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

 

RAIL, NOT NAIL, CLIPPERS

This modeler became chipper,

Receiving a new rail clipper…

Now his joints there

Were reasonably square,

Gandy dancers didn’t snicker.

–

When testing his track found a glitch,

Replaced the oldest train switch…

Threw it away

In the garbage to stay?

New track kept trains from the ditch!

–

Rebuilt the long run-around,

Whose rail joints were now sound…

Good symmetry

From track brands (three-?),

No rail cars hit the ground.

–

Those huge rough-soldered leads,

Of wires to rail have needs…

Alternative means

Or file them down clean,

Then soon we start planting fake weeds!

–

–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

–

JUST ONE TRACK…?

JUST ONE TRACK…?

–

Problems with model train trackage,

Is not apparent on the package…

Different symmetries

Bring one to one’s knees,

With significant “crackage!”

–

Different brands of track

Means one learns a knack…

Of mix and match

With earnest dispatch,

To give the project a whack!

–

Do I cut a little piece clearly

Or replace a whole section nearly…

In order to see

If that works for me,

For replacements I have paid dearly.

–

I’ll run me test trains

To tell if I used my brains…

One electrical short

Blocks good sport,

(At least…can I run  on the mains?)

–

–Jonathan Caswell