His N scale model railway,
Unfinished to this day…
Is labeled P.C.
Not politically,
But “Procrastination Central”, he’d say!
–
So much on it still to do,
Each project is almost half-through…
Keeps changing direction
On theme selection,
Rearranging things as if on cue
–
HE THINKS…he’s nailed it down,
His scrap plastic pile’s quite a mound…
Rough kitbashing
Some parts go missing,
On which he won’t expound!
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–Jonathan Caswell
woe betide them that try
to se in stone what needs more time…
My turn table lost?*
without further cost?
Then I looked near bed time!
–
I thought I’d lost my lead
To that tyrn table, but indeed…
A curve could be made
With large enough radius laid,
To satisfy the using of steam.
–
A switch I’d previously cut in,
To one engine stall could run…
The other could Branch
From the turn table switch–
My space problem was overcome!
–
Envisioning a massive water wheel,
Fed by a sluice pipe has appeal…
This motorized–
Already planned (what a surprise?),
For which the tourists would positively SQUEAL!
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And then, the bridge over a mill dam flood—
If I wanted, a covered bridge wouldn’t take TOO MUCH blood…!
Just for light tourist trains–
Steel reinforced all the same–
An occasional short freight could be good!
-0
I wish I could draw all this now,
All it took was time to see how…
Possibilities arise
by opening one’s eyes,Imagination plus a day’s-worth of wrinkled brow!
–
–Jonathan Caswell
*NOTE–Refer back to the post..ECONOMIC CHOICES IN MINIATURE…posted yesterday~!
His layout was headed West,
Now North-South orientation suggests…
An interchange done
In North Grafton,
But not if the cardboard resists!*
–
Re-arranging the room,
For inspection lighted his gloom…
Found his hand drill
Punched through at will,
A fiddle yard north will do!++
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Pretending it’s North Grafton Yard,
The GRAFTON and UPTON rail yard…
Washington Mills**
Functioning still,
attracted this bard!
–
Basically freelanced***
The layout’s influenced…
By several N.E roads
Rail carloads,
The ones that most make sense.
–
-Jonathan Caswell
*See EXIT STAGE LEFT–NOT STAGE RIGHT!
**Washington Mills Abrasives Co. in North Grafton…at one time the sole remaining rail-served industry, beyond a team track!
***Freelanced is a model railroading term, meaning the modeler is taking elements from several railroads to model, without any one or two being dominant.
__++Fiddle yard is a track or tracks to fiddle–move on and off with hands–rail cars and locos being staged or removed from the main visible part of the model train layout.
The Poet’s gone searching again,
For winter scenery then…
GREEN MOUNTAIN’s Alcos—
He’d love to see those—
His favorite engine!
–
ALCO RS-1’s in the cold,
Working with heart although old…
Giving class
To a road short of cash,
That railroad’s survival they’re owed!
–
–Jonathan Caswell
The train ’round our tree survives,
It must own several lives…
train tracks glued down
won’t shift around,
But the trains do go flying–surprise!
–
Being careful my wife and I,
Have avoided seeing the train fly…
It at times left the rails
So far my steamer fails,
To run here–I don’t know why?
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Helps that we have no kids,
Nor cats to sit amidst…
Not much room
Nor do our trains zoom,
But they’ve been known to do splits!
–
–Jonathan Caswell
It’s been a long while since I viewed
Anything on You Tube…
Went there tonight
A positive delight,
It remembered my preferences viewed!
–
Jonathan Caswell
More hair-raising every year,
At least to this older guy…
Twenty-five miles
Of various trials,
He prays every trip and here’s why.
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Summertime heavy traffic,
Northbound is never static…
Construction zones–
Several tight ones–
Vehicle flow is erratic!
–
Each section needs different skills,
Mostly a matter of wills…
Drive forward hard
Give not a yard,
Take it high speed over hills!
–
He stays in the slow lane,
High speed isn’t his thing…
Gradual loss
For him is his cross,
But happy he is still driving!
–
–Jonathan Caswell
His shirt’s soaked with sweat,
Soldering smoke and yet,
He has had fun
Track wiring half done,
The track plan as complete as it will get!
–
Still running the air purifier,
Don’t need a humidifier…
Plenty of light–
Three lamps shining bright–
His soldering iron on fire!
–
Finalized a couple more spurs
From industry tracks that once were…
Salt shed track
Was modified back,
To a siding with “green growing fur.”
–
It’s nearly one electrical block,
If wanted I could cut sections up…
But just one train
For this tired brain,
Spotting cars to load up!
–
I’m planning the tourist train,
Variety the name of the game…
A simple turn around
The turntable’s sound,
Add a trolley and nothing’s the same.
–
–Jonathan Caswell
The Poet refers to progress on his N scale switching shelf layout..
–
The voice in his head says, “DO IT,”
He’s not sure he’ll get through it…
Layout wiring–
His least favorite thing–
This weekend (maybe) he’ll go to it!
–
More than half the feed wires placed,
And he has willingly faced…
“Plugging” along
(Is a pun so wrong?)…
Then underneath wires are laced.
–
Power supply–nothing new–
A good power pack will do…
One has a short
Is it an abort-?
Maybe two small ones will do!
–
–Jonathan Caswell
A railroad car of the future,
Streamlined–couldn’t be cuter…
Underpowered
And not praise-showered,
But okay for slower commuters!
–
A motorcar upside-down boat,
McKeen cars were of note…
Needing wide curves
Sharp ones caused nerves
To snap as it yawled like a boat.
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Nineteen-oh-five to seventeen,
The finest they were to have been…
Inflexibility
Hampered ability,
To make a big dent on the scene!
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–Jonathan Caswell
By the Mighty Mumford 