MODELING MEMORIES

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

 

HIGHER SPEED RAIL

HIGHER SPEED RAIL

(To  tune of “THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS”)

–

Been working on the N scale

Whenever I’ve found time,

Rebuilding older trackage

So electrics will work fine…

Putting in curved turnouts

Simulating former speed,

My truncated mainline

Once hosted iron steeds!

–

The story goes that this was once

A high-speed mainline,

Alas, this part of the railroad is

In serious decline…

A few banked curves remain to

Remind us what once was,

The rest of the roadbed

Like that economy, went bust.

–

But renewing hope is out there

My imaginary line,

Hosts a  tourist train

Which looks like it does fine…

A collection of Rail Diesel Cars–

Steam engines have a few–

An array of passenger train cars,

Restoration still to do!

–

When rebuilding’s finished

(It’s going to run this time),

They’ll have a ceremony

So get yourself in line…

Cooking for a grand shindig

The restaurants in town,

Will serve the finest dishes

With MOXIE passed around!

They’ll serve their finest cuisine

So chug that MOXIE down!!!!

–

–Jonathan Caswell

–

MEMORIES IN THE MAIL

MEMORIES IN THE MAIL
–
A Lehigh Valley RS-3
Arrived in the mail…
N scale and weathered,
It brought back a memory trail.
–

Of my college days
And of a certain friend…
Stubborn branchline trains
That were run until the end.
–
David Fairbanks was
The church organist I knew….
Introduced by the Youth Pastor
We found the other liked trains, too!
–

The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
Was Dvid’s forte’…
Plus the Lehigh Valley
Ran through Cortland (NY), by the way.
–
David, old as my Dad, or more
Was into D,L & W steam…
Which he photographed fron youth’
For me a pleasant dream.
–

He took pictures of “those diesels”
But a foamer he’d always be…
Which was perhaps an acquired taste
For such as young as me!

–
Still he shared his bounty
With a young diesel man like me…
Copies of his pictures
And of others he’d give gladly
–
He had an “O-27” layout
In his basement down the stairs…
After admiring and running it
We came up to sample fresh eclairs.
–

He was a tidy man who never married,
Taught piano on the side for change…
If he had a lesson scheduled
My visiting time rearranged.
–
Last time I was up his way
David Fairbanks was gone…
But thanks to a local society
His history will live on.
–

He’ll be playing the organ for his Lord
For perpetuity…
And I suspect when I get there
He’ll remember me.

–Jonathan Caswell