WHAT SAYS “NEW ENGLAND” ?

My model layout wanders it seems

Away from cherished themes…

What for you

Says “New England” too,

Beyond operational schemes?

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 Does NISSEN BREAD,

MOXIE, barns red,

SPAGS and stores

With “colonial” decors,

Monuments to Revolutionary dead?

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Dairies and granite quarries

In earlier days held stories…

Ice cream and views

Along the Turnpike count too,

And whaling ship stories!

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Broad “a’s” in speech,

A Kennedy’s reach…

Where Plymouth Rock stays

And Sturbridge Village ways

Are preserved to history teach!

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So for my small train set,

What industries are best…

Beverages and rock salt

Metals, food stuffs sought,

And historic touristy nests?

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Gravel still travels by train,

Lumber and minerals same…

Environmental ire

Has dampened coal fired

Power plants, but garbage still flames!

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A water-powered mill

And museum of trains fit the bill…

For small excursions

Of rich incursions into filling the local till!

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Do you think I’ll have enough room,

I figure some things will die soon…

New England gives

And takes to live,

But survival cannot be assumed!

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–Jonathan Caswell

JUSTIFYING MY “0-6-2”

An N scale “2-6-2”,

The lead set of wheels he blew…

Pictured once

An engine thus,

Converted to an “0-6-2.”

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Most steam engines of this type,

In foreign fields are ripe…

In the U.S.

Mostly tank engines are left,

Them with tenders as hard to find as snipe!

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Some may have come from Birmingham,

Alabama, a modified plan…

No evidence there—

Or up in the air—

The Internet doesn’t do well with “rare”.

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He thinks Indiana coal fields,

Was where a real engine congealed…

Now he cannot find

The photo in mind,

Not finding a prototype, his mind reels!

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Worse yet, he’s lost his model,

Was it sold or just took a toddle…

Somewhere below

All the other stuff so,

His research continues in high throttle!

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–Jonathan Caswell

Google Image of a live steam model of a European designed 0-6-2 + tender,

produced by ROUNDHOUSE, makers of small scale live steam models.

MINIATURE RAILWAYS PLOW SNOW TOO!

On the JOSHUA TREE,

And other riding railroads one can see….

Train running play

Plowing snow away,

As long as there’s no injuries!

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–J.E.C.

ONE LAST RUN…BEFORE THE BLIZZARD???

He knows what the guys go through,

He once helped run steam trains too…

One more run–

A little more fun–

Before the season is through!

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For us, little Number Twelve,*

An oh-four-oh “T” to delve…

Into steam

Locomotion…the dream

Of a lifetime…where we dwelt.

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That EVERETT two-six-oh,

Is a proud steamer we know….

Dimunitive survivor

With dainty drivers,

“Just one more run…before the heavy snow?”

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🙂

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–Jonathan Caswell

*Number Twelve, running back and forth on a siding at the Flemingville, NY , station site.  I stunk as a fireman shoveling coal…so I ran the little engine under supervision of the “old heads”(experienced railroad men).