Trainman Stopped in His Tracks

--The City Council voted to derail Ed Krahel’s backyard railroad, saying his life-sized hobby violates a residential zoning ordinance. “Our old slow train is trickety-trackety on the track to the Supreme Court,” Krahel said, announcing he will appeal the 4-2 council vote that the four railroad cars and small engine in his Ashland, Ore., backyard have to go. Krahel, 36, brought in his first railroad car--a green caboose built in 1941--nine years ago. Krahel contended he had city permission. Neighbor Doug Cox complained: “When he first put in these things, somebody didn’t do their job.” Over the years, Krahel added a boxcar, a flatcar, a small mining engine, and last month a red caboose, which finally brought complaints from his neighbors. “I understand his need for a hobby,” said Councilwoman Beverly Bennett. “I think it is unfortunate that he didn’t pick the little Lionel trains.” Krahel replied: “I have those too.”

--Pat Tobias is looking for a new haunt. The self-described good witch who practices white magic is being evicted. ‘It’s a witch hunt, no less--and who’s available but the local witch,” Tobias said after she was informed this week that her Bell, Book & Candle witchcraft supply store in Memphis will have to move. Tobias, who prefers her “magic name” of Lady Yodwin, sells candles, cat whiskers, graveyard dirt, frog toes and other witchcraft supplies. Debbie Barrett, Tobias’ landlady--who operates a flower shop and wedding boutique on the floor above--said she is reluctant to ask her tenant to move. She’s a good tenant, Barrett said. “I just heard people say they wouldn’t do business with me because she was in the building.” She added: “I have a lot of customers who are church people.”

--An honor guard was deployed along the steps of the entrance to the Pentagon for the arrival of Lord Carrington, secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Minutes before he was due, another car pulled up, and out stepped a huge brown bear with a heart pinned over its left chest. The “bear” lumbered up the stone steps to the entrance and promptly ran into the usual bureaucratic red tape for ordinary citizens. It had to take its head off for identification. The young man inside was directed through a metal-detecting barrier before he was given a temporary visitor’s pass to star in a show for military children. Carrington, however, was met on the steps at the VIP entrance by Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger and was able to skip the metal detector and the identification process.