Southern Indiana Railroad
The Ballad of Ken Pettit
Lyrics by Duke Green
Sung to the tune of "Dark as a Dungeon" by Merle Travis
Come gather round people and I'll tell you a tale
about trying times on the Southern Indiana Rail Road
where we train drivers were pleading "Support Us"
Calmly Ken Pettit said "you need a Tortoise"
The session is over and us drivers go home
Ken Pettit remained to ponder alone
He studied the tracks, the turnouts, the wires
And sadly realized he would never retire
Chorus
So under the dark damp layout he went
Where every darn staple left his head with a dent
He put some green boxes up under the rails
In an effort to ease the drivers' travails
A month has gone by, Ken's head has improved
Drivers returned, some trains even moved
We barely noticed the additional help
Then we did what we do best, that is to yelp
We're still having trouble, what is to be done
We're having to think, which means not having fun
It has to be different and for this we plead
Thoughtful Ken Pettit said "More Tortoise you need"
Chorus
So back beneath plywood and blood-bringing spikes
Went courageous Ken Pettit, more than once yelling "Yikes"
He saw unused contacts, AH! Could be more wires!
Which brings flexibility, and ...perhaps fires
"It's worth it" he said "I will put in some switches"
That should satisfy those whinin' son...
But still we struggled about which way to go
Determined Ken Pettit said "O Wait I know!"
I'Il drill through the trackbed and put in some lights
Red is for wrong, green is for right
The courageous Ken Pettit, with no shield on his head
More drilling, more wiring, more blood to be bled
Put visual signals at each possible turn
In diminishing hopes that perhaps we would learn
Chorus
Well the years have flown by, every turnout's equipped
With magic green boxes on the switches they flip
Ken Pettit sits back on his folding chair thrones
Content in the knowledge he never left us alone
The layout is perfect, the traffic flows smooth
Dispatcher Ken Petti conducts every move
From position of power, hand on a mouse
That turns every train that runs in the house
The tale's far from ended, new gadgets abound
And answers to problems remain to be found
Ken Pettit stands ready to take up the slack
When it looks like us drivers are all smoking crack
Chorus
This model railroad that we are proud of
We hold it sacred, as sent from above
To begin the next chapter of this beloved club
The layout room's now known as the Ken Pettit SUB