WHY HE DOESN’T FIRE STEAMERS ANYMORE!
He worked at a train museum,
Where folks could come and see him…
‘Twas all volunteer
For many a year,
They’d come special days and he’d treat them.
–
The museum had an 0-4-0T,
They fired up especially…
One summer to run
Back and forth in the sun,
It filled all the train fans with glee.
–
In order to run Number Twelve,
Each fan had a chance to delve…
Into its operation
And get the sensation
Of running a steam loco well.
–
They started to stoke the fire-box,
The coal by shoveling blocks…
Of coal through the door
And not on the floor,
Of the loco, without missing spots.
–
Others took turns as engineer,
To blow the steam whistle to hear…
Most guys liked to fire
In July, perspire,
The best fun they’d had that year.
–
Until our hero took over,
He spilled coal shovelfuls on the floor…
The firebox got
Too much to be hot,
His coordination was poor!
–
Generosity among friends,
Makes up for one’s short ends…
The guys agreed
That he’d run the steed,
To whit, the iron horse to defend!
–
They showed me the Johnson bar,
The throttle (we couldn’t go far)…
How to “lap” the brake
And for safety’s sake,
How to run without shaking train cars.
–
Me and Number Twelve got on fine,
Going up and down the line…
A couple hundred feet
Back and forth to complete,
But as fireman I had to resign!
–Jonathan Caswell
(Photo of #12, taken at the TIOGA TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM, at Flemingville, NY, where I volunteered many moons!)
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By the Mighty Mumford 