A CHANGE OF TRACK

 

Not really, it’s been re-arranged,

Frustrated with it all the same…

He put in a junction

Two legs of which function,

The third’ll be staged before the game.

–

His model railroad rarely ran,

For him it was getting bland…

He had to rethink

How in a blink

Or two, it could be exciting again!

–

Among other things, his main line,

Had a switch that was hidden all the time…

With no way to see

If a train adequately

Cleared the switch when relined.*

–

He gave up his “lapped sidings”**

Bringing to the front glad tidings…

Doing the possible,

Lessening causable

Derailments by train tracks in hiding!

–

Went back to an “older” design,

With attached industrial line…

Only one run-a-round

Was enough for a sound

Arrangement that was worth his time.

–

If only he could draw the plan,

To show you his idea grand…

When he gave up the thought

Of semi-quasi-caught,

Realization of his flash in the pan.

 

–Jonathan Caswell

(A picture I hadn’t seen before of the narrow gauge system at the WHITIN MACHINE WORKS…the inspiration of the original plan, but done in standard gauge, modern times…with too many influences involved!!!!)

NOTES:

* a relined switch is when the track point rails are moved to their original position so trains can run in the normal direction, back and forth, through it.

** lapped sidings are two runarounds made by a track crossover in the middle of a much longer run-around siding…making it easier for a train locomotive to run around (switch ends of the train) a shorter train, than having to travel a long way wasting time and fuel, and tying up the entire long siding so other trains can’t use it.