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Meet Dirt The Cat 🐈: Nevada Northern Railway’s Rail Cat! A Stray Feline Adopted By Railroad Shop Workers Is World-Famous

— By Nastassia Putz | November 13, 2022

Born in Nevada Northern Railway’s Cavernous Locomotive Shop, the aptly named Dirt The Cat is famous around the World for his fur stained by soot and oil and his habit of personally greeting visitors to the museum in Ely, Nevada.

One of the World’s Most Famous cats is a railroader. Dirt, his fur coat stained by a lifetime amid the soot and grease of Nevada Northern Railway’s 114-year-old engine-servicing facility, is nobody’s pet and everybody’s friend. The people-loving shop cat has an international following thanks to a series of widely shared social media posts.

His fame is even more remarkable given his humble start. In 2008, a feral cat gave birth to a litter of kittens under the railway’s rotary snowplow, which was parked on a shop track. The mother soon moved her kittens, but for some reason Dirt was left behind. Shop workers and locomotive crews noticed the abandoned kitten hiding in a floor drain in the shop and, thanks to strategically placed open cans of tuna fish, won his trust. He has lived in the shop ever since. Despite the noise, smoke, and steam, it’s the only home Dirt has ever known, and the shop workers are his family.

The railroad’s staff and volunteers are Dirt’s family and the building housing the machine shop and engine house is the only home he’s ever known.

The Nevada Northern Railway, a designated National Historic Landmark located in Ely, Nevada, prides itself on authentically recreating steam-era operations and Dirt fits that mission. After all, maintenance facilities in railroading’s early days often had a resident cat to keep mice and rats in check. But Dirt had his own ideas of his role, and decided it was his job to greet visitors to the cavernous engine house and machine shop complex he calls home. Now 15 years old and showing his age, he still manages to meet most tour groups, pose for photos, and doesn’t mind the occasional gentle scratch behind the ears.

His habit of rolling on the shop floor and sleeping on coal piles left its mark on his orange and white markings, but he is well cared-for by the railway’s staff and volunteers who make sure he has plenty of food, an electric heating pad to sleep on when winter comes, and regular veterinary care. You would expect nothing less considering Dirt’s nickname around the railroad is “King of the Shop.”

Nevada Northern shop worker pauses in mid-project to give Dirt a little attention.

The Legacy of Dirt The Railroad Cat Continues! Stories of the NNRy’s Boss Shop Cat Will Last Furever

— By Nastassia Putz | January 13, 2023

Within a few hours of announcing Dirt’s death to the public in a Facebook post on January 11, 2023, Nevada Northern Railway Museum’s page flooded with thousands of people posting their condolences and sharing their fondest memories and pictures of Dirt. From a small stray kitten found in the enginehouse to a big, tough, and dirty shop cat — proudly adopted by this National Historic Landmark— Dirt held his own among the NNRy crew for over a decade. The thousands of posts are just a mere glimpse as to what this cat means to some people. Approximately 24 hours later, 610,000 people had viewed the post with 18,500 likes, 3,100 comments, and 7,800 shares (and counting).

Unfortunately, as most animal lovers know, our four-legged companions don’t live as long as we’d like, and on January 10, 2023, a dozen or so of the NNRy crew said their final goodbyes to their furry co-worker. The end-of-life process and burial were performed with the crew, allowing them to be with Dirt on his final day. “We picked a spot, we dug a grave, we had our own in-house service, and it was just perfect,” says Con Trumball, trainmaster and museum archivist.

According to Con and Mark Bassett, NNRy president, this intense response from the public was not expected. All responses have been “overwhelmingly positive” says Mark. Other museums and preservation groups have reached out, wanting to assist with the memorial.

Dirt the railroad cat relaxing with Con Trumbull in the machine shop. NNRY

Stealing the Spotlight

The NNRy has an active enginehouse and machine shop, and people would walk into those areas often unfazed by the loud noises and work being done in front of them, and ask, “Where’s the cat?” Con explains that tours and other posts — not about Dirt — would receive the same type of reaction. Dirt had a strong following.

In the last five years, Dirt became a worldwide celebrity. However, for those who worked alongside him he was just their cat. He wasn’t the first shop cat at the museum, but there was something people loved about Dirt. People even asked Bassett to create a separate Facebook page completely dedicated to Dirt, but he refused. Dirt was an ambassador for the museum and will remain one.

The mayor of Ely, Nev., recognized Dirt as a staple in the community and when visiting the museum with a guest one day — a dentist that was not too fond of cats —said, “Oh, I don’t like cats,” when meeting Dirt, elicited a humorous response from the mayor who then said, “That cat makes more money than you.” It was true. The museum’s fund named “Dollars for Dirt” often brought in more money than any other fundraising effort they were doing at the time.

Dirt’s life was filled with many loving individuals who helped with his daily care. Searching “Dirt the Nevada Northern Cat” brings up a plethora of articles, images, and videos published over the years about this railroad celebrity. But what made Dirt so famous?

Born to Reign a Railroad

Born under a 1907-built rotary snowplow, Dirt was a runt left behind by his mother and siblings. Thanks to open cans of tuna left out at night, the kitten began to warm up to the NNRy crew. He developed a fondness for rolling in the dirt and climbing up the trains. Fur that was once white and orange became gray over time, stained by such a job — one that made him appear as if he’d been working on a locomotive and was covered in soot.

Throughout his years residing on the railroad, Dirt made countless friends, from the train crew to residents to people visiting from faraway places. He knew he was famous and loved it.

Dirt the railroad cat poses with Eric Mencis for Eric’s last visit to NNRy — a lasting memory. Wesley Heinz

Eric Mencis, former NNRy guest services manager from 2016 to 2021, knew Dirt during his years of fame and was instrumental in Dirt’s notoriety. “I saw a cat with a proud attitude, a rough look, and a friendly heart,” says Eric. “He looked like he was going to come over and kick your butt if you didn’t pet him [though].” Eric became Dirt’s “agent,” posting his first candid photo on Facebook.

“What Dirt truly needed was a voice … I was his voice for many years,” says Eric. Dirt was an old railroad soul — a crew member, climbing in and around trains, and inspecting them as if he was trying to tell you how to do your job. His favorite memory, outside of his everyday caretaking of Dirt, was when he posted “We gave Dirt a Bath” on April Fool’s Day. “I spent the morning Photoshopping the whitest cat I could find into a picture of the shop and posted it online early on April 1. All the post said was “We Gave Dirt A Bath” and the world went nuts; some believed it, but some got the joke right away.”

Madison Purinton — whose husband, Lennox Purinton, is the shop foreman — knew Dirt for three years. In 2021, Madison took on the membership coordinator role for NNRy and became one of Dirt’s primary caretakers.

Lennox, who started off volunteering, knew Dirt since he was 6. One of his fondest memories was of filming Ghost Adventures at the museum, known for its haunted yard. “I was involved with the filming in the enginehouse, and during the investigation, Dirt scared the life out of the investigators when he came out from the shadows,” says Lennox.

As his official “cat wrangler,” Madison was responsible for the majority of the “Dirt & DJ” posts on Instagram/Facebook, as well as preparing him the night before to go to the vet. Even though she didn’t work there long, she and Dirt quickly became buddies. Dirt showed up for a lot of tours over the years, and never missed any of the ones she ran.

“People would only join tours in hopes of seeing him, and I remember one time, I had a group of around 40 to 50 people. We had just hit the enginehouse when he made his appearance. Sometimes he chose to follow for the whole tour, other days he’d stop in the enginehouse or at his caboose.” Well, on this tour, Dirt decided to stay in the enginehouse while Madison continued the tour. “It went from 40 to 50 people to about 15 to 20 people. Talk about stealing the spotlight!” recalls Madison.

Dirt the railroad cat poses with Madison Purinton who is wearing the t-shirt design she drew for gift shop merchandise. “Long Live Shop Boss Dirt!” Lennox Purinton

“He knew exactly how popular he was, and he owned it!” says Madison. “It’s almost like when large groups of people saw him, he turned into a show-off and had such a big head. Then when it was me and him, he was just like any old house cat.”

The Legacy Continues

Two life-size bronze statues of Dirt will be cast. One will be put on his gravestone at his gravesite, and the other will be in the machine shop where he can continue to watch over his fellow crew members. The gravesite is easily accessible to the public for visiting. It’s on a knoll right outside of the East Ely Depot. A livestream memorial service is being planned; date and time are yet to be determined.

The Nevada Northern, as most railroads, has a long history of animals working side by side with their shop employees. From dogs to cats, they have all been loved by the crews, but none have made such a lasting impact as Dirt according to the NNRy’s Facebook post on January 12.

“Dirt’s passing is not the end of his story; it’s just the beginning. In much the same way that Chessie became a lasting symbol of the C&O, Dirt will continue to be a symbol of the NNRy, and his story will continue to be told to the thousands of visitors that will be exploring his former home.” There have already been sightings of Dirt’s ghost, according to Con.

As another official tribute to Dirt, Con had the honor of placing Dirt’s official railroad I.D. card into the archival collection. The card, food bowl, and collar will eventually be on display in the depot. Dirt also holds the honor of being formally listed in the employee roster on their archive site.

In the end, the NNRy saved a stray and gave him a good life. Eric says, “the reality of Dirt is he touched thousands of people’s lives and made them a little better for knowing and following his adventures. He was truly a special cat.”

Burial spot of Dirt outside of depot. He now rests by this tree that will soon have a gravestone and bronze statue added. Con Trumbull

Dirt The Railroad Cat Facts:

Employee Name: Dirt the Cat

Nickname(s): Boss Shop Cat and That darn cat!

Primary Jonb: Shop Cat

Division: Nevada Northern Railway

Years Worked: 2009 to 2023

Born: March 2008

Died: January 10, 2023

Hometown: Ely, Nevada

Favorite Food: Temptations (Seafood Flavored Cat Treats)

Favorite People: Al Gledhill (Master Mechanic), Mike Calchera (Track Crew), and Eric Mencis (Guest Services Manager, aka, Dirt’s Agent)

Favorite Place: Caboose

Likes: Food, People, Attention (Pets), Rolling in Dirt

Dislikes: Super Loud Noises and Dogs

Dirt Also Has His Own Merchandise

Dirt Has a Protege Named D.J. or Dirt Junior

Nevada Northern Railway

— January 11, 2023 | Facebook

It is with a very heavy heart that we report Dirt, our Boss Shop Cat, passed away yesterday. He was 15 years old, and beloved by everyone here at the railroad and around the world.

Here’s Dirt’s story. In the spring of 2008, a little kitten of orange and white fur was found in the engine house by himself. The mother and any other kittens were long gone. The crew at the time would sit for hours each day with cans of tuna and soft cat food, to get the little fur ball to trust them.

When he finally came around to trusting them, Al, the railroad’s Master Mechanic, took him to the vet for a checkup, shots, and eventually he was neutered. It was live and let live. The shop guys did their thing, and the little kitten did his thing. The warmest place in the shop is in the cab of a coal-fired steam locomotive. There is coal dust everywhere. Over time, our little ball of fur started picking up some of the black coal dust, and he was named Dirtbag. As our visitors started discovering the shop’s cat, it was decided to shorten his name to Dirt.

The engine house and machine shop are very dirty, noisy environments. In addition to the locomotives and railroad cars being moved in and out. Repair work goes on all the time. Dirt got very wise, very fast, quickly figuring out where not to be when locomotives and cars were moving, or work was being performed.

He grew into a large rough-and-tough tom cat that ruled the shop and surrounding neighborhood. We saw him playing fetch with gophers and bats. Don't ask us how he got them, he just did. He hated being cleaned up, but loved being a railroader. It was not uncommon to find him rolling around in the dust outside the shop.

The shop knew he was special, and did what they could to protect him. When Angie, our superintendent, went to work in the mechanical department she became one of his caretakers. She became his nemesis, since she took him for his vet visits. She cleaned him as much as she could, which Dirt did NOT like at all. To make amends, she would sneak him turkey dinners on the holidays.

Mike Calchera, our grizzled track guy, got to scratch Dirt’s ears and would make sure he had clean warm beds, it was Al who was his favorite. Al was our master mechanic at the time, had a soft spot for Dirt. Dirt could do no wrong and was given the run of the shop and the engine house.

The arrangement of Dirt doing his thing, while the shop guys did theirs, would have stayed that way, had it not been for the keen eye of photographer extraordinaire, Steve Crise. It was during the 2018 winter photo shoot; Steve was walking through the machine shop. He happened to notice Dirt, sitting regally, in front of locomotive 40. He laid down on the machine shop floor with his camera, and grabbed the shot with Dirt posing the whole time.

It was a great photo, but there are thousands of great photos out there. What Dirt needed was a publicist, enter Eric Mencis, who was our Guest Services Manager at the time. Eric posted Steve’s photo on our Facebook page and the rest, they say, is history!

Who knew that a semi-feral cat, living at a National Historic Landmark Railroad, in the middle of the “Big Empty” of Nevada, would become so famous? We sure didn’t, but boy howdy did Dirt become famous! Google “Dirt the Nevada Northern Cat,” and stories, videos and articles pop up. Dirt has been featured in the Washington Post, Trains Magazine, and newspapers in Europe, not to mention the thousands of individual posts of our visitors that got to take his picture.

All this publicity brought people to Ely to see him, many traveling hundreds, if not thousands of miles. This stunned the staff and volunteers. After all, Dirt was just Dirt, right? Nope! Dirt was a media and social media sensation, and Dirt knew it!

As part of the experience at the Nevada Northern Railway, we offer scheduled guided tours of the machine shop and engine house. Dirt knew the schedule. He would hide away all morning long, but let the 2:30 pm tour come into the machine shop, and Dirt was there to greet them. When the tour was over, Dirt would wander off to one of his many hidey-holes until the next tour.

Dirt has fans that love him from all over the world. But we few at the Nevada Northern Railway Museum are the lucky ones. We got to love him in person. As he aged, we found a vet that loved him as much as we did. Dirt also received more care takers including Jasmine, who would be his last. He never missed a meal, or a head scratch. As he aged and slowed down, he learned to love watching shows on our phones while he was sitting in our laps. After the show, he would leave streaks of dirt on the pants of his visitors, or drool on their boots.

Dirt was one-of-kind. He was the Boss Shop Cat at the Nevada Northern Railway. Con, our Trainmaster, selected a spot on the grounds in between the Depot, and the Freight Depot in the shade of a pine to serve as his final resting place. His burial site is opposite where all our excursion trains’ locomotives sit prior to departure, and it gives a view of the yard, that in addition to the shop, was Dirt’s domain.

But be forewarned, if you’re visiting the Nevada Northern Railway Museum and you’re admiring one of our steam locomotives just prior to departure, don’t be surprised, if, out of the corner of your eye, you see a lanky old guy, holding an orange and gray cat, looking over the locomotive. The old guy will be cursing a blue streak at the crew, while the cat just looks on knowingly. If you turn to confront them, they will have disappeared. But don’t fret, that was just Al and Dirt checking out the locomotive, making sure that everything is running smoothly. After all, they don’t call us the Ghost Train of Old Ely for nothing.

We are all saddened with the passing of Dirt. He will be missed. The machine shop and engine house won’t feel the same without him. His last days were spent with the crew that loved him best. Gathering around, our crew laid him to rest while a Nevada snowstorm blew through. They shared their memories and thanked him for his service. Knowing that they were laying to rest one of their own, a part of the Nevada Northern Railway family. They will all tell you, this was one of the hardest things they have done here.

To commemorate Dirt, we will be having two life size bronzes cast of Dirt. One will serve as his gravestone, the other will be placed in the machine shop, so Dirt can continue watching over the shop. As details become available on the bronzes, we’ll keep you posted.

And don’t forget, Dirt was teaching his protégé DJ, Dirt Junior, the ins and outs of being the Boss Shop Cat. We knew this day was coming, DJ now has big paws to fill.

We will be posting stories on Dirt, and his time at the railroad in the coming days and weeks. Please feel free to post your stories in the comments for all to read.

Sincerely,

The Nevada Northern Railway Crew

Mark, Joan, Angie, Charish, John Henry, Lennox, Josh, Nick, Carlos, Mike Hughes, Con, Mike Hejny, Kurt, Gary, Ron, Bill, Kelvin, Kemper, Ellie, Jasmine, Kat, Jim, Roger, Will, Brian, Zech, Derek, and Michael Green.

— Sunday September 29, 2024

#Trains Magazine #Railroads & Locomotives #Nevada Northern Railway #Rail Cat 🐈#Dirt The Cat 🐈#Stray Feline #Railroad Shop #Railroad Shop Workers #World-Famous Cat 🐈

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