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Missouri ~ Kansas ~ Texas Railroad 
Denison
Herald
The Denison Herald
December 3, 1972 KATY LEADS RAILROADER'S LIFE AS ADOPTED ROUNDHOUSE POOCH by John Clift Nobody loves the Ray Yards roundhouse any more than Katy. Katy is a mongrel bitch who was found as a pup by a fence in the country with its nearly starved mother by L.C. Henry. And Henry swears that the gaunt, half-starved pup would go to the creek, ay up a mouthful of water and bring it back to its mother. The 17 men who make up the permanent roundhouse crew adopted the pup right from the start. They chipped in e nough to take the pup to a vet and have it innoculated and spayed. That was 18 months ago. Today, Katy rules the roundhouse. Jimmy Skelton can't climb into the bus without Katy tagging along. Everyone packs a little extra n their lunch pails for Katy. Katy can recognize a railraoder in an instant. And just as easily he can spot a bo. "Katy keeps the hobos on the move," said Roundhouse Foreman Bill Talbot. SMELL TEST "I think he can tell by the smell," said John Womack who is in charge of the roundhouse radio department. "When he takes after the hobos, they take off." Katy is as active with the night crew as the day. And if the tan mongrel has any special delights it must be in riding the diesel." "She'll ride the hump engine everywhere." said John R. Myers, lead machinist. "But we've got the word out to all of the crews that they aren't to take Katy out of the yard. As a reslt, at times a diesel crew will radio in that Katy has hitched a ride and they are ready to clear the yard. When that happens, we send Skelton up in the truck after the dog." No one comes near the roundhouse who doesn't belong without first being checked out by Katy. Having Katy around when you're on a night trick is your assurance that no one is going to slip in on you," said Talbot. "Whe the crews come in to the locker room to check in, they often leave their bags there. With Katy around, they know that no hobo is going to slip in and rifle their bags while they are otherwise ocupied with reports," said Talbot. LOVES CHILDREN Katy loves children. When she goes along with Skelton into town, if there are any children around when the truck stops, Katy will jump off and romp around with them. But it is the ease that the little dog gets around on the big diesel engines that delight the roundhouse crew. The steep vertical steps offer no problems to Katy. She climbs up easily and as often as not winds up peering out of the window of the cab. Womack said there probably isn't a locker in the roundhouse that doesn't have a can or 2 of dog food on hand for Katy. "It's a wonder the dog isn't really fat with all of the food that is offered her," he said. SMARTEST VET The roundhouse crew said they've always had a dog or 2 hanging around, but never before a dog like Katy. There isn't a crewmna who works there or works out of the roundhouse who doesn't know Katy. "Katy's the smartest dog I've ever seen," said Myers, "I'll stack her up against the best." Katy's been around now for 18 mnths. She's gotten under the skin of all of the railroaders. "Just look at her and you can tell right away how smart she is," said Talbot. "We've never had a dog here before that didn't have its tail run over and out of the first month or 2 it was here. Katy's been here a year and a half and still has all her tail!: Sunday Morning, December 3, 1972 pg. 2 
all Off - And Katy hops doen nimbly from the diesel after her ride. 
Katy Checks the Block - Katy, the 18-month-old mongrel that has been adopted by the M-K-T Railroad roundhouse crew, peers o ut from the cab of a diesel switch engine. 
Follow the Leader - Lead Machinest John R. Myers walks off the yard engine with Katy tagging along behind. Katy has had her train ride. 
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