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!
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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 memories of New England various,
Were by and large vicarious…
Mostly pictures he saw
with interest and awe,
His chances of a visit–hilarious!
–
Point of fact he was too young,
Couldn’t drive himself even some…
The eight-hour ride
Once a summer left wide,
Window for relevant magazines to come!
–
Still his interest grew,
Past the time when he knew…
This paint scheme was gone,
these ALCOs moved on.
But the history he wanted to view.
–
Found an N scale engine thus,
Painted just like this—a plus–
To re-enact
Historical fact,
Without too much fuss!
–
–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?
–
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
A re-engine Baldwin’s a “BEEP,”
And this is a one-trucked GEEP…
Inventive play
May even pay,
The price of these aren’t too steep!
–
It probably is O scale,
I think I’ve seen them on sale…
Familiar but not
Prototypical, yet
A whimsical engine they’ve nailed!
–
Don’t think this poet is stuck,
Some switch engines DO USE ONE TRUCK…
One recently
Used on off an “S.D”*
Getting two engines on a six-wheeled truck!
–
–Jonathan Caswell
Several manufacturers make these…! *An “S.D.”, which stands for Special Duty,
is a heavy-pulling diesel engine with six wheels in each truck
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!
–
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
A model painted “Susquehanna”
Ran south, toward Havana…
Stubbed a toe
flipped into the snow,
The icy rail joint got hammered!
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The model–a “C-430”,
From ALCO was very dirty…
Handrails bent
As over it went,
It looked like it was hurting!
–
There wasn’t another for sale,
Either fix this one up or bail…
Old enough to scrap–
Recycle parts back,
And rare to find in N scale!
–
–Jonathan Caswell
Photo is of a REAL train,engine, rolled over…I believe near Marathon, NY. Google Image.
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! 😀
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–Jonathan Caswell
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!
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–Jonathan Caswell
By the Mighty Mumford 