It is now The Eve of Christmas Eve [angel], and for several years, we’ve made a place on this Forum for the Posters here to bring us their Favorite Christmas Tale.
My favorite is the “Tale of Shep”. and since it was introduced in this Forum by (Ray) Canadian Pacific 2816: I’ll let him do the introduction!
**"…**I have a story to tell, and in it’s nature it is true, for it happened on the Great Northern Railway in Montana. This is my way of wishing everyone who reads the forums of Trains Magazine a Merry Christmas. I will preface this by saying that my Dad, Ray Loftesness Sr. was a well known radio broadcaster and musicologist who had a career in radio and television which spanned 55 years. In 1938 Dad went on the air at KSOO in Sioux Falls, South Dakota with a Christmas Radio show he called “Holiday Inn” And the story you are about to read is something he told every year over the air during the Christmas season.
Fort Benton is a picturesque town of about 2000 nestled in the bluffs of the looping, Missouri River in north central Montana. There, one day in August 1936 a funeral car bearing the body of a sheep herder arrived at the Great Northern depot.Only one mourner was at hand to see the sheep herder off on his last journey. For behind the funeral car trotted a big, shaggy cross breed, collie dog. As the casket was lifted onto the train, the dog whined pathetically and attempted to follow. The station agent restrained him, and as the train puffed away, the dog stood for a few moment
Thanks for sharing. Wonderful story.
And a Merry Christmas to you and yours Sam! Semper Fi, Marine!
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Got a good reality check today.
Everyone has a bad day once in a while, you know, those days where you could care less about any and everything, catch a good case of the blues, and end up feeling really sorry for yourself?
Had one of those yesterday, and it looked like a repeat for today.
The yard is jammed to the gills with cars, no place to switch them to, more work than we could ever get done, knee deep in gators…that along with some personal issues keeping me down in the dumps, having a real good pity party for myself…
Great story Ed, as always. Thanks for posting it again!
“+1” One of the best pieces of writing around - and being observant, and doing the right thing, by everyone - on several different levels. Lots of Dads and grown-up sons - and maybe some Moms and daughters, too - could use the benefit of that acquired wisdom and should see it, even if they’re not railfans.
The New York Times, January 14, 1942
TRAIN KILLS FAITHFUL DOG
Daily Waits at Montana Depot for Dead Master, End
Fort Benton, Mont., Jan. 13 (U.P.) – Trainmen on the Great Northern Railroad today mourned the death of “Faithful Shep” and talked of building a monument to him.
Shep, a shepherd dog, began meeting trains at the Fort Benton depot in the Fall of 1936 after his master, a sheepherder with whom he had kept many lonely vigils, died. The herdsman’s body was shipped away on a train, and Shep kept returning daily to meet trains which he thought some day might bring back his master.
The dog greeted passenger trains four times daily, but ignored the freights. Shep became the pet of railroad men and trainmen pointed him out to thousands of passengers.
Yesterday Shep, less alert and agile than he once had been, lay between the rails near the station and gnawed a bone. He failed to hear a train and was killed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AvQYSHHz9w&t=24s</