Back home I used to think I was into model railroading. In reality, my late father made a half-assed attempt at HO scale model railroading for some reason, and it affected me pretty much ever since. In dream; in nightmares. But, that’s pretty much how it always goes here in Darkgarden.
With the absolute fear of the upcoming winter, I’ve been scrambling for something to pass my time with. Something enjoyable, clean, succinct in application, and ,if nothing else, distracting.
I did some work on a local burglary of O scale model railroad cars and engines. Delving back into that world brought an amount of nostalgia; along with the aggravation of another felony probe. Like a drug, it seemed to seep back into my system.
So, what to do next. I got a subscription to Model Railroader (just like my father got back in the 70’s), and planned on visiting railroads around the area for inspiration. I noticed that in model railroading, you can agonize over the most minute detail as long as you want, and it will always just go to improve what you’re working on. This furthered my quest into delving back into a hobby that brings me memories as fond as possible from back in the day.
I’ll shoot you one now, though probably only my family would understand the finer details: Boring Saturday, and I go back downstairs to work on the LeWitt Bog addition. I’m not sure where pa is, but things are good anyway. I put Grand Funk Railroad, Survival on the record player and set to work. Grand Funk would be replaced by The New New Christy Minstrels album, and then I would usually put Grand Funk Survival back on. These two albums would be repeated over and over throughout the day-into-night. These were the fondest memories of model railroading for me.
The Le Witt Bog was never completed. People died, people moved on. It remained incomplete at the time everything was disassembled. It had been my first experiment with ground foam too. I recall a single spur that ran through the bog, but I’m not even sure if I ever had an engine traverse the line.
The original title of this entry was The Ghosts Of Cass Railroad, but I’m now changing the title. Just like the wind, when I write, shit sometimes swings around in another crazy direction, just as here. Then every now and then I start writing guttural shit that’s just hanging around in me… I’m guessing that’s what this is. We’ll see if it goes to blog, or just joins the rest of the misfits in my Unfinished Works section. Some mutha’fucka may make some money of my Unfinished Works shit, if anyone ever finds it.
Anyway, I’ve changed it to the Ghosts Of Le Witt Bog. It seems more appropriate now. I was going to describe to you a day I spent at Cass Railroad recently; my observations, thoughts and beliefs. Somehow, shit went south about the same time my fingers started dancing across these keys.
Now one could think that I failed in completing the Le Witt Bog expansion. I guess in specific terms I did fail. It was never completed, and I had no idea HOW to finish the fucking thing. I had a side spur with some fucking ground foam, and no fucking idea where to go from there.
We could take a look at the layout beside the Le Witt Bog section. There was a 4X8 section of some erratic shit going on, along with a poor turntable area, attached to another 4X8 section that included a mainline and a switch off into some area that I’m guessing was supposed to be a town. This area never came close to being finished either.
The layout remained destitute. No one rejoiced in any town. No train ever gave a triumphant steam whistle blast. No one ever shot the shit at some local general store; no switchman was ever seen waiting patiently. 
Oh if Art (Johnboy) was in for the weekend, you might see some minor cheer as perhaps General Lee and British soldiers were pulled around the mainline on a flatcar, but that’s all.
The layout remained cold from beginning to end. Grand Funk Railroad Survival and The New New Christy Minstrels being played over and over while I … While I what? I spent days down there. I don’t know what the fuck was going on, but I was down there, listening to the music repeat over and over; comforting; working on the Le Witt Bog… that was never finished.
My last thoughts now are remnants of the layout, pulled apart, and leaning against a cement basement wall. The house is empty and I sit on our fireplace hearth one last time, getting ready to leave for good.
It’s over. Time to go. The ghosts of Le Witt Bog; the ghosts of Jordan Drive! Are no more because we’re leaving.
No more ghosts, right?
They can stop visiting at any time.
Perhaps soon, I will log on again some time, and tell you the tale of my visit to another land of the dead… The Land of Cass Railroad!!! WOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
HAA!!! IT’S HALOWEEN MONTH AT DARKGARDEN!!!! COME ONE COME ALL!!!! BUT ONLY BRING YOUR DEEPEST, DARKEST, PERSONAL SHIT… OR DON’T COME AT ALL, BABY!!!
NOW! Go away! And don’t you dare look back!
