We’re getting lots of bright yellow trees around here. Very pretty.
Since next Sunday is Nov 1, the Botanic had the season closing and Halloween bash this weekend. Ok, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me either.
Friday night was WET. Larry Tennyson brought his Ghost train, and, surprise, Navin from Aristo-Craft.
Saturday was cool, but a beautiful fall day and the garden was packed all day. It’s traditional on closing weekend to put as many cars as will fit on track 8 without the engine hitting the caboose at the crossing. I put my Mallet down there with 27 cars. Later, it mysteriously stopped. All looked to be on track, so I tried going. Grr–grr–grr… “that’s very odd.” I got a couple diesels to pull this train while I investigated, and when I picked up my Mallet, all 4 front right drivers FELL OFF THE engine! “Maybe I should check these more often.” It took about an hour to put these right.
Later, I had it so the engine missed the caboose by less than 2 inches by adding a 20ft gondola.
A coupler came apart and the engine came around and smashed into the caboose. The impact busted the 20footer so it wasn’t that close any more.
Sunday was again a beautiful day, but the gremlins had gotten loose. I had my mallet in its traditional Sunday Afternoon location, when Larry came to set up his ghost train. He was fetching the cars and lining them up by the fence while I was watching the kids. The mob wasn’t being bad, but was getting closer than Larry was comfortable. Oops, got to go fix the UP. Oops. Got to go fix the UP. Ooops, the UP again? CRASH! My mallet fell off the track onto the gravel. Ow. Larry wanted the track fixed before he put his Mallet on. Dave shimmed it up where it had gotten a bit sloped.
Once we got the ghost train happily running, I was walking along, wondering if I should set mine on the #4 track. Crunch, Bash, Crash. Oh! The F units on #4 are plowing the cars off the track! A coupler had broken, naturally, the one behind the engines. While I was fixing that, the Super Chief stopped. A coupler on #4 had broken.
“Why isn’t Thomas running?” Hmm. I don’t know. I don’t find any reason for Thomas not to be going. Now he’s running.
I put my Mallet on #4, where it ran without incident till closing time.
The garden was completely packed with guests all afternoon and it was a beautiful fall day.
Photos? Did I mention the gremlins were loose?
