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standard_gauge
Dr Beeching
Joined: Apr 13, 2004
Last Visited: Oct 26, 2008
Location: Outside the toilet, waiting for Della Bosca to come out !!
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PalmerEldritch
Say goodnight to the bad guy
Joined: Jun 16, 2004
Last Visited: Oct 27, 2008
Location: Princes Park, Carlton
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Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 10:49 am
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Found at: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080422TDY03101.htm
| Quote: | Dutiful feline stationmaster gets own office
The Yomiuri Shimbun
WAKAYAMA--Tama, a calico cat that was appointed last year as stationmaster of Kishi Station in Kinokawa, Wakayama Prefecture, was given a comfortable new office on Sunday.
Tama won nationwide popularity with the publication of a book of photos featuring her and intensive media coverage after she was appointed in 2007 as stationmaster of the unmanned station on Wakayama Electric Railway's Kishigawa Line, which runs between cities of Wakayama and Kinokawa.
As a result, the number of passengers using the Kishigawa Line increased dramatically.
The railway company recognized the "efforts" of the 8-year-old cat and promoted the cat to division chief-level in January.
The company also expressed its appreciation of the cat's role in drumming up business by transforming a ticket window into the stationmaster's office.
In her 1.8-square-meter office equipped with a ventilation fan and a toilet, Tama looked relaxed and satisfied.
(Apr. 22, 2008) |
Watch out for the mighty Blues in 2008, with Judd, Stevens, Kreuzer, Cloke and Aisake
Ó hAilpín to join Fevola, Gibbs, Murphy, Carrazzo, Scotland, Fischer, Waite, Setanta
Ó hAilpín, Houlihan, Walker, Simpson, Betts and co!
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PalmerEldritch
Say goodnight to the bad guy
Joined: Jun 16, 2004
Last Visited: Oct 27, 2008
Location: Princes Park, Carlton
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Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 6:54 pm
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Now it's raining stationmaster cats and dogs.....
Found at: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20081011TDY15003.htm
| Quote: | IWATE / Maron lends a helping paw as honorary stationmaster
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Honorary stationmaster Maron, with his owner Yoko Motoki, left, greets a commuter at Oku-Nakayama Kogen Station.
Maron may be one of the most popular stationmasters in Japan, even though he only has honorary status. Commuters often make special trips to meet him, but instead of shaking hands, he may lift a paw and bark.
The 8-year-old Yorkshire terrier is honorary stationmaster of Oku-Nakayama Kogen Station operated by Iwate Galaxy Railway Co., in Ichinohemachi, Iwate Prefecture. He even wears a replica of a real stationmaster's uniform.
The dog belongs to Yoko Motoki, 65, who works at the station. "I'm happy to see the smiling faces of the commuters," the proud owner said in reference to the people who make a fuss over Maron.
A typical day for Maron starts at 6:30 a.m., before the arrival of the first train. Besides welcoming the day's first commuters at the ticket gates, Maron will strike a pose with the help of his owner's hand and salute the train driver, as if to wish the driver a safe journey for the day.
He will instinctively bark to alert Motoki when he senses people are coming to the station. The canine stationmaster also considers it his duty to patrol the station and its surroundings.
In November 1999, before the launch of the semipublic railway, Motoki worked at JR Oku-Nakayama Station, the predecessor to Oku-Nakayama Kogen Station. She said she always wanted to be with Maron, even at work. Therefore, in the following year, she started bringing her pet to the station.
The dog soon became the station's main attraction. In June this year, Takashi Terui, the president of IGR, learned about the dog and decided to appoint Maron as the station's honorary stationmaster. He even ordered the specially made uniform--the same navy blue uniform worn by a stationmaster--to be given to the new appointee.
News about this special appointment spread quickly and an average of 20 people reportedly come specially to see Maron every day. Some even come from as far away as Hokkaido and Osaka Prefecture. IGR, which is facing operational difficulties, sees this move as an excellent way to attract commuters. There were even people who said they would never tire of seeing Maron, some of them staying at the station for as long as two hours admiring the dog.
Akiko Yoshiyachi, 59, a farmer from Iwatemachi, Iwate Prefecture, who uses the station when she visits a hospital, said, "Whenever I get off the train at the station, I become cheerful when he runs up to me."
On Aug. 19, Maron's birthday, commuters gave him presents such as dog food. Some people even sent congratulatory telegrams. Because of the dog's popularity, IGR has produced Maron-themed cellular phone straps and even uploaded pictures of Maron on the dog's days off. Its profile can be found on the company's Web site (www.igr.jp/).
(Oct. 11, 2008) |
Watch out for the mighty Blues in 2008, with Judd, Stevens, Kreuzer, Cloke and Aisake
Ó hAilpín to join Fevola, Gibbs, Murphy, Carrazzo, Scotland, Fischer, Waite, Setanta
Ó hAilpín, Houlihan, Walker, Simpson, Betts and co!
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