Bob's Burgers Dog Names

While there may be other “Bob” dogs throughout the world, few seem to be as well-known and held in such high regard as Bob the Railway Dog. In fact, he’s so well-known that he is considered to be a part of South Australian Railways folklore, a nearly mythical figure with a wanderlust so great it’s no surprise that he was heralded by railway workers and vagabonds alike. 

Bob’s history is a bit of a mystery, as record-keeping of the time wasn’t particularly well-developed nor well-kept, let alone ones detailing the chronicles of a vagrant dog, but from what is known, his story is certainly interesting. 

It is believed that the German Coolie/Smithfield mix was born in 1878 and even before maturing, had for some reason developed a love for railway life. Before turning a year old, he was said to have followed some of the engineers to the line, brought in by the whistles and noises of the passing trains, and had to be returned to his owner, the proprietor of the Macclesfield Hotel, several times before he finally disappeared on his own. 

Believed to be picked up as a stray in Adelaide, he was originally used as a working dog to help exterminate rabbits near the city of Carrieton but eventually made his way to Port Augusta where he was picked out by Special Guard William Seth Ferry and properly registered in September of 1884. 

By the time Ferry was promoted to Assistant Station Master, Bob was already accustomed to traveling by train and seemed to enjoy it quite thoroughly. It was said that his favorite place to sit was in the locomotive with the furious huff of the smokestack and the whine of the giant whistle. When the cramped cabs of the suburban locomotives did not provide him enough space, he was said to clear out a third class compartment for his sole use by barking the passengers aboard into submission, forcing them to leave so he could enjoy his space — though he was well-noted for being friendly even during the process, despite how he was sometimes perceived.

He rode for many thousands of miles this way and even learned to jump to and from moving cars to get on and off the trains he rode (though there were a few notable accidents throughout his history). In time, he became well-known and popular with rail workers throughout the country, who were happy to provide him a meal, a ride, or a place to sleep when he inevitably showed up. Articles and poems were written about him and he was even bestowed a custom collar engraved with the phrase “Stop me not, but let me jog, for I am Bob, the driver’s dog.” 

His train-hopping was said to go on for nearly 14 years before he finally settled down in Adelaide, frequenting the local butcher shop for meals before eventually passing away at the ripe old age of 17. Since his death, the “king of the outcasts” has been memorialized in song, written accounts, biographies and even a children’s book, along with several statues that stand in his honor in Peterborough.