Re: Your Best Bob Richardson Memory or Story

I first met Bob at the Colorado Railroad Museum when I was a wet-behind-the-ears kid. That was in the mid-60's. He was one of the people who truly made me fall in love with the narrow-gauge, both through his photographs and his stories.
My favorite story about Bob was the fact that, in addition to loving the narrow gauge, he really liked cats. The cat that I remember specifically was "K. Itty." He (and I'm really not sure if K. Itty was male or female) was a familiar sight for years around the Museum, sleeping wherever cats like to sleep--on exhibits, in chairs, on counters. Undoubtedly, K. Itty was petted by thousands of museum visitors over his years there. Bob had two "official" stories about K. Itty. One was that the cat was a good "mouser" around the Museum (mice like to eat book paper, etc.) The other was that K. Itty was often credited with photographs appearing in the "Iron Horse News." Bob commented that K. Itty could get access to certain areas in railroad yards, etc. that "normal photographers" could not access. At any rate, there were frequent photos in the Iron Horse News with the credit line, "Photo by K. Itty."
There were other cats that followed K. Itty as the Museum "mascot" over the years. I miss the cats at the CRRM because they always embodied the era when Bob was there.
I had not posted until now about Bob Richardson. He probably did more for the preservation of Colorado railroad history than any other single individual. But beyond that he was just a truly decent man who touched many lives over the years. God Bless You, Bob.