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!
–
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!
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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 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
I’d bought a 2-8-0 steamer,
“Consolidation-type” in N scale…
I had one train circle running
And delightedly put this engine on rails!
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This BOSTON AND MAINE “2-8-0”
It didn’t travel far…
Before the engine stubbed its toe
And the front wheels went ajar.
–
My careful but quickly laid track
Was not perfectly smooth….
And like it’s prototype,
The engine wheels hit a cross-groove!
–
Rough track is anathema
To models with light pilot wheels…
Even the real ones suffered
From extra tight curve squeals!
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–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.”
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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!
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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..
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Model a coal-fired power plant,
Environmentalist would say I can’t…
But history shows
There plainly were those,
So let those control hungered rant!
–
There are power plant advances,
Some environmentalists won’t take any chances…
That it might work,
And so they knee-jerk,
Against all but their own romances!
–
MY model power plant,
Burns alternative fuels at that…
Efficient scrubbers
Clean air for land lubbers,
Recyclable volumes–giant!
–
An opinion post—meant to be humorous–but some may find it offensive! 😀
–
–Jonathan Caswell
On “Timsvideochannel1”
On the driver’s side filming was done…
Filming seemed a breeze
On the MERDDIN EMRYS,
The camera looked firmly hung!
–
The last train to Porthmadog,
Which turned out quite a log jog…
Narrow gauge rails
Running through Wales,
Even a chasing white dog!
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Walls sprung on one or both sides
Of the narrow strip where the train rides…
Many private crossing paths,
The more frequent used have
A whistle post warning trains fly!
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Sidings both old and well-used,
Giving riders good views…
Of the slate-hauling days
And narrow byways,
That the train softly chuffs through.
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–Jonathan Caswell
The Edgmoor and Manetta Railroad,
Has quite a story told…
Last in Steam–
A seventies dream–
A trestle break caused it to fold!
–
Old number five,
Was lovingly kept alive…
Shoving one way
In tiny display,
The rail fan press thrived!
–
Blankets from the Lando Mill,
South Carolina, drilled…
Two boxcars
Maximum as far
As getting up the hill!
–
Coal and chemicals came,
In to manufacture the same…
Lasted for years–
The mill still clears
Blankets by truck–what a shame!
–
–Jonathan Caswell
Oh give me a home
Where the minstrels roam
And trains are filling each car…
Where coal smoke is fine
Up and down the line
And you’re glad for where you are!
–
Home, Home on the train,
Whether diesel or steam the same…
Electric, too, painted red white and blue
And America isn’t disdained!
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–Jonathan caswell
By the Mighty Mumford 