Stream of Consciousness Saturday – The Spare Room Office and Railroad Empire

The Spare Room Office and Railroad Empire

After raking leaves, I decided to have a final and late mug of coffee. My mistake was coming upstairs and into the office. To my right sat the model railroad layout. It is an eight-by-four-footer, with a wing for the harbor and an interchange south to Boston. On the distant end, I cheated the length by three inches to give me an interchange northbound to Bangor. The whole thing is called the Passmygaskeag & Northern RR.
It is the darling of the cats. Two crocheted “beddies” protect the track in spots where the darlings can lay down. They love to watch me work on the computer.

My Model railroads have always been the darlings of the cats. Xenia, the Warrior Princess, loved to play Catzilla on it. My large grey Cat, Clancy Bumps (AKA the Grey Menace), had it named after him. In those days, it was the BUMP&S – the Boston Under My Paw & Seatle RR).

But today, I realized that after the leaves were done, I would have a major job on my hands. I’ll have to make sure that it is working for holiday visitors.

My grandson would be eager to see the trains run. He’ll watch them go from one end to the other and around the loop. As they passed, the cats would chase the caboose. The random adult visitors would ask how much the darn thing cost.

What about the utility of the entire thing? I point out the shelves of books, the functioning office workspace, and the large amount of storage for boxes underneath the layout. It was once an unfinished storeroom. I insulated it, put it in the ceiling and wallboard, and turned it from the house’s coldest room to one of the most comfortable. Instead of just storage, it now serves multiple uses. It also keeps me out of trouble.

So, right around Thanksgiving, it’s a tight fit in here. Two cats and a dog begging for food,. Young and old children. And visitors, watching as trains pass Passamygaskeag station northbound to Bangor.

All Aboard!