts too...

 

[Steddenm]

As seen on Facebook this morning, Nala, the station cat at Stevenage has sadly passed away.

The image shows a photo of Nala, a white and ginger cat sat atop the ticket barriers at Stevenage railway station with the caption "RIP Nala - the famous cat of Stevenage station" as posted to Facebook by a user called Simon Harris.

 

[Skiddaw]

Oh that's sad. Dear little furry soul....

 

[S101]

Fitzwilliam seems to have a black and white cat loitering around the platforms quite often. I've also seen it sat amongst the ballast at the side of the line. I'd consider it an unofficial station cat, as it probably lives nearby but clearly considers the station as part of its territory!

As seen this morning....

 

[Mat17]

As seen this morning....
View attachment 196308

That's the one!

 

[S101]

That's the one!

Ha, it was getting lots of fuss from the steady flow of commuters heading for Wakey and Leeds....

 

[Skiddaw]

Oh bless the dear wee soul!!

 

[WesternLancer]

As seen this morning....
View attachment 196308

Great snapshot!

 

[John Luxton]

As seen this morning....

Supre photo I wonder if it goes wandering on the trains? Some cats have been known to commute.