Talk about Lone Wolf
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2022 7:44 am
It’s that time of year again to peek in on the “street” and record some more reference here at chaski.
I’ve been working on my attitude and note it remains the same as when I was 14-years-old.
Or maybe it should read that I’m as happy now, as I seem to remember when I was 14.
Among the list of 23 projects I’m refurbishing, and a few new ones, I’ve managed to cross off 5 so far.
It’s said that you’re never done with a railroad. There’s always something else to build.
In my particular situation, I’m not so much the builder, but the maintainer. Yes, I built a miniature railroad wrecking crane,
and for a brief time offered a product to the public, but none of that seems as impressive to me as what I experienced this fall.
I’ve managed to witness my grandchildren operate their Great, Great, Grandfather’s miniature railroad.
How many folks out there can claim such a milestone?
Another haunting aspect to all of this is realizing my little ole miniature railroad is approaching a point in its history where it
will surpass its prototype reference. The line known as Henry Ford’s railroad operated as the DT&I from 1905 to 1980.
One could argue a tad with time references and dates, but basically from 1946 to today ads up to 75 years.
I guess the other novel thing I’m so tickled with, and I know my grandmother would get a kick out of this fact.
The railroad finally ships a real commodity to the street. And when the train is not running, the public still gets the inventory status
of the roadside egg stand via a three-color-light ground signal installed near the end of the mainline.
Red indicating No Eggs today… and the other colors denoting eggs are available in the stand.
One of my neighbors stopping to buy eggs was holding a dozen in his palm as we were chatting.
I asked him, have you ever purchased eggs that were shipped by rail to their point-of-sale before?
He looked down at his palm holding the dozen eggs and looked back over his shoulder at the end of the railroad track snickering,
“No I can’t say I ever have… until now.”
The list of 23 maintenance projects keeps a person more than busy. Is there something else I’m supposed to be doing?
Well, one needs to maintain their health too. I’m striving not to neglect that.
The workshop bench top is cleared off this month for some American Flyer Lines action.
It does pull the grand-kids away from their electronic tablets for a little while.
Last year while the vintage stuff was set up, one of my granddaughters ran engine 342 though a turnout that was not set correctly causing the locomotive to derail setting off sparks and residual smoke. She looked at me exclaiming, “Was that fire?”
I like these words from the Editor-in-Chief in this month’s issue of Railway Age.
“Railroads of all sizes will always be associated with the Holiday Season. It’s a grand tradition.”
And so this brief update comes to a close… but the passion remains on fire.
I’m not a lone wolf. I’m a Miniature Railroad Maintainer.
John
https://www.youtube.com/user/AtkinsonRailroad/videos
I’ve been working on my attitude and note it remains the same as when I was 14-years-old.
Or maybe it should read that I’m as happy now, as I seem to remember when I was 14.
Among the list of 23 projects I’m refurbishing, and a few new ones, I’ve managed to cross off 5 so far.
It’s said that you’re never done with a railroad. There’s always something else to build.
In my particular situation, I’m not so much the builder, but the maintainer. Yes, I built a miniature railroad wrecking crane,
and for a brief time offered a product to the public, but none of that seems as impressive to me as what I experienced this fall.
I’ve managed to witness my grandchildren operate their Great, Great, Grandfather’s miniature railroad.
How many folks out there can claim such a milestone?
Another haunting aspect to all of this is realizing my little ole miniature railroad is approaching a point in its history where it
will surpass its prototype reference. The line known as Henry Ford’s railroad operated as the DT&I from 1905 to 1980.
One could argue a tad with time references and dates, but basically from 1946 to today ads up to 75 years.
I guess the other novel thing I’m so tickled with, and I know my grandmother would get a kick out of this fact.
The railroad finally ships a real commodity to the street. And when the train is not running, the public still gets the inventory status
of the roadside egg stand via a three-color-light ground signal installed near the end of the mainline.
Red indicating No Eggs today… and the other colors denoting eggs are available in the stand.
One of my neighbors stopping to buy eggs was holding a dozen in his palm as we were chatting.
I asked him, have you ever purchased eggs that were shipped by rail to their point-of-sale before?
He looked down at his palm holding the dozen eggs and looked back over his shoulder at the end of the railroad track snickering,
“No I can’t say I ever have… until now.”
The list of 23 maintenance projects keeps a person more than busy. Is there something else I’m supposed to be doing?
Well, one needs to maintain their health too. I’m striving not to neglect that.
The workshop bench top is cleared off this month for some American Flyer Lines action.
It does pull the grand-kids away from their electronic tablets for a little while.
Last year while the vintage stuff was set up, one of my granddaughters ran engine 342 though a turnout that was not set correctly causing the locomotive to derail setting off sparks and residual smoke. She looked at me exclaiming, “Was that fire?”
I like these words from the Editor-in-Chief in this month’s issue of Railway Age.
“Railroads of all sizes will always be associated with the Holiday Season. It’s a grand tradition.”
And so this brief update comes to a close… but the passion remains on fire.
I’m not a lone wolf. I’m a Miniature Railroad Maintainer.
John
https://www.youtube.com/user/AtkinsonRailroad/videos